New American Standard Bible 1995

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2 Samuel

Note Journal Prayer

8

:

2

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He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
He defeated to smite Verb H5221 וַיַּ֣ךְ vai·yach
Moab, a son of Lot,also his desc. and the territory where they settled Noun H4124 מֹואָ֗ב mo·v·'av
Analysis:
Read more about: Moab
and measured to measure Verb H4058 וַֽיְמַדְּדֵ֤ם vay·mad·de·dem
them with the line, cord, territory, band Noun H2256 בַּחֶ֙בֶל֙ ba·che·vel
making them lie down to lie down Verb H7901 הַשְׁכֵּ֣ב hash·kev
on the ground; earth, land Noun H776 אַ֔רְצָה ar·tzah,
and he measured to measure Verb H4058 וַיְמַדֵּ֤ד vay·mad·ded
two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵֽי־ she·nei-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 
lines cord, territory, band Noun H2256 חֲבָלִים֙ cha·va·lim
to put to death to die Verb H4191 לְהָמִ֔ית le·ha·mit,
and one full fullness, that which fills Noun H4393 וּמְלֹ֥א u·me·lo
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
line cord, territory, band Noun H2256 הַחֶ֖בֶל ha·che·vel
to keep alive. to live Verb H2421 לְהַחֲיֹ֑ות le·ha·cha·yo·vt;
And the Moabites a son of Lot,also his desc. and the territory where they settled Noun H4124 מֹואָב֙ mo·v·'av
became to fall out, come to pass, become, be Verb H1961 וַתְּהִ֤י vat·te·hi
servants slave, servant Noun H5650 לַעֲבָדִ֖ים la·'a·va·dim
to David, perhaps "beloved one," a son of Jesse Noun H1732 לְדָוִ֔ד le·da·vid,
Analysis:
Read more about: David
bringing to lift, carry, take Verb H5375 נֹשְׂאֵ֥י no·se·'ei
tribute. a gift, tribute, offering Noun H4503 מִנְחָֽה׃ min·chah.

Locations

Moab

MOAB; MOABITESmo'-ab, mo'-ab-its (Moab, mo'abh, Moabite Stone, M-'-B; Greek (Septuagint) Moab, he Moabeitis, Moabitis; Moabite, mo'abhi; Moabites, bene mo'abh):1. The Land:Moab was the district East of the Dead Sea, extending from a point some distance North of it to its southern end. The eastern boundary was indefinite, being the border of the desert which... View Details

Put

PUTput (puT; Phoud, in Genesis and Chronicles, variant for Genesis Phout, for Chronicles, Phouth):1. Renderings:In consequence of the identification at the time, the prophets have "Libya" (Libues), except Nab 3:9, where the Greek renders the word as phuge, "flight." The Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has "Phut," "Phuth," and in the Prophets "Li... View Details

People

Put

a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land

David

David [N] [B] [H] [S] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of  2 Samuel 17:25 . As to his personal appearance, we only know that he was red-haired, with beautiful eyes and a fair face ( 1 Samuel 16:12 ;  17:42 ).  His early... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
King James Bible He defeated And he smote Moab, and measured them with the a line, making casting them lie down on to the ground; and he measured even with two lines measured he to put to death death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.David's servants, and brought gifts.
Hebrew Greek English He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.