1 Chronicles 19
Expanded Bible
War with the Ammonites and Arameans(A)
19 When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son became king after him. 2 David said, “Nahash ·was loyal [showed kindness] to me, so I will ·be loyal [show kindness] to his son Hanun.” So David sent messengers to ·comfort [express sympathy to] Hanun about his father’s death.
David’s officers went to the land of the Ammonites to ·comfort [express sympathy to] Hanun. 3 But the Ammonite ·leaders [officials; commanders] said to Hanun, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to ·comfort you [express sympathy]? No! David sent them to ·study [search; explore] the land and ·capture [conquer; overthrow] it and spy it out.” 4 So Hanun ·arrested [seized] David’s officers. He shaved their beards and cut off their clothes at the ·hips [buttocks; C both intended to shame them]. Then he sent them away.
5 When the people told David what had happened to ·his officers [the men], he sent messengers to meet them, because they were ·very ashamed [greatly humiliated]. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”
6 ·The Ammonites knew that they had insulted [When the Ammonites realized they had become disgusting/L a stench to] David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent ·about seventy-four thousand pounds [L one thousand talents] of silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from ·northwest Mesopotamia [L Aram-naharaim], Aram Maacah, and Zobah. 7 The Ammonites hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his ·army [people]. So they came and set up camp near the town of Medeba. The Ammonites themselves ·came out of [assembled/mustered from] their towns and got ready for battle.
8 When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the ·whole army [entire army of warriors/mighty men]. 9 The Ammonites came out and ·prepared for battle [drew up in battle lines] at the city ·gate [entrance]. The kings who had come to help were out in the ·field [open country] by themselves.
10 Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the ·best [elite] soldiers of Israel and ·sent them out to fight [deployed/arrayed them against] the ·Arameans [or Ammonites, 2 Sam. 10:10]. 11 Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. ·Then they went out to fight the Ammonites [or …who was to attack the Ammonites; C possibly Joab attacked the Arameans and Abishai attacked the Ammonites]. 12 Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. 13 Be ·strong [brave; courageous]. We must fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what ·he thinks is right [L is good in his sight].”
14 Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ·ran away [fled before him]. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were ·running away [fleeing], they also ·ran away [fled] from Joab’s brother Abishai and ·went back [retreated] to their city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they sent messengers to bring other Arameans from ·east of the Euphrates [L beyond the] River. Their leader was ·Shophach [or Shobach; 2 Sam. 10:18], the commander of Hadadezer’s army.
17 When David heard about this, he ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] all the Israelites, and they crossed over the Jordan River. He ·prepared [positioned; deployed] them for battle, facing the Arameans. The Arameans fought with him, 18 but they ·ran away [fled] from the Israelites. David killed seven thousand [C seven hundred in 2 Sam. 10:18] Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean foot soldiers. He also killed ·Shophach [or Shobach, 2 Sam. 10:18], the commander of the Aramean army.
19 When ·those who served [the subjects/vassals of] Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with David and ·served him [became his subjects]. So the Arameans ·refused [were unwilling] to help the Ammonites again.
1 Chronicles 19
New American Standard Bible
David’s Messengers Abused
19 (A)Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “[a]Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”
6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent [b]a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and (B)Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite (C)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. 8 When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
Ammon and Aram Defeated
10 Now when Joab saw that the [c]battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he placed [d]under the command of [e]Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. 12 He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans saw that they had been [f]defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer [g]leading them. 17 When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. 18 And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been [h]defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:3 Lit Is David honoring your father in your eyes
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 About 38 tons or 34 metric tons
- 1 Chronicles 19:10 Lit face of the battle
- 1 Chronicles 19:11 Lit in the hand of
- 1 Chronicles 19:11 In 2 Sam 10:10, Abishai
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit struck before
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit before
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 Lit struck before
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