Ammon are mentioned, Chap. 8. 12. by way of anticipation, and with reſpeC& to the ſtory here following. c Which he might do, either, by offering him his help, if he neededir ; or, by ſupplying him with Military or other Proviſtoas upon occalion, or many other ways.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon ſaid unto Hanun their lord, + Thinkeſt thou that David Joth honour thy father, that he hath ſent comforters
'4nto thee 2?
co OYerthrow 4t 2 -
3B 4
Chap. X.
lervants came into the land of the children of
* See Cha
19. 29,
* 1 Chroa, 19. 1.
+ the boſs of
tween David and him ; and therefore the ſpoils of the children of
f Heb. tt thin: eyes
Hath nor David rather ſent his ſervants doh David unto thee, to ſearch the cicy, and to ſpic it out d, and.
4 T's
Chap. X, Il.
d To obſerve where theCity is weakeſt,and may ſooneſt be taken. The ground of this ſuſpicion was, partly, tke Conſcience of their 311 deſerts and carriage towards the J/raelires, whoſe quarrel David had eſpouſed : partly, the opinion they had of David's Policy : and partly, the ſeverity of God's Law, particularly againſt them, Deut 23. 6. which might'cafily come to their ears: And they knew David was a zealous aflerter of God's Law.
4 Wherefore Hanun took Davids ſervants, and ſhaved off the one half of their beards e, and cut off their garments in the middle, ever to their buttocks f, and ſent them away. | 5
e Partly, that he might compel them to bear a part in ther Mourning, and that jn ſuch a way as was uſual with them, bur forbidden to the 1ſraelires Lev. 19 27- Deure 14. 1. which probably was not unknown to them ; And Partly, to faſten this as a reproch upon them, and to make them ridiculous and contemprible. Com-
are Iſa. 20. 4- and 47. 2+ and 50- 6: f This was worle than the ormer, becauſe the 1/raeh:tes wore no Brecches, and ſo their naked- neſs was hereby uncovered. Compare 1/3. 20. 4-
5 © When they told it unto David, He ſent to meet them g, becauſe the men were gieatiy aſhamed : and the king ſaid, Tarry at Jericho þ until your beards be-
grown 2, and they return.
g He ſent them Clothes and other neceſfaries. hþ Both becauſe this was one of the firſt places which they came to in Canaan : and becauſe it was now a very obſcure Village, and therefore titteſt for them in their circumitances : for it was not builtas a City till after this time, 1 Kings 16. 34. # For the waat or loſs of Beards was eſteemed a reproach among the Iſraelites,
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 Zobal, twenty thouſand footmen, and of king Maacah » a thouſand men, and of Iſhtob » twelve thouſand
men.
&k Near Hamath, Numb. 13- 21. 1 Of which ſee 1. Same 14. 47. and 2 Sam. 8, 3. m 7. e. Of that part of Syria which was under King Maachah : for $jria wasa large Countrey, and there were di- vers Kings in the ſeveral parts of it. This part was near Gilead. See Deut. 3. 14. n Or, of the men of Tob, the Countrey where Jephrhah dwelt, Judges 11. 3. Beſides theſe, they hired others out of 4ram Naharaim, or Meſopotamia, as appears from 1 Chron. «9 6. and P/al. 60. title. And all theſe were forward enough to Combine again{t David, both to revenge their former loſſ:s and reproaches, and to give check to his growing Greatneſs.
7 And when David heard of it, he ſent Joab, and all the hoſt of the mighty men 0.
o Chuſing wiſely to carry the War into their Countrey, rather than to expe it in their own,
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battel in aray at the entring in of the gate p: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Iſhtob, and Maacah, were by themſetves in the field 9.
p To wit, of Medeba, asit is expreſſed, 1 Chron. 19.7. which was a frontier City. See Numb. 21 30. This place they choſe for the Fight, that they might both defend that City and. their Countrey, ws that was the entrance, and, if need were, might retreat " Into it- 9 That by their numerous Forces they might fall upon the Iſraelites on the other ſide.
9 When Joab ſaw that the front of the battel was againſt him bcfore and behind, he choſe of all the choice men of Iſrael, and put them in aray againſt the Syrians r,
» Which were the moſt valiant and expert Soldiers. |
Io And the reſt of the people he delivered into the
hand of Abiſhai his brother, that he might put them in |
aray againſtthe children of Ammon.
11 And he ſaid if the Syrians be too itrong for me, then thou ſhalt help me : bur if the children of Ammon be roo 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 Gods : agd the LORD do that which ſeemeth him good z.
ſ For the preſervation of our ſelves and all our Brethren from that utter. ruine which our Enemies deſign for us. Our War is not vainly undertaken to enlarge our Empire or Glory, but for our own juſt and neceſlary defence : and therefore we may hope for God's Bleſſing and affiſtance in'it. s Which are devored to his Worſhip and Service, and therefore he will plead their Cauſe a- gainſt his Enemies. # Let us do our parts, and quietly referr our ſelves and the event to God's good Pleaſure, which we have no reaſon to diſtruſt. :
13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battel againſt the Syrians « : and they fled before him.
, He prudently falls upon them fir}, becauſe they were but Mercenaries, and not concerned ſo much in the Succeſs as the Ammonites were, all whoſe Interelt lay ar ſtake ; and therefore not likely to venture too far in their defence. 8 |
14 And when the children of Ammon ſaw that the Syrians were fled x, then fled they alſo before Abiſhai, and entred into the city : fo Joab returned from the children of Ammon y, and came to Jeruſalem.
x In whoſe numbers and proweſs they had the moſt confidence. 4 Nor judging it convenient or ſafe to purſue them ; becauſe the Forces. were not urterly ruined, but only diſperſed and pur to
S 4M DE £