In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines. – 2 Samuel 8:1

Today's Scripture Reading (May 25, 2022):  2 Samuel 8

How good are you at identifying a city by its nickname? Let's start with an easy one. Where would you go to find "The Big Apple?" If you said New York City, you are right. Here is another easy one: The City of Angels? The correct answer is Los Angeles. Okay, maybe a little harder. (I will include the answers to the next few cities at the end of this post in case you want to play along.) Where is "The Emerald City?" What city often goes by the nickname "The City of Champions?" Where would I find "Whitestone?" Or maybe the city that goes by the name "First Throne?" One more, what about "Venice of the North?"

Cities are strange things, and some have even changed names over the years. Saint Peterburg, Russia, might be a good example of a city that has changed its name. Saint Petersburg, which originally had a slightly different spelling, Saint Petersburgh, became Petrograd at the beginning of World War I (1914). In 1924, the city's name changed once more, this time to Leningrad. And it stayed as Leningrad until 1991 when the powers that be decided to change the name back to Saint Petersburg with a slightly different spelling. But all these names refer to the same city.

Metheg Ammah has presented scholars with a problem. Part of the problem is that we have no idea where the city might be. In fact, this is the only mention of the city anywhere. And there is a possibility that it is a nickname, like "The Big Apple" or "The Windy City" (Chicago). Metheg Ammah means "Bridle of the Mother City." If it is a nickname, then it is likely a nickname for the city of Gath. Gath at the time was the central or mother city of Philistia, and it had reduced the other Philistine city-states into being merely vassals or subjects of Gath.

The hypothesis that Metheg Ammah is actually Gath is supported by a parallel passage found in 1 Chronicles 18. In that passage, the author of Chronicles commented, "In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines" (1 Chronicles 18:1). In the process, David exercised control not only over all of Israel but also over his previous place of refuge, the place where he had hidden while he was running from Saul. The Philistines may have once dominated Israel, but with David, the slayer of Goliath, on the throne of Israel, the past was gone and everything had been made new once again. Life had seemed to come full circle. And David proved that there was no power that he was unwilling to confront with God by his side.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 60

(Scroll down for the answers to the city nickname quiz.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Nickname Answers

The Emerald City – Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

The City of Champions – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Whitestone – Moscow, Russia

First Throne (trick question) – also Moscow, Russia

Venice of the North – Saint Peterburg, Russia