2 Samuel 8:13
And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
The verse belongs to the account of David's enemies being subdued as Israel's kingdom expanded and its power was established under his rule. It records his victory over the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, by which military success his name was made renowned. That victory was part of extending Israel's power and included securing Damascus.
Through these victories over surrounding enemies the Lord had given David rest from his enemies after Israel's unsettled period had ended. That rest provided the setting in which David considered building a house for God, speaking of living in a cedar house while the ark remained under curtains. His words refer to the tent he had pitched for the ark, since the tabernacle was still at Gibeon.
His growing kingdom and prosperity in that period also formed the setting for the temptation and fall that followed.