1 Chronicles 19:3
Context19:3 the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? 1 No, his servants have come to you so they can get information and spy out the land!” 2
1 Chronicles 19:6
Context19:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, 3 Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents 4 of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah. 5


[19:3] 1 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
[19:3] 2 tc Heb “Is it not to explore and to overturn and to spy out the land (that) his servants have come to you?” The Hebrew term לַהֲפֹךְ (lahafakh, “to overturn”) seems misplaced in the sequence. Some emend the form to לַחְפֹּר (lakhpor, “to spy out”). The sequence of three infinitives may be a conflation of alternative readings.
[19:6] 3 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
[19:6] 4 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the Ammonites hired chariots and charioteers for about 33.7 tons (30,600 kg) of silver.
[19:6] 5 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 10:6 has “Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah.”