2 Samuel 10

Some time after this, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.

1And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

NoteThe Ammonites were a kingdom just east of the Jordan River, with their capital at Rabbah (the site of modern Amman in Jordan). They were long-standing neighbors and frequent rivals of Israel.

2David said, "I will be kind to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father was kind to me." So David sent some of his servants to comfort Hanun over the loss of his father. But when David's servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites,

2Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

NoteNahash was the previous Ammonite king. What kindness he had shown David is never explained; since Nahash had fought against Saul (1 Samuel 11), the two may have had an understanding while David was a fugitive from Saul. Sending an official delegation of condolence on a king's death was a normal diplomatic act between allied rulers, and served to renew the agreement between them under the new king.

3the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their master, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending men to comfort you? Hasn't David sent his servants to look over the city, spy it out, and destroy it?"

3And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

4So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut their clothes off at the hips, and sent them away.

4Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

NoteTwo deliberate humiliations. A full beard was a mark of adult male standing, and shaving half of it left a man visibly disfigured and unable to hide it. Cutting the long robes off at the hips exposed the buttocks, which in this culture was profound public disgrace. Envoys were also understood to be protected persons representing their king; assaulting them was an insult to David himself and effectively a declaration of war.

5When David was told about it, he sent messengers to meet the men, because they had been deeply shamed. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then come home."

5When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

NoteJericho lay near the Jordan, on the road the returning envoys would travel, and well short of Jerusalem. David lets them stop there rather than enter the capital in their disgraced state.

6The Ammonites realized they had made themselves hated by David. So they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, a thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Ishtob.

6And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

NoteThe Hebrew says the Ammonites had "become a stench" to David, an idiom for having made themselves utterly offensive to him. The "Arameans" (the King James "Syrians") were a group of small kingdoms in what is now Syria and southern Lebanon. Beth-rehob, Zoba, Maacah and Tob were separate Aramean states, hired here as mercenaries. "Ishtob" in the King James is really the Hebrew phrase "men of Tob", which the translators read as a single place name.

7When David heard about it, he sent out Joab with the whole army of fighting men.

7And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

NoteJoab was the commander of David's army and also his nephew. "Mighty men" translates a term for seasoned, professional warriors rather than ordinary conscripts.

8The Ammonites marched out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zoba and Rehob and the men of Ishtob and Maacah stood by themselves out in the open country.

8And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

NoteThe city is the Ammonite capital, Rabbah. Its defenders drew up outside their own gate while their hired Aramean allies took position separately in the open ground, leaving Joab's army caught between the two forces.

9When Joab saw that he was being attacked from the front and from behind, he picked some of the best soldiers in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans.

9When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

10He put the rest of the men under the command of his brother Abishai, who lined them up against the Ammonites.

10And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

11Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you come and help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

11And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

12Be brave, and let us fight like men for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do whatever seems good to him."

12Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

Note"Let us play the men" is a King James idiom meaning "let us act with strength and courage", not anything to do with performance or pretense.

13Then Joab and the men with him moved forward to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ran away from him.

13And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

14When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had run away, they also ran away from Abishai and went back inside the city. So Joab stopped fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.

14And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

15When the Arameans saw that Israel had beaten them, they gathered their forces together again.

15And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

16Hadarezer sent for the Arameans who lived beyond the Euphrates River and brought them out. They came to Helam, led by Shobach, the commander of Hadarezer's army.

16And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

NoteHadadezer was king of Zobah, whom David had already defeated once (2 Samuel 8). "Beyond the river" means the far side of the Euphrates, in northern Mesopotamia. Helam was a town east of the Jordan; its exact location is unknown.

17When David was told about it, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Helam. The Arameans lined up against David and fought him.

17And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

18But the Arameans ran away from Israel. David killed the men of seven hundred Aramean chariots and forty thousand horsemen. He also struck down Shobach, the commander of their army, who died there.

18And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

NoteThe numbers here differ from the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 19:18, which reads seven thousand chariots and forty thousand foot soldiers. The Hebrew word used here means horsemen or charioteers, and ancient copies vary; the difference is usually taken as a copying error somewhere in the transmission of one or other book.

19When all the kings who served Hadarezer saw that Israel had beaten them, they made peace with Israel and became its subjects. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

19And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

Note"Became its subjects" means they entered vassal treaties: they kept their own kings, but owed Israel tribute payments and military support.