1 Chronicles Chapter 19
1 After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2 David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, "Do you think that David honours 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?"
4 So Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.
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."
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.
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.
8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men.
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.
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.
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.
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.
13 Be courageous, and let's be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do that which seems good to him."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Footnotes
- Verse 6 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds, so 1000 talents is about 30 metric tonnes
- Verse 16 (beyond the River)
- or, the Euphrates River
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1 Chronicles Chapter 19 Guide
David's attempt to deal kindly with the new king of Ammon was misrepresented and resented, and his messengers treated with indignity. The issue was their utter rout under Joab and Abishai, notwithstanding their confederacy with the Syrians.
The chapter ends with the account of the decisive victory of David over Zobah. The conflict would seem to have been thrice renewed. The first campaign resulted in David's capture of a position on the Euphrates (18: 3-8). The second victory was gained over them by Joab when they were the allies of Ammon. They gathered their forces for a final attempt after this defeat, and David overcame them, so that they made peace with him, and became his servants. Thus the consolidation of the kingdom went forward, while all the time the king was gathering treasure for building the Temple.
Victory is in itself a peril to any man. David's victories were the direct result of God's blessing on him. "The Lord gave victory to David whithersoever he went" (18:13). Yet in the midst of them he sinned his greatest sin, and that notwithstanding that in his deepest heart he desired the building of God's house. Constant watchfulness is the only guarantee of safety. Not even true desire and great blessing are sufficient if the heart be not personally watchful.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
1 Chronicles Chapter 19 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- David's wars.
Verses 1-19
The history is here repeated which we read 2Sa 10. The only safety of sinners consists in submitting to the Lord, seeking peace with him, and becoming his servants. Let us assist each other in a good cause; but let us fear lest, while made instruments of good to others, we should come short of salvation, through unbelief and sin.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.