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2 Samuel 10
Expanded Bible
2 Samuel 10
Expanded Bible
War with the Ammonites and Arameans
10 When Nahash king of the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] died, his son Hanun became king after him. 2 David said, “Nahash ·was loyal [showed kindness; C kept treaty obligations] to me, so I will ·be loyal [show kindness] to his son Hanun.” So David sent his ·messengers [L servants] to ·comfort [console; express sympathy/condolences to] Hanun about his father’s death.
David’s ·officers [L servants] went to the land of the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon]. 3 But the ·Ammonite leaders [L princes/commanders of the sons/descendants of Ammon] said to Hanun, their master, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to ·comfort [console; sympathize with] you? No! David sent them to ·study [explore; search] the city and spy it out and ·capture [overthrow] it!” 4 So Hanun ·arrested [seized] David’s ·officers [L servants]. To shame them he shaved off half their beards and cut off their clothes at the ·hips [L buttocks]. Then he sent them away.
5 When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet ·his officers [L the men] because they were ·very ashamed [humiliated]. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”
6 ·The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So [L When the sons/descendants of Ammon realized they had become odious to/greatly offended David,] they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with a thousand men and twelve thousand men from Tob.
7 When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the whole army [L with all its warriors]. 8 The ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] came out and ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle formations] at the city gate. The ·Arameans [Syrians] from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah were out in the field by themselves.
9 Joab saw that there were ·enemies [battle lines] both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the ·best soldiers [elite troops] of Israel and ·sent them out to fight [deployed them against] the ·Arameans [Syrians]. 10 Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. Then he ·sent them out to fight [deployed them against] the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon]. 11 Joab said to Abishai, “If the ·Arameans [Syrians] are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] are too strong for you, I will help you. 12 Be strong. ·We must fight bravely [Let us show ourselves courageous] for our people and the cities of our God. ·The Lord will [May the Lord] do what he thinks is right.”
13 Then Joab and the army with him ·went [advanced] to attack the ·Arameans [Syrians], and the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·ran away [fled before him]. 14 When the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] saw that the ·Arameans [Syrians] were ·running away [fleeing], they also ·ran away [fled] from Abishai and ·went back [retreated] to their city. So Joab returned from the battle with the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] and came to Jerusalem.
15 When the ·Arameans [Syrians] saw that Israel had defeated them, they came together into one big army. 16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the ·Arameans [Syrians] from ·east of the Euphrates River [L beyond the river], and they went to Helam. Their leader was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.
17 When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to Helam. There the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle formations] and attacked him. 18 But the ·Arameans [Syrians] ·ran away [fled] from the Israelites. David killed seven hundred Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean ·horsemen [or foot soldiers]. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army.
19 When the kings who ·served [were allied with; L were the servants of] Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they ·made peace with [surrendered to] the Israelites and served them. And the ·Arameans [Syrians] were afraid to help the ·Ammonites [L sons/descendants of Ammon] again.
2 Samuel 10
New International Version
2 Samuel 10
New International Version
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
10 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash,(B) just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out(C) and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard,(D) cut off their garments at the buttocks,(E) and sent them away.
5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(F) to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean(G) foot soldiers from Beth Rehob(H) and Zobah,(I) as well as the king of Maakah(J) with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.(K)
7 On hearing this, David sent Joab(L) out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.
9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(M) his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong,(N) and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”(O)
13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites(P) realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject(Q) to them.
So the Arameans(R) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:18 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 19:18); Hebrew horsemen
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