1 Chronicles 19 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

The Ammonites Disgrace David’s Men

(2Sa 10:1–19 )

1Ch 19:1Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place.

1Ch 19:2And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him.

1Ch 19:3

1Ch 19:3But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”

1Ch 19:4

1Ch 19:4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away;

1Ch 19:5

1Ch 19:5and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

1Ch 19:6

1Ch 19:6When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents[fn] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah.

1Ch 19:7

1Ch 19:7They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle.

1Ch 19:8

1Ch 19:8When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

1Ch 19:9

1Ch 19:9And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

Ammonites and Syrians Defeated

1Ch 19:10

1Ch 19:10When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.

1Ch 19:11

1Ch 19:11The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites.

1Ch 19:12

1Ch 19:12And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.

1Ch 19:13

1Ch 19:13Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”

1Ch 19:14

1Ch 19:14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him.

1Ch 19:15

1Ch 19:15And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

1Ch 19:16

1Ch 19:16But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates,[fn] with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head.

1Ch 19:17

1Ch 19:17And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

1Ch 19:18

1Ch 19:18And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army.

1Ch 19:19

1Ch 19:19And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore.

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ESV Footnotes

(19:6)

A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

(19:16)

Hebrew the River

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