Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Chronicles 18:2

"And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute." — 1 Chronicles 18:2 (ASV)

This account is much abridged compared to Samuel. After the words “he smote Moab,” we read in Samuel of a partial massacre of the conquered. The omission is scarcely due to any unfair bias on the part of the chronicler. Indeed, as a Jew, possessed with all the national exclusiveness and hatred of the aliens who always misunderstood and sometimes cruelly oppressed his people, he was not likely to regard the slaughter of captive Moabites from a modern point of view. (Ezra 6:9–10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 2:4; Nehemiah 2:6; Nehemiah 2:13) Besides, he has related the cruel treatment of the Ammonite prisoners (1 Chronicles 20:3). (See the prophecy in Numbers 24:17.)

And the Moabites became. —Literally, and they became —that is, Moab. The name of the country denotes the people. Samuel has “and Moab [that is, the country] became” (verb singular feminine).

David’s servants. —Samuel has, “to David for servants.”

And brought gifts. —Literally, bringers of an offering —that is, tribute. Similar notices are common in the Assyrian inscriptions. (Compare 1 Kings 4:21; 2 Kings 3:4; and the famous Moabite inscription, fragments of which are now in the Louvre, and which records Mesha’s revolt against the successor of Ahab.)