Though it is possible that the large number of slain enemy troops reflect an ancient Near Eastern literary device in which numbers are exaggerated in order to glorify a particular deity, the extent of the campaign in Edom (see 1 Kings 11:15–16) makes it very likely that a lot of Edomites were killed and that the number reported is close to the actual figure. Even so, there is a discrepancy that needs to be explained. According to 2 Samuel 8:13, David struck down 18,000 Edomites. According to the superscription of Psalm 60, Joab struck down 12,000 Edomites, whilst 1 Chronicles 18:12 attributes the victories to Abishai. When it comes to the numbers, it is possible that they refer to two different campaigns, though it is most likely that it is a single campaign in which case the numbers are an approximation of the dead. When it comes to the different individuals who are responsible for the battle, we must remember that Joab and Abishai were under David’s command and likely fought together. Thus any victory attributed to them would ultimately also be attributed to David.
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.