2 Samuel 8:1

“And after this it came to pass, etc.] After David had rest from his enemies for a time, and after the conversation he had had with Nathan about building the house of God, and after the message sent to him from the Lord by that prophet, forbidding him to build, and David’s prayer to the Lord upon it, the following events happened; and which are recorded to show that David’s rest from his enemies did not last long, and that he had other work to do than to build the house of God: that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; these had been long and implacable enemies of Israel; Samson began to weaken them in his days; a war was waged between them and Israel in the times of Samuel and…”

“DAVID SUBDUES THE PHILISTINES, AND MAKES THE MOABITES TRIBUTARY. (Sa2 8:1-2) David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines--that is, Gath and her suburban towns (Ch1 18:1). That town had been "a bridle" by which the Philistines kept the people of Judah in check. David used it now as a barrier to repress that restless enemy.”

“Metheg-ammah must be the name of some stronghold which commanded Gath, and the taking of which made David master of Gath and her towns. return to 'Top of Page'”

“And David took - Gath and her towns, as it is expressed in the parallel place, Ch1 18:1. Which are called Metheg - ammah, or the bridle of Ammah, Gath was situate in the mountain of Ammah; and because this being the chief city of the Philistines, and having a king, which none of the rest had, was the bridle which had hitherto kept the Israelites in subjection. 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 8:2”

“8:1-18 The expansion of David’s empire through military victories (8:1-14) and the establishment of his royal bureaucracy (8:15-18) fulfilled God’s promise of a famous name (7:9; cp. 8:13).”

“am 2964, bc 1040, An, Ex, Is, 451 And after: Sa2 7:9, Sa2 21:15-22 Methegammah: or, the bridle of Ammah, Sa2 2:24; 1Chr. 18:1-17, Gath, In the parallel passage of Chronicles, we read, "David took Gath and her towns;" and it is probable, that Gath and its districts were called Metheg-ammah in David's time; which, being unusual or becoming obsolete, in the time of the author of the Chronicles, led him thus to explain it. 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 8:2”

“Subjugation of the Philistines. - In the introductory formula, "And it came to pass afterwards," the expression "afterwards" cannot refer specially to the contents of 2 Samuel 7, for reasons also given, but simply serves as a general formula of transition to attach what follows to the account just completed, as a thing that happened afterwards. This is incontestably evident from a comparison of Sa2 10:1, where the war with the Ammonites and Syrians, the termination and result of which are given in the present chapter, is attached to what precedes by the same formula, "It came to pass afterwards" (cf. Sa2 13:1). "David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and took the bridle of the mother…”