The Word Am I

The First Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 19 -

(2 Samuel 10:1–8)
1
Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
2
And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
3
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5
When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver (a) to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim,(b) Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
7
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle.
8
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
9
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram

(2 Samuel 10:9–19)
10
When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
11
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
12
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
13
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14
So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
15
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates,(c) with Shophach (d) the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17
When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
18
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
19
When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.

Footnotes

(a)19:6 1,000 talents is approximately 37.7 tons or 34.2 metric tons of silver.
(b)19:6 That is, Mesopotamia; Aram-naharaim means Aram of the two rivers, likely the region between the Euphrates and Balih Rivers in northwestern Mesopotamia.
(c)19:16 Hebrew the River
(d)19:16 Shophach is a variant of Shobach; also in verse 18; see 2 Samuel 10:16.
(2 Samuel 10:1–8)
1
After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2
David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.
3
But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”
4
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.
5
Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6
When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents (a) of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah.
7
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
8
When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men.
9
The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram

(2 Samuel 10:9–19)
10
Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose some of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.
11
The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12
He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13
Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do that which seems good to him.”
14
So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him.
15
When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16
When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River,(b) with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading them.
17
David was told that, so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18
The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army.
19
When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.

Footnotes

(a)19:6 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds, so 1000 talents is about 30 metric tons
(b)19:16 or, the Euphrates River
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