2 Samuel 10:6-19
Lexham English Bible
Israel Fights Ammon and Aram
6 When the Ammonites[a] saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites[b] sent word and hired Aram Beth-Rehob and Aram-Zobah, twenty thousand infantry; and they also hired the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. 7 When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty warriors. 8 The Ammonites[c] came out and drew up a battle formation[d] at the entrance of the gate, but Aram-Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were alone in the open field. 9 When Joab saw that the battle was to be fought on two fronts,[e] he chose from all the members of the elite troops of Israel and lined them up for battle[f] to meet Aram. 10 The rest of the army he placed into the hand of his brother Abishai, who arranged them in battle lines[g] to meet the Ammonites.[h] 11 Then he said, “If Aram is stronger than I am, you must become my deliverer; but if the Ammonites[i] are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of the people and for the sake of the cities of our God. May Yahweh do what is good in his eyes. 13 Joab and all the people who were with him moved forward into the battle against Aram, and they fled from before him. 14 When the Ammonites[j] saw that Aram had fled, they fled from before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites[k] and came to Jerusalem.
The Arameans Regroup for Attack
15 When the Arameans saw that they were defeated before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam. Now Shobach, the commander of the army of Hadadezer, was at their head.[l] 17 David was told, so he gathered all Israel and crossed over the Jordan and came to Helam. Aram arranged themselves in battle lines[m] to meet David, and they fought with him. 18 And Aram fled before Israel, and David killed from the Arameans seven hundred chariot teams and forty thousand horsemen. He struck down Shobach, the commander of his army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that he had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them, and Aram was afraid to help the Ammonites[n] any longer.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:6 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:8 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:8 Literally “drew up battle”
- 2 Samuel 10:9 Literally “the face of the battle was against him in front and in the rear”
- 2 Samuel 10:9 Literally “arrayed”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 Literally “arrayed”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:11 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:14 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:14 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Literally “before the face of them”
- 2 Samuel 10:17 Literally “arrayed”
- 2 Samuel 10:19 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
2 Samuel 10:6-19
International Standard Version
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had created quite a stink with[a] David, they hired 20,000 Aramean mercenaries from Beth-rehob and Zobah, along with the king of Maacah and 1,000 men, and 12,000 men from Tob. 7 In response, David sent out Joab and his entire army of elite soldiers. 8 The Ammonites went out in battle formation at the entrance to the city[b] gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob, along with the army[c] from Tob and Maacah, were out by themselves in the open fields.
9 When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed the best troops in Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans, 10 putting the rest of his forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them to oppose the Ammonites. 11 He said, “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 come help you. 12 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.”
13 So Joab and the soldiers who were with him attacked the Arameans in battle formation, and the Arameans retreated in front of him. 14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans retreating, they also retreated from Abishai back to the city. Then Joab broke off his attack against the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem. 15 After the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who lived beyond the Euphrates River,[d] and they set out for Helam, with Shobach[e] leading them as commander of Hadadezer’s army.
17 When David learned this, he mustered all of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and approached Helam. The Arameans assembled in battle array to attack David, and started their assault. 18 But the Arameans retreated from Israel, and David’s forces[f] killed 700 of their charioteers, 40,000 soldiers, and mortally wounded Shobach, the commander of their army. As a result, Shobach[g] died there. 19 When all the kings who were allied with[h] Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sought terms of peace with the Israelis and became subservient to them. Furthermore, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:6 Lit. had become odious to
- 2 Samuel 10:8 The Heb. lacks city
- 2 Samuel 10:8 Lit. men
- 2 Samuel 10:16 The Heb. lacks Euphrates
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Cf. 1Chr 19:16, which reads Shophach
- 2 Samuel 10:18 Lit. David
- 2 Samuel 10:18 Lit. he
- 2 Samuel 10:19 Lit. were servants of
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