Hamstring the horses

“And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them a hundred chariots.”

At first glance, this appears to be a brutal act of war. Why cripple strong, valuable warhorses? Why not keep them to strengthen Israel’s own army?

The answer is spiritual. God had already warned His people in Deuteronomy 17:16 that kings of Israel must not multiply horses, because He did not want their confidence in military strength. He wanted them to depend solely on Him.