1-5 David's messengers, sent to comfort Hanun, the son of Nahash, are villainously treated 6-15 The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, are overcome by Joab and Abishai 16-19 Shobach, making a new supply of the Syrians, is slain by David

Nahas 1Sa 11:1,2 12:12 2Sa 10:1-3

2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. 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.

I will shew 1Sa 30:26 2Sa 9:1,7 2Ki 4:13 Es 6:3 Ec 9:15

the children Ge 19:37,38 De 23:3-6 Ne 4:3,7 13:1

3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

but the princes 1Sa 29:4,9 1Ki 12:8-11

Thinkest thou that David. [heb] in thine eyes doth David 1Co 13:5-7

to search Ge 42:9-18 Jos 2:1-3 Jud 1:23,24 18:2,8-10

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.

took David's Ps 35:12 109:4,5

shaved them Le 19:27 Isa 15:2 Jer 41:5 48:37

and cut Isa 20:4 47:2,3

sent them 2Sa 10:4,5 2Ch 36:16 Mr 12:4 Lu 20:10,11

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 Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

and told David Mt 18:31

at Jericho Jos 6:24-26 1Ki 16:34

your beards Jud 16:22

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

had made Lu 10:16 1Th 4:8

odious [heb] to stink Ge 34:30 Ex 5:21 1Sa 13:4 27:12 Ps 14:3

a thousand 2Ch 16:2,3 25:6 27:5 Ps 46:9

Syria-maachah 2Sa 10:6

Zobah 2Ch 18:3,5,9 1Sa 14:47 2Sa 8:3 1Ki 11:23,24

7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.

hired 1Ch 18:4 Ex 14:9 Jud 4:3 1Sa 13:5 2Ch 14:9 Ps 20:7-9

thirty Thirty-two thousand soldiers, exclusive of the thousand send by the Maachah, are mentioned in the parallel passage (2Sa 10:6) but of chariots or cavalry there is no mention; and the number of chariots stated here is prodigious, and beyond all credibility. But as the word {raichev} denotes not only a chariot, but a rider, (see Is 21:7) it ought most probably to be rendered here, in a collective sense, cavalry; and then the number of troops will exactly agree with the passage in Samuel. It is probable that they were a kind of auxiliary troops who were usually mounted on horses, or in chariots, but who occasionally served as foot-soldiers.

the king of Maachah. This variation exists only in the translation, the original being the same in both places, {melech maachah} king Maachah.

Medeba Nu 21:30 Jos 13:9 Isa 15:2

8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

Joab 1Ch 11:6,10 2Sa 23:8

9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

put the battle 1Sa 17:2 2Sa 18:4 2Ch 13:3 14:10 Isa 28:6 Jer 50:42 Joe 2:5

the kings 2Sa 10:8 1Ki 20:1,24

10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

when Joab's 2Sa 10:9-14

battle [heb] face of the battle
set against Jos 8:22 Jud 20:42,43

choice. or, young men

11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

Abishai [heb] Abshai 1Ch 11:20 18:12

The variation of () Abishai, and () Abshai is simply caused by the elision of (), {yood} which is by no means uncommon.

and they set 1Ch 19:9

12 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 help thee.

If the Syrians Ne 4:20 Ec 4:9-12 Ga 6:2 Php 1:27,28

13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

of good De 31:6,7 Jos 1:7 10:25 1Sa 4:9 14:6-12 17:32 2Sa 10:12 Ezr 10:4 Ne 4:14 Ps 27:14 1Co 16:13

let us behave In Samuel, `let us play the men;' but the original is the same in both places, {nithchazzak}.

let the Lord Jud 10:15 1Sa 3:18 2Sa 15:26 16:10,11 Job 1:22

14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

they fled 1Ki 20:13,19-21,28-30 2Ch 13:5-16 Jer 46:15,16

15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

they likewise Le 26:7 Ro 8:31

16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

A.M. 2698 B.C. An. Ex. Is. 455
and drew Ps 2:1 Isa 8:9 Mic 4:11,12 Zec 14:1-3

river that is, Euphrates.

Shobach This variation arises from the permutation of () {baith} and () pay; being written in the parallel passage () Shobach, and here () Shophach. 2Sa 10:16

Shobach

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

upon them Instead of {alaihem, `upon them,' it is in 2Sa 10:17 {chelamah}, `to Helam:' the one seems evidently to be a mistake for the other.

and set 1Ch 19:9 Isa 22:6,7

18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

fled before Israel 1Ch 19:13,14 Ps 18:32 33:16 46:11

seven thousand chariots;' which difference probably arose from mistaking () {noon final}, which stands for 700, for () zayin, with a dot above, which denotes 7000, or vice versa: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other.

footmen If these troops were as we have suppose, a kind of {dismounted cavalry}, the terms {footmen and horsemen} might be indifferently applied to them. 2Sa 10:18

horsemen

19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

the servants Ge 14:4,5 Jos 9:9-11 2Sa 10:19 1Ki 20:1,12 Ps 18:39,44 Isa 10:8

would 1Ch 14:17 Ps 48:3-6