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When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,[a] they[b] sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,[c] in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish Tob.[d]

When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.[e] 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.

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.[f] 10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army[g] and they were deployed[h] against the Ammonites. 11 Joab[i] said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,[j] you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,[k] 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!”[l]

13 So Joab and his men[m] 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[n] Jerusalem.

15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.[o] 16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from[p] beyond the Euphrates River,[q] and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.[r]

17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,[s] 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.[t] 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[u] saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.[v] The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
  2. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
  3. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
  4. 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.
  5. 2 Samuel 10:7 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
  6. 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.”
  7. 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “people.”
  8. 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “he arranged.”
  9. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
  11. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
  12. 2 Samuel 10:12 tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
  13. 2 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
  14. 2 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
  15. 2 Samuel 10:15 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
  16. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
  17. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  18. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “was before them.”
  19. 2 Samuel 10:17 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  20. 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.
  21. 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
  22. 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “and they served them.”

·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.

When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the whole army [L with all its warriors]. 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.

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.

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