Chapter 10

1 David’s messengers, sent to comfort Hanun the son of Nahash, are villainously entreated. 6 The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, are overcome by Joab and Abishai. 15 Shobach, making a new supply of the Syrians at Helam, is slain by David.

1. The king. The parallel passage gives his name as Nahash (1 Chron. 19:1). About 50 years previous an Ammonite ruler by the name of Nahash was engaged in a struggle with Saul over the possession of Jabesh-gilead (1 Sam. 11:1–11). It is possible that the Nahash of the days of Saul was identical with the Nahash of the time of David. A reign of 50 years would be unusual but conceivable. The incidents here recorded could hardly have taken place later than the middle of David’s reign, since Solomon, who was probably born within about two years after David’s adultery and the Ammonite war (2 Sam. 12:24), had a son a year old when he came to the throne (1 Kings 11:42; 14:21).

2. Shewed kindness. If the Nahash who had been kind to David was the Nahash who had been defeated by Saul (1 Sam. 11:1–11), as seems probable (2 Sam. 10:1, 2), the friendship of Nahash toward David while he was a fugitive from Saul can be easily understood (see PP 714).

3. Hath sent comforters. David had sent his envoys to Ammon with friendly intentions, but his motive was misjudged. Nahash was never a true friend of David, but showed kindness to him simply because he also was an enemy of Saul. The Ammonites hated the Hebrews and despised the worship of the true God. Now they could not understand the true spirit of kindness that prompted David to send his envoys. His best intentions were misconstrued, and a false coloring was placed upon his motives. The words of the Ammonite princes were untrue and were destined to create trouble.

4. Shaved off. Such an insult could not be lightly accepted by Israel. It is a universal principle among nations that the person of an ambassador must be held inviolate. In heaping such rude indignities on David’s envoys, the Ammonites were openly asking for war. For some time they had been alarmed at David’s growing strength and had probably by now decided that the day of reckoning had come. But instead of starting hostilities themselves, they may have attempted, by this incident, to pursue a course that would make it appear that they were the ones who were attacked and aggrieved, so that they could claim the sympathy of their neighbors.

Cut off their garments. Appropriately, the envoys of David wore long robes. To cut off the bottom half of these outer robes, which subjected the wearer to shame and ridicule, was as much of an insult as cutting their beards. The outrage to the ambassadors was an insult to the nation they represented.

5. Tarry at Jericho. Beards were considered necessary to dignity; otherwise a clean-shaven face might have solved the problem. The men would reach Jericho immediately after crossing the Jordan from the east. Although Jericho had been destroyed by Joshua, it is probable that a small settlement had again grown up at its famous spring (see on Joshua 6:26). About a century later, during the reign of Ahab, Jericho was built by Hiel the Bethelite (1 Kings 16:34).

6. Hired. According to 1 Chron. 19:6 Hanun paid 1,000 talents of silver to hire horsemen and chariots. The spending of so large a sum of money to secure forces to assist Ammon indicates the grave character of the crisis. For Ammon it meant total war against Israel in an attempt to crush the forces of David and remove once and for all the threat of Hebrew domination of Western Asia.

Beth-rehob. Literally, “house of the street.” Called “Rehob” in v. 8. The parallel passage reads “Mesopotamia” (1 Chron. 19:6). Its exact location is not known.

Zoba. See on ch. 8:3.

King Maacah. This should be translated, “the king of Maachah” (see 1 Chron. 19:7). The Hebrew is the same in both passages. For its location see Deut. 3:14; Joshua 12:5. It must have been one of the smaller Syrian states, for it furnished only 1,000 men.

Ish-tob. Literally, “man [or men] of Tob.” This place is not mentioned in the parallel record in Chronicles. Jephthah fled to Tob when forced to leave Gilead (Judges 11:3). Its location is not certain; it is possibly northeast of Ramoth-gilead.

Twelve thousand men. The 12,000 men hired from Tob, the 20,000 from Beth-rehob and Zoba, make a total of 32,000 men. Chronicles gives this figure as the total number of chariots, perhaps meaning horsemen (1 Chron. 19:7). In addition to these, Chronicles mentions the “people” of Maacah, but does not give the number. Evidently the 32,000 troops hired were divided among the chariotry, cavalry, and infantry.

7. When David heard. The Ammonites had drawn together a formidable army, determined to crush David. From the east and north came tidings of immense forces approaching the Israelite borders, threatening to bring an end to the kingdom of Israel. David did not wait till his country had been invaded but sent Joab to meet the oncoming hosts.

8. Of the gate. The name of the city where this battle was fought is not given. It probably was Rabbah (or Rabbath-ammon), the Ammonite capital (see on ch. 12:26–29). Rabbah was near the headwaters of the Jabbok, 23 mi. (36.8 km.) east of the Jordan. The site, now called ФAmmaЖn, is the capital of the kingdom of Jordan. The hired armies had marched to Medeba (1 Chron. 19:7), 18 mi. (28.8 km.) to the southwest of Rabbah and 23 mi. (36.8 km.) southeast of Jericho. The Ammonites stationed themselves immediately before the city, whereas their allies, divided into separate armies, took their stand some distance from the city, where the ground was more favorable for chariot and cavalry maneuvers.

9. The front of the battle. As Joab surveyed the situation, he found himself between the Ammonites drawn up in front of their capital, and their allies to the southwest. Whichever force he might choose to attack, he would find the other force at his rear. There were both advantages and dangers in this disposition of the enemy forces, and the keen eye of the experienced Joab took in the whole situation. He began the battle with the forces of the enemy already divided in two. To prevent being attacked in the rear, he divided his own forces into two divisions, one to attack the Ammonites and the other their allies.

All the choice men. The best of the Israelite troops were chosen for the attack on the Syrians, since with their chariots and cavalry they formed the strongest part of the enemy forces. Joab himself took charge of these troops.

11. Thou shalt help me. Fighting close to each other, the forces of Joab and Abishai were in a convenient position to assist each other, which was not the case with the enemy. The two brothers knew that they could depend upon each other, and if the situation became too difficult, each knew that help was immediately available.

12. Be of good courage. The situation was one that demanded courage. The existence of the kingdom of Israel was at stake. A determined and powerful enemy was arrayed against them. It took great boldness for Joab to lead his men between the two armies of his enemies, where he might easily be surrounded, and then simultaneously make two attacks.

Of our God. This was the cause of the Lord, Israel was God’s people, and Palestine was God’s land. This was the land that God had promised to give them. Israel was fighting the battle of the Lord.

14. Fled they also. The courage of Ammon was no greater than the strength of its allies. If the Syrians had proved victorious, then the Ammonites would have advanced against Abishai. But when the Syrians fled, their courage fled also, and with it their hopes of victory.

Into the city. The reason for stationing themselves before the gate of the city was probably that they might have available this place of retreat in case of a reverse. Under such conditions and with such a spirit they could not hope to do their best.

Joab returned. It was not possible for Joab to follow up his victory. The Syrians with their horsemen and chariots could readily make their escape, while the Ammonites could find refuge within their city walls. Only a long and costly siege could bring them to terms. For this David seems to have been unprepared.

15. Gathered themselves. Joab’s victory did not end the conflict. The withdrawal of the forces of Israel to Jerusalem gave the enemy opportunity to renew the war.

16. Hadarezer. Or Hadadezer (see on ch. 8:3), king of Zobah (ch. 8:3).

The river. The Euphrates. The Syrian king was chagrined at the defeat his troops had suffered, and now engaged in the struggle on his own account. Previously the Syrians had entered the conflict only as hired auxiliaries, but now they determined to fight to restore their lost prestige. Hadarezer’s influence extended beyond the Euphrates, into territory that later was distinctly Assyrian, and thence he drew additional forces to bolster his strength.

Helam. A city somewhere east of the Jordan (v. 17), but the exact location is not known. It is possibly to be identified with Alima (1 Macc. 5:26), now ФAlma, in the district of Hauran, east of Galilee, or with Elamun on the Jabbok.

17. Gathered all Israel. This was the most serious crisis of David’s reign. Israel was threatened with destruction. Satan was influencing the nations about to make this attack in order that Israel might be destroyed. To meet the situation David took personal command of his forces and mustered all the strength of the nation.

18. Forty thousand horsemen. 1 Chron. 19:18 says “forty thousand footmen.” There is no essential contradiction here, for both horsemen and footmen were included among those slain. The writer of Samuel places the emphasis upon the cavalry but Chronicles places it upon the infantry. Both were present and both were essential. It was a crushing defeat, one from which David’s foes did not recover during the rest of his reign, nor during Solomon’s reign.

Smote Shobach. In those days commanders fought with their men, exposing themselves to the same dangers and often suffering the same fate. Thus Ahab was slain in battle with the Syrians (1 Kings 22:34–37), and Josiah at Megiddo by Necho of Egypt (2 Kings 23:29).

19. Servants to Hadarezer. From this statement some idea may be gained of the great power of Hadarezer (Hadadezer). These vassal kings who had been tributary to Hadarezer now transferred their allegiance to David and paid tribute to him. God had predicted through Abraham (Gen. 15:18) and Moses (Deut. 11:24) that the dominion of Israel would extend to the Euphrates, and these prophecies were now fulfilled. Israel had become a mighty power that was to be reckoned with by the nations about. The countries that had arrayed themselves against Israel had been laid low, and the efforts to crush David served only to enhance his power and prestige. No weapon directed against God or the people of God can prosper. There may be periods of trial and difficulty, but from every trial the cause of God will emerge victorious.

The Syrians feared. David was successful because he trusted in more than human power. Ammon had sought help from Syria, but David had sought help from God. The people of God may think at times that they must rely upon worldly power and influence in order successfully to accomplish their tasks. But often they defeat their own purposes by unholy alliances with the world. When Israel first faced the great coalition of power arrayed against it, many hearts were filled with fear, but when the conflict was over, it was the enemies of Israel who had reason for fear. The Syrians discovered that in endeavoring to assist Ammon against Israel they were engaged in a hopeless struggle, battling against God.

Ellen G. White comments

1–19PP 714–716

2, 3      PP 714