# Psalm 60:1 and 2 Sam. 8:13



## Romans922 (May 4, 2011)

Psalm 60:1 says, "...when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and *smote twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt*. O God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; O, restore us."

2 Samuel 8:13 says, "David made a name for himself when he returned from *striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt*." The Hebrew actually says here that it was men from Aram (not Edom)...?

How do we reconcile these two verses and specifically the number of Edomites killed. 

Psalm 60 says it was 18k; 2 Sam. 8 says it was 12k.


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## Contra_Mundum (May 5, 2011)

I'll make a suggestion:
The total-victory count is listed at 18,000 casualties, as the king at the head of his armies returns in triumph, making a "name for himself." (2Sam.8:13).

Whereas, when David writes his Psalm of praise, perhaps he was still on the field of battle. The superscription indicates that David composes the Psalm when Joab returns to him having struck 12,000 of the enemy. Perhaps Joab's contingent of David's army was responsible for 2/3 of the enemy's casualty-count? To complicate matters further, Abishai (brother of Joab) is accorded credit for the 18,000 in 1Chr.18:12.

In any case, David (and Abishai) is accorded 18,000 of the Edomites, and Joab 12,000. I would simply accept that the differences are related to the various names, contributions, and stations of the chief participants.


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## Romans922 (May 5, 2011)

Good points thanks for helping me think through it Bruce.


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