David and the Ammonites
10:1 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.
The Ammonites were the descendants of the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter Ammon.
10:2 David said, “I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites,
King Nahash of the Ammonites had always been friends with King David. He protected Israel’s eastern flank. After King Nahash died, King David sent his ambassadors as an expression of sympathy for the death of an allied king.
10:3 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? No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”
The Ammonite advisors warned the new king that this was an espionage attempt by David.
10:4 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, and then sent them away.
The new Ammonite king humiliated the Israelite ambassadors.
10:5 Messengers told David what had happened, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
David requested an audience with his ambassadors. He asked his ambassadors to stay in Jericho until their beards grew out. A beardless man in Israelite culture was a symbol of physical, intellectual, and spiritual immaturity.
10:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, they sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah, in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob.
The Ammonites knew they had angered David. They hired 33,000 soldiers from Syria to join them and defeat Israel.
10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.
General Joab was sent to solve the problem. He was an undefeated general, because God’s angelic army was with him at every battle.
10:8 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.
The Ammonites and Syrians were attempting to join together as one large army.
10:9 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.
General Joab split his army on two fronts, so that the two large armies could not combine against him.
10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites.
General Abishai was another great general who had never lost a battle. He attacked the Ammonites, keeping the two armies from joining.
10:11 Joab said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue.
General Joab ordered reinforcements to be transferred from the winning to the losing side.
10:12 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!”
General Joab counted on Jehovah to decide the outcome of the battle.
10:13 So Joab and his men marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him.
The Ammonites paid the 33,000 Syrians 1,000 talents to fight Israel. When the battle was lost, the Syrian mercenaries ran away. The Ammonites did not get their money’s worth.
10:14 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 Jerusalem.
The Ammonites were left alone against the entire Israelite army, so they ran away as well.
10:15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.
The 33,000 Syrians were losing badly, so they consolidated their forces.
10:16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.
Hadadezar requested more help from the Syrian cities who were on the other side of the Jordan.
10:17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him.
King David gathered another Israelite army, crossed the Jordan River, and deployed forces against this second Syrian army reinforcement.
10:18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there.
King David was also an undefeated general. He routed the Syrians.
10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
The Ammonites violated the Abrahamic Covenant by insulting Israel. They became a weakened tribute nation to Israel. The Syrians violated the Abrahamic Covenant by joining forces as mercenaries against Israel. They were also routed and became a tribute nation to Israel.