The First Book of the Chronicles
1 Chronicles 19
Chapter XIX · Vol. II, pp. 832–833
1 David's messengers, sent to comfort Hanun for his father's death, are disgracefully entreated. 6 The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, are overcome by Joab and Abishai. 16 Shophach, making a new supply of the Syrians, is slain by David.
1 Now ita came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
B.C. 1036.
a 2 Sa.10.1. 1 Sa.11.1,2.
2 And David said, I bwill show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.1 And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
1 We may expect that in this world our kindest actions will often be requited with the basest returns, and our best intentions expose us to the most injurious suspicions. Even in our implicit obedience to our great and gracious Lord, when we most sincerely do good to our fellow-creatures, we must lay our account with ingratitude, contempt, and abuse. But these things should not discourage us, for he will both plead our cause and comfort us, and kindly recompense all that we endure for his sake.—I.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, cThinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to dspy out the land?
c Heb. In thine eyes doth David, &c. 1 Co.13.5,7.
4 Wherefore eHanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.2
e 2 Sa.10.4. Ps.109.4; 35.12. Le.19.27. Is.20.4. 2 Ch.36.16. Mat.22.6.
2 To insult or turn into ridicule is the mark not merely of a weak understanding, but of a bad heart. It may be a gratification or an amusement to either, but that will not palliate the cruelty practised on the sufferer. Christians are taught to avoid such practices, not merely by the example of the evil consequences, as in the case of the foolish Hanun, but must be restrained by the principle of love from every act that can inflict unnecessary pain, either mental or bodily.—C.
5 Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served: and he sent to meet them; (for the men were greatly ashamed;) and the king said, Tarry at fJericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
f At a village near to its place, for it was not yet rebuilt, Jos.6.24,26. 1 Ki.16.34.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious gto David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver[≈ 34 tonnes · 34 tons · silver worth ≈ US$59 million]2 to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah,3 and out of Zobah.
g Heb. to stink, 2 Sa.10.6. Ge.34.30. Ex.5.21. Lu.10.16.
A.M. 2968. B.C. 1036.
2 i.e. £342,185, 15s. sterling.
3 Aram-maachah, or simply Maachah, 2 Sa.10.6,8, is mentioned along with Aram-zobah. It seems to have extended from Damascus southward as far as the north border of the country of the Jews, on the east side of Jordan; for it is related in De. 3.13 that Zair, the son of Manasseh, took possession of the country of Argob, in Bashan, unto the borders of Geshur and Maachah; and according to Jos. 13. 11 the tribe of Reuben received (among other territories) Gilead unto the borders of Geshur and Maachah. Yet it is added at ver. 13 that the Israelites had not then expelled the inhabitants of Geshur and Maachah, but dwelt along with them there.—I.
7 So they hhired thirty and two thousand chariots,4 and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before iMedeba.5 And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
h 2 Sa.10.6. ch.18.3,4.
4 32,000 'riders,' as in Is.21.7 (Boothroyd);—32,000 'with chariots' (Houbigant).—Either translation removes the apparent difficulty. C.——The word rechab denotes not only a chariot, but a rider, and in this sense it is probably here employed, or in a collective sense cavalry. The Syriac has 'horsemen,' the Arabic 'chariots and horsemen.'—I.
i Nu.21.30. Jos.13.9. Is.15.2.
5 A city of Reuben near their north-east border. Its ruins are still about two miles in circumference, but not a single house is standing.—C.
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the lcity: and mthe kings that were come were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle6 was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice7 of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.8
6 Heb. the face of the battle was.
7 Or, young men.
8 The Syrians being a very warlike people, Joab wisely selects the best troops to encounter them, and then chooses for himself the place of chief danger, while his brother with inferior troops is opposed to a less formidable army.—C.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of nAbishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
n Heb. Abshai, 2 Sa.10.10. ch.11.20.
12 And he said, oIf 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 help thee.
13 Bep of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly9 for our people, and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.
p De.31.6,7. Jos.1.6,7. 1 Sa.4.9. 2 Sa.15.26. Ps.3.8. 1 Co.16.13. Ne.4.14.
9 'Let us play the men,' 2 Sa.10.12. The original is the same in both passages.—C.
14 So Joab, and the people that were with him, drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise qfled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
q Le.26.7,8. ver.13. Ps.37.5; 20.7,8. Pr.21.30,31. Is.41.14,16. Ro.8.31.
16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, rand drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river;1 and Shophach, sthe captain of the host of Hadarezer, went before them.
17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and tset the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
t 2 Sa.10.17. Is.13.4; 22.6. Je.51.27,28.
18 But the Syrians ufled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen,2 and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
u 2 Sa.10.18. Ps.33.16. Pr.21.30,31; 26.17. Is.8.9,10; 41.14-16.
A.M. 2968. B.C. 1036.
2 It is said, 2 Sa.10.18, that David slew 40,000 horsemen, here they are said to be footmen; and a 'transcriber's mistake' is, as is too common, assumed as the solution. But there is no necessity for such unauthorized violence. There might have been 40,000 horsemen who came to the battle, and being routed and dismounted in rocky or marshy ground, they may all have been footmen when the slaughter took place.—C.
Notes
[Ver. 7. According to the parallel passage in 2 Sa. x. the Ammonites hired from Beth-rehob and Zoba 20,000 infantry, from king Maacah 1000, and from Ish-tob 12,000. The numbers thus agree, for 20,000 + 12,000 = 32,000, to which must be added the 'king of Maacah and his people,' whose numbers are not given here. So far the two accounts are agreed. The apparent discrepancies are as follows:—1. In the places; in Chronicles we have Mesopotamia, Syria-maachah, and Zobah; in Samuel we have Beth-rehob, Zoba, and Ish-tob. The explanation is easy. Mesopotamia, or Aram-naharaim as it is in the Hebrew, was a name for a large country consisting of several kingdoms and provinces; it included Ish tob-? Syria-maachah, or Aram-maachah, lay beside Beth-rehob; and as the whole forces of the province were hired, the name Aram-maachah is used by one historian, and Beth-rehob by the other. 2. The mercenaries are said to be infantry in Samuel, and chariots in Chronicles. The discrepancy here resolves itself into the signification of the Hebrew word rekheb, which is here translated 'chariots.' The word has several meanings in Scripture;—it means 'cavalry' in Is. 21. 7; it means 'horses of chariots' in 2 Sa. 8. 4; and it means 'men who had been riding in chariots' in 2 Sa. 10. 18. A probable solution of the difficulty is that these 32,000 were men who fought either in chariots or on foot. P.]
Reflections.—Saints ought to be neighbourly and grateful as far as religion admits. But the kindest actions may be misinterpreted, the most friendly concern be repaid with ingratitude, and the most innocent character may suffer reproach. Wickedness naturally proceeds from the wicked; and they who do ill dread ill; and where whisperers are heard firm friends are separated. They who receive shame and damage in our service ought to be tenderly taken care of and provided for: and the courage of brave men is increased and invigorated by difficulties. But sinners, whom God hath marked for ruin, harden themselves to their own destruction. Vain are the utmost efforts of art and strength against justice and equity: and to little purpose do those rally and reinforce themselves who have God for their enemy. How often those who meddle with strife not belonging to them know not what to do in the end of it; and it is wise if at last they learn to forbear.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.