1 AND it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish-tob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ish-tob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 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 come and help thee.
12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.
13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.
14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.
19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

1And it came to passe, after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his sonne reigned in his stead.

2Then said Dauid, I will shewe kindnes vnto Hanun the sonne of Nahash, as his father shewed kindnes vnto me. And Dauid sent to comfort him by the hand of his seruants, for his father: and Dauids seruants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

3And the princes of the children of Ammon saide vnto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that Dauid doeth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters vnto thee? Hath not Dauid rather sent his seruants vnto thee, to search the citie, and to spie it out, and to ouerthrow it?

4Wherefore Hanun tooke Dauids seruants, and shaued off the one halfe of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, euen to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5When they told it vnto Dauid, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the King saide, Tarie at Iericho vntill your beards be growen, and then returne.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stanke before Dauid, the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twentie thousand footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelue thousand men.

7And when Dauid heard of it, he sent Ioab, and all the hoste of the mightie men.

8And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battell in aray at the entring in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselues in the field.

9When Ioab saw that the front of the battell was against him, before and behind, he chose of all the choise men of Israel, and put them in aray against the Syrians.

10And the rest of the people he deliuered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in aray against the children of Ammon.

11And he said, If the Syrians bee too strong for me, then thou shalt helpe me: but if the children of Ammon bee too strong for thee, then I will come and helpe thee.

12Be of good courage, and let vs play the men, for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord doe that which seemeth him good.

13And Ioab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, vnto the battell against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

14And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fledde, then fled they also before Abishai, and entred into the citie: so Ioab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Ierusalem.

15 And when the Syrians sawe that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselues together.

16And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the riuer, and they came to Helam, and Shobach the captaine of the hoste of Hadarezer went before them.

17And when it was told Dauid, he gathered all Israel together, and passed ouer Iordane, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselues in aray against Dauid, and fought with him.

18And the Syrians fled before Israel, and Dauid slew the men of seuen hundred charets of the Syrians, and fourtie thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captaine of their hoste, who died there.

19And when all the kings that were seruants to Hadarezer sawe, that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and serued them: so the Syrians feared to helpe the children of Ammon any more.

I == 1st Chr 19:3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Isa 20:4 ; 47:2

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Gen 34:30 ; Ex 5:21 ; Judg 11:3 , 5 ; 1st Sam 13:4 ; 2nd Sam 8:3 , 5

 

 

VII == 2nd Sam 23:8

VIII == 2nd Sam 10:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Deut 31:6 ; 1st Sam 3:18 ; 4:9 ; 1st Cor 16:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVI == 1st Chr 19:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == 1st Chr 19:18

 

 

XIX == 2nd Sam 8:6

 

1 Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.

2 David thought, "I will be kind to Hanun, son of Nahash, as his father was kind to me." So David sent his servants with condolences to Hanun for the loss of his father. But when David's servants entered the country of the Ammonites,

3 the Ammonite princes said to their lord Hanun: "Do you think that David is honoring your father by sending men with condolences? Is it not rather to explore the city, to spy on it, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his messengers to you?"

4 Hanun, therefore, seized David's servants and, after shaving off half their beards and cutting away the lower halves of their garments at the buttocks, sent them away.

5 When he was told of it, King David sent out word to them, since the men were quite ashamed. "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow," he said, "and then come back."

6 In view of the offense they had given to David, the Ammonites sent for and hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

7 On learning this, David sent out Joab with the entire levy of trained soldiers.

8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah remained apart in the open country.

9 When Joab saw the battle lines drawn up against him, both front and rear, he made a selection from all the picked troops of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.

10 He placed the rest of the soldiers under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

11 Joab said, "If the Arameans are stronger than I, you shall help me. But if the Ammonites are stronger than you, I will come to help you.

12 Be brave; let us prove our valor for the sake of our people and the cities of our God; the LORD will do what he judges best."

13 When Joab and the soldiers who were with him approached the Arameans for battle, they fled before him.

14 The Ammonites, seeing that the Arameans had fled, also fled from Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab then ceased his attack on the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.

15 Then the Arameans responded to their defeat by Israel with a full mustering of troops;

16 Hadadezer sent for and enlisted Arameans from beyond the Euphrates. They came to Helam, with Shobach, general of Hadadezer's army, at their head.

17 On receiving this news, David assembled all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. The Arameans drew up in formation against David and fought with him.

18 But the Arameans gave way before Israel, and David's men killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand of the Aramean foot soldiers. Shobach, general of the army, was struck down and died on the field.

19 All of Hadadezer's vassal kings, in view of their defeat by Israel, then made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects. And the Arameans were afraid to give further aid to the Ammonites.

 

v 1-5. Nahash had issued a cruel indictment to the people of Jabesh Gilead at the start of Saul’s reign, 1 Sam. 11:1,2, but apparently he had been kind to David while he was fleeing from Saul. David sent messengers with condolence after his death, but his son was advised they were spies. Probably the advisors were thinking about their defeat 50 years before. Mutilating the beards was humiliating along with the immodest cutting of garments to mid hips. David must have been very angry at Hanun, but in compassion for these men, allowed them privacy till their beards could be trimmed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 6-14. Hanun realized he had practically declared war, so with 1000 talents of silver, 1 Chr. 19:6, he hired 33,000 Syrian soldiers to help. Joab attacked the Syrians in the field with his choice troops and sent Abishai to attack the Ammonites at the gate of the city. Joab was not just fighting for Israel but for the Lord, v 12. With the battle on two fronts, they had agreed to help each other if needed, but Joab put the Syrians to flight, so the Ammonites fled back into the city, and Joab returned to Jerusalem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 15-19. Hadadezer was not only committed to helping the Ammonites, but had been beaten by Israel in chapter 8, so he assembled a much larger army. David’s army went out to meet them and smote them with a great slaughter. The seven hundred chariots of v 18 should read seven thousand men who used chariots. The result was that the Syrians had to serve David and could not help Ammon again.
While some compare chapter 9 with grace and love being received, they look at this chapter as grace rejected, and sinners frantically trying to avoid the wrath of God.