XIX. The war with the sons of Ammon and their Aramæan allies. The chapter is a duplicate of 2 Samuel 10. The story of David’s kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9), creditable as it was to David, is omitted by the chronicler, as belonging rather to the private than the public history of the king.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS. — The same phrase as at 1 Chronicles 18:1; it has no chronological significance (see Note there). The conflict with Ammon, which has been glanced at in 1 Chronicles 18:11, is now to be described at length (1 Chronicles 19:1 to 1 Chronicles 20:3), and in connection the... [ Continue Reading ]
NAHASH Samuel omits, but adds “Hanun.” The omissions in each are perhaps accidental. Saul’s first campaign was against Nahash (1 Samuel 11). CHILDREN OF AMMON. — Sons of Ammon, like “sons of Israel.” The title calls attention to their tribal organisation. BECAUSE. — _For._ Samuel, “according as.”... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE NOT HIS SERVANTS COME... FOR TO SEARCH, AND TO OVERTHROW, AND TO SPY OUT THE LAND? — Literally, _Is it not for to search_... _that his servants are come unto thee?_ This is hardly an improvement on Samuel: “Is it not to search the city (Rabbath-Ammon, the capital), and to spy it out, and to over... [ Continue Reading ]
SHAVED THEM — _i.e.,_ the half of their beards (Samuel). HARD BY THEIR BUTTOCKS. — Literally, _unto the extremities._ The chronicler has substituted a more decorous term for the one which appears in Samuel. CUT OFF THEIR GARMENTS. — To look like captives (Isaiah 20:4).... [ Continue Reading ]
ASHAMED. — Not the usual term (_bôsh_)_,_ but a stronger word, _confounded_ (_niklam;_ properly, _pricked, wounded_). (Comp. Psalms 35:4. where it forms a climax to the other.) BE GROWN. — _Sprout,_ or _shoot_ (Judges 16:22, of Samson’s hair). JERICHO lay on their road to the capital.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. — Up to this point the narrative has substantially coincided with 2 Samuel 10, and might have been derived immediately from it; but this and the following verses differ considerably from the older account, and add one or two material facts, which suggest another sourc... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY HIRED THIRTY AND TWO THOUSAND CHARIOTS, AND THE KING OF MAACHAH AND HIS PEOPLE. — The account which the chronicler has followed here did not state the relative strength of the contingents, yet its estimate of the total number of the allied forces is in substantial accord with that of Samuel.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE HOST OF THE MIGHTY MEN. — So the Hebrew text. The Hebrew margin and Samuel read “all the host,” viz., the mighty men. The “mighty men” (_gibbôrîm_) were a special corps. (Comp. 1 Samuel 23:13; 1 Samuel 27:8; 2 Samuel 2:3; 2 Samuel 16:6; 1 Kings 1:8.) Either, then, the term has a general sens... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE GATE OF THE CITY. — Literally, _in the outlet of the city._ Samuel has “in the outlet of the gate.” The city appears to have been Medeba (1 Chronicles 19:7). AND THE KINGS THAT WERE COME. — Samuel repeats the names: “And Aram-zobah and Rehob, and the men of Tôb and Maachah.” WERE. — Rat... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BATTLE WAS SET AGAINST HIM BEFORE AND BEHIND. — Literally, _the front of the battle had become towards him, front and rear._ The order of words is different in Samuel, and a preposition added (“on front and on rear”). The Ammonites lay in front of the city, their Aramæan allies at some distance... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SOT THEMSELVES IN ARRAY. — Samuel, singular, as in 1 Chronicles 19:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
Literally, _If Aram, prevail over me, thou shalt become to me for succour._ The word “succour” here is _tĕshû‘âh,_ a less frequent synonym of _yĕshû‘âh,_ the term in Samuel. I WILL HELP (succour) THEE. — Samuel, “I will march to succour thee.” This verb is often rendered “to save,” and the cognate... [ Continue Reading ]
BE OF GOOD COURAGE. — The same verb was rendered “be strong” in 1 Chronicles 19:12. LET US BEHAVE OURSELVES VALIANTLY. — The same verb again, in reflexive form. Thus the whole runs literally: _Be strong, and let us shew ourselves strong!_ AND LET THE LORD DO ... — Literally, _And Jehovah_ — _the g... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE SYRIANS. — Rather, _against Aram;_ so Samuel, with the more classical construction. The preposition used here was rendered _to meet_ (1 Chronicles 12:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF AMNION SAW. — The Hebrew construction is quite different from that of 1 Chronicles 19:6. Render, _Now the sons of Ammon had seen that Aram was routed._ THEY LIKEWISE. — An explanatory addition to the text, as read in Samuel. So also “his brother.” THEN JOAB CAME... — Abrid... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SENT MESSENGERS. — Samuel, “Hadarezer sent and drew forth” (literally, _made to come out: i.e.,_ to war, 1 Chronicles 20:1). The name “Hadarezer” (Hadadezer) is important, as helping us to identify this campaign with that of 1 Chronicles 18:3. BEYOND THE RIVER. — The Euphrates, called Purât, Pu... [ Continue Reading ]
(16-19) The last effort of the Arameans. They are defeated, and become vassals to David.... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME UPON THEM. — Samuel, “came to Hêlâm.” The chronicler seems to have substituted an intelligible phrase for the name of an unknown locality. Professor Sayce has suggested to the writer that this mysterious Helam is no other than Aleppo, the _Halman_ of the Assyrian monuments. UPON THEM... AGAINS... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHICH FOUGHT IN CHARIOTS, AND FORTY THOUSAND FOOTMEN. — Heb., _seven thousand chariotry_ (_rèkeb_)_,_ &c. Samuel reads, “seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horse-men.” Such deviations seem to indicate independent sources. We can hardly choose between the two accounts; but... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE SERVANTS OF HADAREZER. — Samuel is fuller and clearer: “And all the kings, servants of Hadarezer.” The tributaries of Hadadezer now transferred their fealty to David. THEY MADE PEACE WITH DAVID. — Samuel, “with Israel.” AND BECAME HIS SERVANTS. — Literally, _and served him._ Samuel, “... [ Continue Reading ]