1 Chronicles 19

Misunderstanding and Humiliation 1 Chronicles 19:3–5

³Verse 3. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?” ⁴Verse 4. So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵Verse 5. Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

Preparation for War 1 Chronicles 19:6–8

⁶Verse 6. When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah. ⁷Verse 7. So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. ⁸Verse 8. When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men.

Battle Arrangements 1 Chronicles 19:9–12

⁹Verse 9. The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. ¹⁰Verse 10. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose some of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. ¹¹Verse 11. The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. ¹²Verse 12. He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

Victory over the Enemy 1 Chronicles 19:13–15

¹³Verse 13. Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.” ¹⁴Verse 14. So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. ¹⁵Verse 15. When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

Subsequent Confrontation 1 Chronicles 19:16–19

¹⁶Verse 16. When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers, and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading them. ¹⁷Verse 17. David was told that; so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to 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. ¹⁸Verse 18. The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army.

¹⁹Verse 19. When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David, and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.