2 Samuel 10
10
David and the Ammonites
1 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.#tn Heb “reigned in his place.” 2 David said, “I will express my loyalty#tn Heb “do loyalty.” to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal#tn Heb “did loyalty.” to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death.#tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.” When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?#tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?” No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”#tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed,#tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.” and then sent them away. 5 Messengers#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity. told David what had happened,#tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,#tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.” they#tn Heb “the Ammonites.” sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,#tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.” in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob.#tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish-tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.
7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.#tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification. 8 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.#tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.” 10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army#tn Heb “people.” and they were deployed#tn Heb “he arranged.” against the Ammonites. 11 Joab#tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity. said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,#tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.” you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,#tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.” I will come to your rescue. 12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”#tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
13 So Joab and his men#tn Heb “and the army which was with him.” marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to#tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.” Jerusalem.#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.#tn Heb “were gathered together.” 16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from#tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.” beyond the Euphrates River,#tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity. and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.#tn Heb “was before them.”
17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,#tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. 18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.#tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV. He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there. 19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer#tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.” saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.#tn Heb “and they served them.” The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
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2 Samuel 10
10
1 After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. 7When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 8The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. 9Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians. 10The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. 11He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” 13So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
15 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him. 18The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there. 19When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.
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