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Texts -- 2 Samuel 10:1-19 (NET)

Context
David and the Ammonites
10:1 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him. 10:2 David said , “I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal to me .” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites , 10:3 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 ? No , David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!” 10:4 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, and then sent them away . 10:5 Messengers told David what had happened , so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated . The king said , “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back .” 10:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, they sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah , in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob . 10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. 10:8 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 . 10:9 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 . 10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites . 10:11 Joab said , “If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue . If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue . 10:12 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 !” 10:13 So Joab and his men marched out to do battle with the Arameans , and they fled before him. 10:14 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 Jerusalem . 10:15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel , they consolidated their forces . 10:16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River , and they came to Helam . Shobach , the general in command of Hadadezer’s army , led them. 10:17 When David was informed , he gathered all Israel , crossed the Jordan River , and came to Helam . The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. 10:18 The Arameans fled before Israel . David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers . He also struck down Shobach , the general in command of the army , who died there . 10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw they were defeated by Israel , they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...
    [isbe] DAVID - da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon): I. NAME AND GENEALOGY II. EARLY YEARS 1. Shepherd 2. Slinger 3. Harpist 4. Poet 5. Psalmist 6. Tribesman III....
    [smith] (well-beloved), the son of Jesse. His life may be divided into three portions: His youth before his introduction to the court of Saul; His relations with Saul; His reign. The early life of David contains in many important re...
    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • Joab

    [ebd] Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David's sister, and "captain of the host" during the whole of David's reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father's name is nowhere mentioned, alth...
    [isbe] JOAB - jo'-ab (yo'-abh, "Yahweh is father"; Ioab): (1) Son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was "captain of the host" (compare 2 Sam 19:13) under David. 1. Joab and Abner: (a) Joab is first introduced in the narrative of the w...
    [nave] JOAB 1. Son of David's sister, 1 Chr. 2:16. Commander of David's army, 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:23; 1 Chr. 11:6; 18:15; 27:34. Dedicated spoils of his battles, 1 Chr. 26:28. Defeated the Jebusites, 1 Chr. 11:6. Defeats and slays ...

  • Hanun

    [ebd] graciously given. (1.) The son and successor of Nahash, king of Moab. David's messengers, sent on an embassy of condolence to him to Rabbah Ammon, his capital, were so grossly insulted that he proclaimed war against Hanun. D...
    [isbe] HANUN - ha'-nun (chanun, "favored," "pitied"): (1) A son and successor of Nahash, king of Ammon. Upon the death of Nahash, David sent sympathetic communications to Hanun, which were misinterpreted and the messengers dishonor...
    [smith] (favored). Son of Nahash (2 Samuel 10:1,2; 1 Chronicles 19:1,2) king of Ammon, who dishonored the ambassadors of David, (2 Samuel 10:4) and involved the Ammonites in a disastrous war, (2 Samuel 12:31; 1 Chroni...
    [nave] HANUN, successor of Nahash as king of Ammon, dishonors David's ambassadors, 2 Sam. 10; 1 Chr. 19.

  • Zobah

    [ebd] =Aram-Zobah, (Ps. 60, title), a Syrian province or kingdom to the south of Coele-Syria, and extending from the eastern slopes of Lebanon north and east toward the Euphrates. Saul and David had war with the kings of Zobah (1 ...
    [isbe] ZOBAH - zo'-ba (tsobhah; Souba): The name is derived by Halevy from zehobhah as referring to its supplies of "bright yellow" brass; but this word might be more appropriately used to contrast its cornfields with white Lebanon...
    [nave] ZOBAH, called also Zoba; Aram-zobah; Hamath-zobah. A kingdom in the N. of Palestine, 1 Sam. 14:47. Conquest of, by David, 2 Sam. 8:3-8, 12; 1 Kin. 11:23, 24; 1 Chr. 18:2-9. Its inhabitants mercenaries of the Ammonites again...

  • Hadadezer

    [ebd] Hadad is help; called also Hadarezer, Adod is his help, the king of Zobah. Hanun, the king of the Ammonites, hired among others the army of Hadadezer to assist him in his war against David. Joab, who was sent against this co...
    [isbe] HADADEZER - had-ad-e'-zer (hadhadh`ezer; so 2 Sam 8; 1 Ki 11:23, but hadhar`ezer, 2 Sam 10; 1 Ch 18): Mentioned in connection with David's wars of conquest (2 Sam 8:3 ff; 2 Sam 10:1-19; 1 Ch 18:3 ff); was king of Zobah in Sy...
    [nave] HADADEZER, called also Hadarezer. King of Zobah, vanquished by David, 2 Sam. 8:3-13; 10:15-19; 1 Kin. 11:23; 1 Chr. 18:3-10; 19:6-19.

  • HADAREZER

    [ebd] Adod is his help, the name given to Hadadezer (2 Sam. 8:3-12) in 2 Sam. 10.
    [smith] (Hadad?s help), son of Rehob, (2 Samuel 8:3) the king of the Aramite state of Zobah, who was pursued by David and defeated with great loss. (1 Chronicles 18:3,4) (B.C. 1035.) After the first repulse of the Ammonites and...

  • SYRIANS

    [isbe] SYRIANS - sir'-i-anz ('aram; Suroi; Assyrian Aramu, Arumu, Arimu): 1. Division of Aram 2. A Semitic Race 3. Syria and Israel 4. Under Nabateans and Palmyrenes 5. A Mixed Race, Semitic Type 6. Religion The terms "Syria" and "...

  • AMMON; AMMONITES

    [isbe] AMMON; AMMONITES - am'-on, am'-on-its (`ammon; `ammonim): The Hebrew tradition makes this tribe descendants of Lot and hence related to the Israelites (Gen 19:38). This is reflected in the name usually employed in Old Testam...

  • Ammonites

    [nave] AMMONITES Descendants of Ben-ammi, one of the sons of Lot, Gen. 19:38. Character of, Judg. 10:6; 2 Kin. 23:13; 2 Chr. 20:25; Jer. 27:3, 9; Ezek. 25:3, 6; Amos 1:13; Zeph. 2:10. Territory of, Num. 21:24; Deut. 2:19; Josh. 1...

  • Chronicles, Books of

    [ebd] The two books were originally one. They bore the title in the Massoretic Hebrew Dibre hayyamim, i.e., "Acts of the Days." This title was rendered by Jerome in his Latin version "Chronicon," and hence "Chronicles." In the Sep...

  • Nahash

    [ebd] serpent. (1.) King of the Ammonites in the time of Saul. The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash, sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. He promptly responded to...
    [isbe] NAHASH - na'-hash (nachash, "serpent"; Naas): (1) The father of Abigail and Zeruiah, the sisters of David (2 Sam 17:25; compare 1 Ch 2:16). The text in 2 S, where this reference is made, is hopelessly corrupt; for that reaso...
    [smith] (serpent). King of the Ammonites who dictated to the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead that cruel alternative of the loss of their right eyes or slavery which roused the swift wrath of Saul, and caused the destruction of the Ammo...
    [nave] NAHASH 1. An Ammonite king. Defeated by Saul at Jabesh-gilead, 1 Sam. 11:1-11. Kindness of, to David, and death, 2 Sam. 10:1, 2; 1 Chr. 19:1, 2. 2. Probably identical with Jesse, 2 Sam. 17:25.

  • Shobach

    [ebd] poured out, the "captain of the host of Hadarezer" when he mustered his vassals and tributaries from beyond "the river Euphrates" (2 Sam. 10:15-18); called also Shophach (1 Chr. 19:16).
    [isbe] SHOBACH - sho'-bak (shobhakh; Sobak): Captain of the Syrian host (2 Sam 10:16,18); but "Shophach" (shophakh) in 1 Ch 19:16,18.
    [smith] (expansion), the general of Hadarezer king of the Syrians of Zoba, who was defeated by David. (2 Samuel 10:15-18) In (1 Chronicles 19:16) he is called SHOPHACH. (B.C. 1034.)
    [nave] SHOBACH Captain of the host of Hadarezer. Slain by David's army, 2 Sam. 10:16, 18. Called Shophach, 1 Chr. 19:16, 18.

  • Ammonite

    [ebd] the usual name of the descendants of Ammon, the son of Lot (Gen. 19:38). From the very beginning (Deut. 2:16-20) of their history till they are lost sight of (Judg. 5:2), this tribe is closely associated with the Moabites (J...

  • Medeba

    [ebd] waters of quiet, an ancient Moabite town (Num. 21:30). It was assigned to the tribe of Reuben (Josh. 13:16). Here was fought the great battle in which Joab defeated the Ammonites and their allies (1 Chr. 19:7-15; comp. 2 Sam...

  • Abishai

    [isbe] ABISHAI - ab'-i-shi, a-bi'-shi ('abhishai, in Ch 'abhshai; meaning is doubtful, probably "my father is Jesse," BDB): Son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and one of the three famous brothers, of whom Joab and Asahel were the othe...
    [nave] ABISHAI Son of Zeruiah, David's sister, 1 Chr. 2:16. One of David's chief men, 2 Sam. 23:18. Seeks Saul's life, 1 Sam. 26:6-8. Pursues and slays Abner, 2 Sam. 2:24; 3:30. Defeats the Edomites, 1 Chr. 18:12; the Ammonites...

  • Helam

    [ebd] place of abundance, a place on the east of Jordan and west of the Euphrates where David gained a great victory over the Syrian army (2 Sam. 10:16), which was under the command of Shobach. Some would identify it with Alamatta...
    [isbe] HELAM - he'-lam (chelam, 2 Sam 10:16 f; in 16:17 with the he of locale; Septuagint Hailam): A place near which David is said to have defeated the Aramean world under Hadarezer (2 Sam 10:16 ff). Its site is unknown. Cornill a...
    [smith] (stronghold), a place east of the Jordan but west of the Euphrates at which the Syrians were collected by Hadarezer, and where David met and defeated them. (2 Samuel 10:16,17)
    [nave] HELAM, a place E. of the Jordan, 2 Sam. 10:16, 17.

  • Mortification

    [nave] MORTIFICATION. Instances of David's ambassadors, sent to Hanun, 2 Sam. 10:1-5. Judas, Matt. 27:3-5. See: Humility.

  • Syria

    [ebd] (Heb. Aram), the name in the Old Testament given to the whole country which lay to the north-east of Phoenicia, extending to beyond the Euphrates and the Tigris. Mesopotamia is called (Gen. 24:10; Deut. 23:4) Aram-naharain (...
    [smith] is the term used throughout our version for the Hebrew Aram , as well as for the Greek Zupia . Most probably Syria is for Tsyria , the country about Tsur or Tyre which was the first of the Syrian towns known to the Greeks. It...
    [nave] SYRIA, highlands lying between the river Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea. Called Aram, from the son of Shem, Gen. 10:22, 23; Num. 23:7; 1 Chr. 1:17; 2:23. In the time of Abraham it seems to have embraced the region betwe...

  • Rehob

    [ebd] street; broad place. (1.) The father of Hadadezer, king of Tobah (2 Sam. 8:3, 12). (2.) Neh. 10:11. (3.) The same, probably, as Beth-rehob (2 Sam. 10:6, 8; Judg. 18:28), a place in the north of Palestine (Num. 13:21). It is ...
    [isbe] REHOB - re'-hob (rechobh; Rhoob, Rhaab): (1) Etymologically the word means "broad" and might be applied either to a road or a plain. Rehob is given (Nu 13:21) as the northern limit of Israel as reached by the spies. This agr...
    [nave] REHOB 1. Father of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, 2 Sam. 8:3, 12. 2. A Levite who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah, Neh. 10:11. 3. A town in northern Palestine. The limit of the investigation made by the twelve spies, Num. 13:...

  • Beth-rehob

    [isbe] BETH-REHOB - beth-re'-hob (beth-rechobh; ho oikos Rhaab) : An Aramean town and district which, along with Zobah and Maacah, assisted Ammon against David (2 Sam 10:6,8, Rehob). It is probably identical with Rehob (Nu 13:21), ...
    [nave] BETH-REHOB A place in Dan, Judg. 18:28; 2 Sam. 10:6. Called Rehob, v. 8.
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Arts

Questions

  • The Ammonites were so called (Deu. 2:19). They were a cruel, covetous, proud, reproachful, vindictive, superstitious and idolatrous nation (see Amos 1:13; Zep. 2:10; Eze. 25:3,6; Judg. 10:6; Jer. 27:3). Their chief city was R...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • Verses 1-3 provide information about Jephthah's personal background. His name means "He [an unspecified deity] has opened [the womb]."Jephthah lived on the east side of the Jordan River. Unlike Gideon he was a courageous and ...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The basic theme in Samuel, that blessing, and in particular fertility of all kinds, follows from faithful commitment to God's revealed will, continues in this section. However another major motif now becomes more prominent. W...
  • Was it God's will for David to leave Israel and move to Philistia? The text does not say, but there are indications that lead me to believe that he should not have done this even though he must have felt almost forced to do s...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Samuel)V. David's triumphs chs. 1-8A. The beginning of David's kingdom 1:1-3:51. David's discovery of Saul and Jonathan's deaths ch. 12. David's move to Hebron 2:1-4a3. David's overtures to Jabesh-g...
  • The first 20 chapters of 2 Samuel are divisible into four units each of which ends with a list of names that is four verses long (1:1-3:5; 3:6-5:16; 5:17-8:18; 9:1-20:26).2The first two units conclude with lists of David's so...
  • "Saul the king is dead, Jonathan the heir apparent is dead, Abinadab and Malki-Shua (two of Jonathan's brothers) are dead (1 Sam 31:2), Abner the commander of the army is dead--and no other viable claimants or pretenders cont...
  • "As the story of David's accession to kingship over Judah (1:1-3:5) parallels that of his accession to the throne of Israel (3:6-5:16), each concluding with a list of his sons (3:2-5; 5:13-16), so the account of his powerful ...
  • The promises Yahweh made to David here are an important key to understanding God's program for the future.God rejected David's suggestion that he build a temple for the Lord and gave three reasons. First, there was no pressin...
  • "From the religious heights of chapter 7 we descend again to the everyday world of battles and bloodshed in chapter 8. The military action picks up where the story left off at the end of chapter 5."130Chapter 8 evidently desc...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • These chapters form a sub-section within the Court History portion of 2 Samuel.157The phrase "Now it happened"or "Now it was"(10:1; 13:1) always opens a new section.158Descriptions of Israel's victories over the Ammonites (10...
  • This section prepares for David's adultery with Bathsheba (ch. 11) by giving us the historical context in which that sin took place. It also shows David's growing power that led to his sinning.161This event must have taken pl...
  • While Joab was continuing to subdue the Ammonites the following spring by besieging Rabbah (modern Amman, the capital of Jordan; cf. 10:7), David was residing in Jerusalem (11:1). By mentioning the fact that normally kings le...
  • In spite of David's rebellion God granted his army victory over the Ammonites. David's military leaders evidently executed the defeated warriors (1 Chron. 20:3) and forced many of the people to do labor of various kinds to su...
  • This is the longest literary section in the Court History of David (chs. 9-20). It records Absalom's antagonism to David that resulted in the king having to flee Jerusalem, but it ends with David's defeat of his enemy and his...
  • This is the central unit of chapters 5-20, and its central focus is the judgment that Hushai's advice was better than Ahithophel's (17:14). This advice is the pivot on which the fortunes of David swung in his dealings with Ab...
  • "The account of Sheba's rebellion against David serves as a counterpoise to the story of Absalom's conspiracy (15:1-12) in chapters 15-20, which constitute the major part of the narrative that comprises chapters 13-20 (more p...
  • "With Joab's return to the king in Jerusalem, the grand symphony known as the Court History of David reaches its conclusion for all practical purposes (at least as far as the books of Samuel are concerned . . .). The last fou...
  • Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and ...
  • The first segment of the writer's story (1:1-2:12) continues the history of Israel's monarchy where 2 Samuel ended. It records the final events in David's reign that led to Solomon's succession to the throne. It answers the q...
  • David had warned Solomon to keep Shimei under close observation and to put him to death (vv. 8-9). Evidently David realized because of Shimei's past actions that it would only be a matter of time before he would do something ...
  • Numbers in Chronicles That Disagree With Their Old Testament Parallels89HigherSameLowerParallel PassageEvaluation of ChroniclesA.1 Chron. 11:11300 slain by Jashobeam, not 8002 Sam. 23:8Scribal errorB.1 Chron. 18:4Hadadezer's ...
  • Nehemiah confronted this problem as Ezra had several years earlier (Ezra 9-10). The text records only Nehemiah's words to the people, but since we know what kind of person he was we can safely assume that he followed up his w...
  • In this "second psalm"(Acts 13:33) David (Acts 4:25) exhorted the pagan nations surrounding Israel to forsake their efforts to oppose the Lord and His anointed king. He urged them to submit to the authority of the Son whom Go...
  • This section explains how the coming days would be the worse since the division of the kingdom (v. 17). Assyria was not just a powerful and brutal enemy, but it would be a tool in Yahweh's hand that He would use to discipline...
  • The first strophe of this poem (vv. 1-2) sets the tone for the rest of the chapter and for the rest of the book. It is an introduction to an introduction. In spite of affliction that lay ahead for the Judahites, God's ultimat...
  • Ezekiel was also to do something else during the time he was dramatizing the siege of Jerusalem with his model (ch. 4)."After Ezekiel represented the factof the siege (first sign [4:1-3]), the lengthof the siege (second sign ...
  • 2:8 Probably Zephaniah linked Moab and Ammon because both nations descended from Lot (Gen. 19:30-38) as well as because both lay to Judah's east. Both nations had taunted and reviled the Israelites from their earliest history...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 2 Samuel 10:8-19David's growing power would naturally be regarded by neighboring states as a menace. Success provokes envy, and in this selfish world strength usually encroaches on weakness, and weakness dreads strength. So i...
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