David’s conquests marked a new phase in Israelite history. Since Moses and Joshua led the invasion of Eretz-Israel, the Israelite military campaigns were planned for one purpose only, to obtain land for settlement. David was the first to fight in order to rule. The earlier mentality of defense now gave way to an exuberant drive for enlarging and strengthening the Israelite territory. The centuries of intermittent battles against enemy invaders had an important lesson to teach the new king. No longer would the Israelites wait for the enemy to come. Rather, they were establishing new frontiers for the Israelite kingdom and thus they were evolving a new aggressive strategy.

The Wars of Conquest
David's Conquests