2 Samuel 10
New English Translation
David and the Ammonites
10 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.[a] 2 David said, “I will express my loyalty[b] to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal[c] to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death.[d] When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 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?[e] No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”[f]
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,[g] and then sent them away. 5 Messengers[h] told David what had happened,[i] so he sent them to the men who were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,[j] they[k] sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,[l] in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish Tob.[m]
7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.[n] 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.
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.[o] 10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army[p] and they were deployed[q] against the Ammonites. 11 Joab[r] said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,[s] you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,[t] I will come to your rescue. 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!”[u]
13 So Joab and his men[v] marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. 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[w] Jerusalem.
15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.[x] 16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from[y] beyond the Euphrates River,[z] and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.[aa]
17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,[ab] and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. 18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.[ac] He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there. 19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer[ad] saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.[ae] The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
- 2 Samuel 10:4 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish Tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.
- 2 Samuel 10:7 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
- 2 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “people.”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “he arranged.”
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
- 2 Samuel 10:12 tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
- 2 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
- 2 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
- 2 Samuel 10:15 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “was before them.”
- 2 Samuel 10:17 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:18 tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV.
- 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
- 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “and they served them.”
2 Samuel 10
King James Version
10 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.
13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.
14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.
19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
2 Samuel 10
English Standard Version
David Defeats Ammon and Syria
10 (A)After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally[a] with Hanun the son of (B)Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, (C)at their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of (D)Beth-rehob, and (E)the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of (F)Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of (G)Tob, 12,000 men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of (H)the mighty men. 8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and (I)the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and (J)the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 (K)Be of good courage, and (L)let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and (M)may the Lord do what seems good to him.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond (N)the Euphrates.[b] They came to Helam, with (O)Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded (P)Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel (Q)and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:2 Or kindly; twice in this verse
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Hebrew the River
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