1 Chronicles 19:1-19 (2 Samuel 10:1-19). War with the Ammonites and their Aramaean Allies Chron. here omits the story of David's kindness in seeking out and befriending Mephibosheth (Meribbaal) the son of Jonathan (2 Samuel 9); the Court History of David which occupies an important place in 2 Sam.... [ Continue Reading ]
_after this_ The war with Ammon has already been referred to by anticipation in 1 Chronicles 18:11. _Nahash_ Probably not the Nahash mentioned 1 Samuel 11:1. _Ammon_ The Ammonites were a kindred race to the Hebrews, being descended according to tradition from Lot, the nephew of Abraham; cp. Deuter... [ Continue Reading ]
_sent messengers to comfort him_ A usual piece of international courtesy; cp. 2 Kings 20:12. Its breach was resented. In the Tellel-Amarna letters (x. 16) the king of Kardunias writes, "Should not my brother (i.e. the king of Egypt) have heard that I am sick? Why has he not comforted me? Why has he... [ Continue Reading ]
_the land_ 2 Samuel 10:3, _the city_, i.e. Rabbah.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shaved them_ 2 Samuel 10:4, _shaved off the one half of iheir beards_. Of course a great insult; cp. Isaiah 50:6. _cut off their garments_ Jewish ambassadors are represented on the Black Obelisk (a monument of Shalmaneser II, king of Assyria, now preserved in the British Museum) as wearing robes r... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tarry at Jericho_ Thus (1) the feelings of the ambassadors would be spared, (2) the insult would be less widely known until it had been avenged.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a thousand talents of silver_ A very large sum; for a hundred talents Amaziah hired a hundred thousand men (2 Chronicles 25:6). _chariots and horsemen_ The Israelite armies on the contrary consisted chiefly of infantry, the country being for the most part unsuitable for horses. _Mesopotamia_ Heb.... [ Continue Reading ]
_thirty and two thousand chariots_ Cp. 2 Samuel 10:6, which reckons the army (including Maacah) at 33,000, of whom 20,000 are expressly described as footmen. The word "chariots" has probably slipped in from 1 Chronicles 19:6 instead of "men." _Medeba_ In the territory of Reuben; Joshua 13:16. The c... [ Continue Reading ]
_David … sent Joab_ Why in such a crisis did he not go himself? Perhaps because he could watch the gathering of the more serious storm described in 1 Chronicles 19:16-19 better from Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
_he chose out of all the choice_ R.V. HE CHOSE OF ALL THE CHOICE MEN. The Syrians were the more formidable because of the chariots they had; Joab therefore opposed to them the flower of his army.... [ Continue Reading ]
_let us behave ourselves valiantly_ R.V. LET US PLAY THE MEN, as in 2 Samuel 10:12. _the cities of our God_ The cities which our God has given us and in which He is worshipped. If these were captured by the enemy, false gods would be worshipped in them. Religious feeling often supplies the place of... [ Continue Reading ]
_drew nigh before the Syrians_ Without fear for their own rear advanced against the Syrian front.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joab came_to _Jerusalem_ Probably because he was wanted for the new danger gathering in the North.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Syrians that were beyond the river_ i.e. the Syrians of "Mesopotamia"; cp. 1 Chronicles 19:6, note. 2 Samuel 10:16 adds, _and they came to Helam_; the position of Helam however is unknown, but it was probably not far from the Euphrates. _Shophach_ In 2 Samuel 10:16 called "Shobach." The whole... [ Continue Reading ]
The End of the Aramaean War Three stages are apparent in the war with Zobah, (_a_) that in which David secured a position on the Euphrates, 1 Chronicles 18:3-8, (_b_) the stage during which troops from Zobah acted as auxiliaries to the Ammonites, 1 Chronicles 19:6-15, (_c_) the final stage which en... [ Continue Reading ]
_came upon them_ Read CAME TO HELAM, with 2 Samuel 10:17. According to 2 Samuel 10 the Syrian army assembled at Helam, and was there attacked by David.... [ Continue Reading ]
_seven thousand_men which fought in _chariots_ R.V. the men of SEVEN, THOUSAND CHARIOTS. 2 Samuel 10:18, the men of _seven hundred chariots_. _forty thousand footmen_ 2 Samuel 10:18, _forty thousand horsemen_. Swarms of horsemen have usually formed the strength of armies raised on the eastern bank... [ Continue Reading ]
_the servants_ i.e. his vassals and tributaries; in 2 Sam. "all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer." We are not told what course Hadarezer himself took; possibly, being deserted by his allies, he ceased from hostilities without making any treaty with David.... [ Continue Reading ]