1 Chronicles 19
Legacy Standard Bible
The Ammonites Dishonor David’s Men
19 (A)Now it happened afterwards, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 So David said, “I will show lovingkindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed lovingkindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “In your eyes, is David honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. 5 Then certain persons went and told David about the men. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored. And the king said, “[a]Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”
6 Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David. So Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent [b]1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and (B)from Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before (C)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. 8 Then David heard of it, and he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the city. But the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
David Defeats Ammon and Aram
10 Then Joab saw that the [c]battle was set against him in front and in the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel and [d]they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of [e]Abshai his brother; and they arranged themselves to meet the sons of Ammon. 12 And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will save you. 13 Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Arameans for the battle, and they fled before him. 15 Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they themselves also fled before Abshai his brother and came into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 Then the Arameans saw that they had been [f]defeated by Israel. So they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the [g]River, and Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer [h]led them. 17 And it was told to David, so he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and arranged for battle against them. So David arranged them in battle to meet the Arameans. And they fought against him. 18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. 19 Then the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were [i]defeated by Israel. So they made peace with David and served him. And the Arameans were not willing to save the sons of Ammon anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:5 Lit Return to
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Approx. 38 tons or 34 metric tons, a talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
- 1 Chronicles 19:10 Lit the face of the battle
- 1 Chronicles 19:10 Lit he...himself
- 1 Chronicles 19:11 In 2 Sam 10:10, Abishai
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit smitten before
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 The Euphrates River
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit before
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 Lit smitten before
1 Chronicles 19
International Standard Version
Subjugation of Ammon and Aram(A)
19 Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died and his son succeeded him, 2 so David told himself, “I will be loyal to Nahash’s son Hanun, since his father showed loyal, gracious love to me.” So David sent a delegation[a] to console him about his loss of his[b] father.
But when David’s delegation arrived to visit[c] Hanun in Ammonite territory to console him, 3 the Ammonite officials asked Hanun, “Do you think that because David has sent a delegation of consolers to you that he is honoring your father? His delegation has arrived to search, overthrow, and scout the land, hasn’t it?” 4 So Hanun arrested David’s delegation, shaved off their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace.[d]
5 After they had departed, David was informed about the men, so he sent word[e] to them, since they had been deeply humiliated. He told them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had created quite a stink with David, Hanun and the Ammonites spent 1,000 silver talents[f] to hire chariots and mercenaries from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his army, who arrived and encamped at Medeba. The Ammonites also were mustered and came out to battle from their home cities. 8 In response, David sent out Joab and his entire army of elite soldiers. 9 The Ammonites went out in battle formation in front of the entrance to the city while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open fields.
10 When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed some special forces from Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans, 11 putting the rest of his forces under command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them to oppose the Ammonites. 12 He told Abishai,[g] “If the Arameans prove too strong for me, then you are to help me. If the Ammonites prove too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, be courageous on behalf of our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what he thinks is best.” 14 So Joab and the soldiers who were with him attacked the Arameans in battle formation, and the Arameans retreated in front of him. 15 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans retreating, they also retreated from Joab’s brother Abishai back to the city and Joab left for Jerusalem. 16 After the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for the Arameans who lived beyond the Euphrates River.[h] Shophach[i] was leading them as commander of Hadadezer’s army.
17 When David learned this, he mustered all of Israel, crossed the Jordan, approached the Arameans, and drew up his forces against them. After David had assembled in battle array against the Arameans, the Arameans[j] attacked him. 18 The Arameans retreated from Israel, and David’s forces[k] killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers, 40,000 soldiers, and Shophach, the commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer’s officials saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sought terms of peace with David and became subservient to him. After this, the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 Lit. servants; and so throughout the section
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 The Heb. lacks his loss of
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 The Heb. lacks visit
- 1 Chronicles 19:4 The Heb. lacks in disgrace
- 1 Chronicles 19:5 The Heb. lacks word
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 I.e., about 75,000 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
- 1 Chronicles 19:12 The Heb. lacks to Abishai
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 The Heb. lacks Euphrates
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Cf. 2Sam 10:16, which reads Shobach
- 1 Chronicles 19:17 Lit. Arameans, they
- 1 Chronicles 19:18 Lit. David
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