For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
Parallel translations
- WEB For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in Edom
- BSB Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.
- NKJV For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom
- NASB For it came about, when David was in Edom and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury those killed in battle, and had struck and killed every male in Edom
- NLT Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Years earlier, David's forces under Joab had struck down the males of Edom. It supplies the background to Hadad's enmity.
Overview
This flashback recalls David's harsh subjugation of Edom, when Joab's army devastated the Edomite men. The history explains why Hadad, a royal survivor, bore lasting hostility toward Israel. The narrative shows how past conflicts could resurface as instruments of God's discipline, weaving Israel's history together as the LORD providentially raises adversaries in His appointed time.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Sam 8:14And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
- 1 Chr 18:12–13Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.
- Deut 20:13And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
- Gen 27:40And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
- Num 24:18–19And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
- Gen 25:23And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
- Ps 60:1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
- Num 31:17Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
- Ps 108:10Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
- Mal 1:2–3I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 11:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.