(4) A thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen.--Hebrew text of Samuel, "a thousand and seven hundred horsemen." The territory of Zobah lay somewhere in the great plain of Aram. Hadadezer would, therefore, be strong in chariots and horses, and our reading is probably correct. (Comp. 1Chronicles 19:18.)

Houghed.--Hamstrung--i.e., cut the sinews of the hind legs, so as to disable them.

Chariot horses.--The same Hebrew term has just been rendered chariots. It means also chariot soldiers.

David reserved a hundred chariots, with their horses, probably for his own use. Horses were always a luxury in Israel. (Comp. Isaiah 2:7.) Solomon recruited his stud from Egypt. (Comp. the prohibition, Deuteronomy 17:16.)

Verse 4. - The parallel place (2 Samuel 8:4) omits, probably by error merely, the word "chariots," and reads for our seven thousand, "seven hundred." As the form of expression in the last two clauses of our present verse is the same in both cases, it is more natural to render, David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved a hundred, i.e. a hundred horses unhoughed; he houghed all but a hundred. Our Authorized Version, in the parallel, gets over the difficulty by inserting "for," i.e. enough for, "a hundred chariots."

18:1-17 David's victories. - This chapter is the same as 2Sa 8. Our good fight of faith, under the Captain of our salvation, will end in everlasting triumph and peace. The happiness of Israel, through David's victories, and just government, faintly shadowed forth the happiness of the redeemed in the realms above.See Chapter Introduction