The 2 Samuel 8:2 account of how David killed some of the Moab people in a very arbitrary manner seems kind of playful which shows a rather creepy/scary side to David's character.
David does Not hold any sort of ancient version of a the post-WWII Nuremberg trial of key members of Hitler's Nazi regime in order to determine who among the Moabites should be executed. There is No judicial process. There is No ancient version of due process. David just goes on to kill the Moab people in a sort of playful manner like an ancient biblical version of Russian roulette.
It kind of suggests/hints that David was some kind of sadistic vigilante. LOL, David is like and Old Testament Bible version of the Punisher who is a fictional vigilante in Marvel Comics.
@tony-chan Thanks for your posting. However, I just wanted to emphasize evidence of due process in the bible(especially the Old Testament Bible).
Exodus 18:13-23 is account of how Moses carried out "due process" as part of his judgement. I suppose that we can infer that since Moses lifetime was long before David, we could assume that David knew about the stories of Moses, and how Moses judged Israel in a Godly manner.
Exodus 18:13-23
New American Standard Bible 1995
13 It came about the
next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood
about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’
father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What
is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit
as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until
evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come
to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [a]dispute, it comes to
me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the
statutes of God and His laws.”
Jethro Counsels Moses 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing
that you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear out, both
yourself and [b]these people who are with you, for the [c]task is too
heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to [d]me: I will
give you counsel, and God be with you. [e]You be the people’s
representative before God, and you bring the [f]disputes to God, 20
then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the
way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21
Furthermore, you shall [g]select out of all the people able men who
fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall
place these over them as leaders of thousands, [h]of hundreds, [i]of
fifties and [j]of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and
let it be that every major [k]dispute they will bring to you, but
every minor [l]dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be
easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do
this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to
[m]endure, and all [n]these people also will go to [o]their place in
peace.”
Leviticus 19:15-16
New American Standard Bible 1995
15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor
defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. 16 You
shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not
to [a]act against the [b]life of your neighbor; I am the Lord.
I think 2 Samuel 8:2 is just further evidence of David being "treasure in earthen vessels"(2 Corinthians 4:7) who is selected by God to become the 2nd King of Israel.
