2 Samuel · Chapter 10

Verse 1. The king of the children of Ammon died — Who, it appears by the next verse, was Nahash, to whom Saul gave a very great defeat at Jabesh-Gilead, 1 Samuel 11.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

V. 2. David sent-There had hitherto been friendship between David and him: and therefore the spoils of the children of Ammon are mentioned, 2 Samuel 8:12, by way of anticipation, and with respect to the story here following.

Verse 2. I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash] We do not know exactly the nature or extent of the obligation which David was under to the king of the Ammonites; but it is likely that the Nahash here mentioned was the same who had attacked Jabesh-gilead, and whom Saul defeated: as David had taken refuge with the Moabites, ( 1 Samuel 22:3,) and this was contiguous to the king of the Ammonites, his hatred to Saul might induce him to show particular kindness to David.

Verse 2. As his father showed kindness unto me — All generous minds are full of gratitude and compassion. David here remembers the ancient benefits which he had received from Nahash, and pitied his son, who had lost such a father. What those benefits were is uncertain. It is probable, however, that, being an enemy to Saul, who had given him a great overthrow, he proved a friend to David when he was persecuted by him, sent him relief and assistance, and perhaps offered him his protection. David sent to comfort him — According to the present custom among princes, who send some of their courtiers to condole with those, under any loss or suffering, with whom they live in friendship. And as, it appears, there had hitherto been friendship between David and him, we must conclude that what is said of the spoils of the children of Ammon, 2 Samuel 8:12, is mentioned by way of anticipation, and is to be understood of the spoils taken after the victory spoken of in this chapter.

2. His father showed kindness unto me — When and how we are nowhere told, but it was probably during the time of his flight from Saul. To comfort him — To sympathize with him in the time of his mourning for his father.

Verse 3. Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father] It has been a matter of just complaint through all the history of mankind, that there is little sincerity in courts. Courtiers, especially, are suspicious of each other, and often mislead their sovereigns. They feel themselves to be insincere, and suspect others to be so too.

Verses 3, 4. Hath not David sent to search the city? — Nothing is so well meant, but it maybe ill interpreted; and is wont to be so by men who love none but themselves. And shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle — He must not only have been very credulous, but of a bad and hasty temper; otherwise he would have dismissed them civilly, how much soever his courtiers suspected them; or have kept them in an honourable custody till the truth had been discovered. But this was the highest disgrace he could put upon them. For the wearing of long beards and long garments was then, as it is still, the fashion of the East, where they were deemed badges of honour; and consequently the cutting off and curtailing of either was regarded as the greatest indignity; nay, in some places, the cutting off the beard was not only looked upon as a matter of the highest reproach, but also of the severest punishment. So it was anciently among the Indians, as we learn from Nicholas Damascenus, mentioned by Stobæus, who says, that the king commanded the greatest offenders to be shaven, as the greatest punishment he could inflict upon them. And so it is at this day among the Persians. And it was one of the most infamous punishments of cowardice in Sparta, that they who turned their backs in the day of battle were obliged to appear abroad with one half of their beards shaved, and the other unshaved. There were two reasons which caused the eastern people of old, as they cause them at present, to look upon the beard as venerable: 1st, They considered it as a natural ornament, designed to distinguish men from women. 2d, It was the mark of a free man, in opposition to slaves. So that, in every view, the indignity offered by Hanun to the ambassadors of David was capital, and, it seems, the greatest he could have done them. It was a violation of the law of nature, of hospitality, and the right of nations. Insult and contumely were added to the disgrace; half the beard was cut off to make them look ridiculous, and half the robe to make their figures at once more contemptible and indecent. — Delaney, Bishop Patrick, and Plut. in Agesilao.

3. The princes — The chiefs or sheiks of the people, who acted as counsellors of the king. Thinkest thou — “Courtiers, especially, are suspicious of each other, and often mislead their sovereigns. They feel themselves to be insincere, and suspect others to be so too.” — Clarke. To search the city — This city was Rabbah, the capital city of the children of Ammon. See on 2 Samuel 12:26; Deuteronomy 3:11; Joshua 13:25.

V. 4. Shaved-To fasten this is a reproach upon them, and to make them ridiculous and contemptible. Cut off, &c.-This was worse than the former, because the Israelites wore no breeches, and so their nakedness was hereby uncovered.

Verse 4. Shaved off the one half of their beards] The beard is held in high respect in the East: the possessor considers it his greatest ornament; often swears by it; and, in matters of great importance, pledges it. Nothing can be more secure than a pledge of this kind; its owner will redeem it at the hazard of his life. The beard was never cut off but in mourning, or as a sign of slavery. Cutting off half of the beard and the clothes rendered the men ridiculous, and made them look like slaves: what was done to these men was an accumulation of insult.

Verses 3, 4. Hath not David sent to search the city? — Nothing is so well meant, but it maybe ill interpreted; and is wont to be so by men who love none but themselves. And shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle — He must not only have been very credulous, but of a bad and hasty temper; otherwise he would have dismissed them civilly, how much soever his courtiers suspected them; or have kept them in an honourable custody till the truth had been discovered. But this was the highest disgrace he could put upon them. For the wearing of long beards and long garments was then, as it is still, the fashion of the East, where they were deemed badges of honour; and consequently the cutting off and curtailing of either was regarded as the greatest indignity; nay, in some places, the cutting off the beard was not only looked upon as a matter of the highest reproach, but also of the severest punishment. So it was anciently among the Indians, as we learn from Nicholas Damascenus, mentioned by Stobæus, who says, that the king commanded the greatest offenders to be shaven, as the greatest punishment he could inflict upon them. And so it is at this day among the Persians. And it was one of the most infamous punishments of cowardice in Sparta, that they who turned their backs in the day of battle were obliged to appear abroad with one half of their beards shaved, and the other unshaved. There were two reasons which caused the eastern people of old, as they cause them at present, to look upon the beard as venerable: 1st, They considered it as a natural ornament, designed to distinguish men from women. 2d, It was the mark of a free man, in opposition to slaves. So that, in every view, the indignity offered by Hanun to the ambassadors of David was capital, and, it seems, the greatest he could have done them. It was a violation of the law of nature, of hospitality, and the right of nations. Insult and contumely were added to the disgrace; half the beard was cut off to make them look ridiculous, and half the robe to make their figures at once more contemptible and indecent. — Delaney, Bishop Patrick, and Plut. in Agesilao.

Verse 4. Shaved—half their beard. The critics make many quotations from ancient authors, showing how high a value eastern nations set on the hair of the head and beard; and even at the present time the mutilating of the beard would be deemed among the Turks the greatest insult that could be offered. In the year 1764, says Motraye, “when Kerim Khan sent to demand tribute for his possessions in Kermesir, Mir Mahenna maltreated the officer, and caused his beard to be shaved.” See also Leviticus 19. Deuteronomy 14.

4. Shaved off the one half of their beards — “More ignominious than to remove it altogether, although that, among the ancient and modern eastern nations that cultivate the beard, was all offence not to be named without horror. It is very difficult to us to realize the intense appreciation of, and respect for, the beard, which is entertained among the Persians, Arabians, and other bearded nations. This is truly to them the seat of honour. They treat their own beards with respect, suffering no defilement to come near them, and handling them with deliberate care. They bury with solicitude any stray hairs that come from it; to lose it by accident were worse than the loss of the head itself, which would, in their esteem, become ridiculous and useless without this essential appendage. For any one else to touch a man’s beard irreverently, to speak of it lightly, to cast a reproach upon it, were an offence never to be forgotten or forgiven; but to cut or remove it by violence or stealth, were an affront, a disgrace, a horror, which scarcely the heart’s blood of the offender can expiate.” — Kitto.

Verse 5. Tarry at Jericho] This city had not been rebuilt since the time of Joshua; but there were, no doubt, many cottages still remaining, and larger dwellings also, but the walls had not been repaired. As it must have been comparatively a private place, it was proper for these men to tarry in, as they would not be exposed to public notice.

Verse 5. Tarry at Jericho — Which was the first place to which they came in the land of Canaan, and then a private village, where they might remain obscure till they were fit to appear in public. Until your beards be grown — For though it was well known how they came to be deprived of them, yet it was not fit that persons of their quality should appear unlike all other men.

Ver. 5. Jericho was inhabited, but not fortified.

5. Tarry at Jericho — The king knew that for these men to appear among their acquaintances before the marks of their dishonour were entirely gone would be to expose them to lasting ridicule and infamy; for all who might see them in that shameful plight would ever after, in their minds, associate them with that misfortune.

Verse 6. The children of Ammon saw that they stank] That is, that their conduct rendered them abominable. This is the Hebrew mode of expressing such a feeling. See Genesis 34:30.

The Syrians of Bethrehob] This place was situated at the extremity of the valley between Libanus and Anti-libanus. The Syrians of Zoba were subject to Hadadezer. Maacah was in the vicinity of Mount Hermon, beyond Jordan, in the Trachonitis.

Ish-tob] This was probably the same with Tob, to which Jephthah fled from the cruelty of his brethren. It was situated in the land of Gilead.

Verse 6. When the children of Ammon saw that they stank, &c, — They wanted not intelligence how heinously David resented the barbarous usage of his ambassadors; which is expressed by a phrase signifying that they were become very odious to him.

Ver. 6. The Syrians of Beth-rehob. Rehob reigned on the east and west of the Euphrates. David had before defeated these Syrians: 2 Samuel 8:3. The Babylonian empire must, of course, have been weak in the time of David. The cavalry were hired from Mesopotamia. 1 Chronicles 19.—King Maacah, a prince to whom Jephthah fled.—Ish-tob, which Josephus turns, “king of Tob.”—Zoba, a city forty miles east of Damascus.

6. Stank — Were held in abomination. See note on 1 Samuel 13:4. Sent and hired the Syrians — In the note on 2 Samuel 8:3, we have argued that probably this act of the Syrians in helping the Ammonites in their war against Israel was the occasion of David’s Aramean wars. The mere fact that this account occurs in a subsequent chapter does not prove that the events themselves were in the like chronological sequence. The conquest of Ammon is also mentioned in that chapter, (verse 12;) but it could have been no conquest previous to this one, for if David had subdued them before the death of Nahash, how could he have presumed to send this embassy of condolence to Hanun? And, further, if the complete subjugation into which David reduced Hadarezer and his people were previous to this, is it not strange that in this more detailed narrative there is no mention of their revolting from their allegiance? Beth-rehob — Called also in verse 8, Rehob; a district lying probably southwest of Damascus, and north of Lake Merom. See on Judges 18:28. Of king Maacah — Rather, of the king of Maacah, Maacah being the name of the place, not of the king. The region of Maacah seems to have bordered on Beth-rehob, and extended southward from Mount Hermon. See on Joshua 12:5. Ish-tob — Rather, men of Tob. Tob was the district northeast of Gilead into which Jephthah fled when driven from his father’s house. See margin, and Judges 11:3. In 1 Chronicles 19:6, we are told that the Ammonites derived help from Mesopotamia also, and, according to our interpretation of chap. viii, at a later stage of this same war with Syria, when the Syrians of Damascus interfered to succour Hadarezer, they were also smitten before the army of Israel, and thus all these confederate principalities of Syria became subject to David. Thus the fragmentary narratives of chaps. viii and x of this book of Samuel, and the parallel passages in 1 Chronicles, make up at best only a broken and disconnected account of David’s Syrian wars; and therefore, for want of sufficient data, we may not expect to clear up all discrepancies in numbers that appear between the separate accounts.

Verse 7. All the host of the mighty] All his worthies, and the flower of his army.

Verses 7, 8. He sent Joab and all the host — He did not think it prudent to stay till they assaulted him in his own country, but went and invaded theirs. And the children of Ammon came out, &c. — They drew up their army, either before Rabbah, the metropolis of the country, or before Medeba, in the borders of it, where their confederates were pitched, 1 Chronicles 19:7.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

Verse 8. At the entering in of the gate] This was the city of Medeba, as we learn from 1 Chronicles 19:7.

Verses 7, 8. He sent Joab and all the host — He did not think it prudent to stay till they assaulted him in his own country, but went and invaded theirs. And the children of Ammon came out, &c. — They drew up their army, either before Rabbah, the metropolis of the country, or before Medeba, in the borders of it, where their confederates were pitched, 1 Chronicles 19:7.

8. At the entering in of the gate — That is, most obviously, at the gate of their capital city, Rabbah. Syrians… by themselves in the field — The record in 1 Chronicles 19:7 is, they pitched before Medeba, a city some distance south of Rabbah, and in the tribe of Reuben. See on Joshua 13:16.

Verse 9. Before and behind] It is probable that one of the armies was in the field, and the other in the city, when Joab arrived. When he fronted this army, the other appears to have issued from the city, and to have taken him in the rear; he was therefore obliged to divide his army as here mentioned; one part to face the Syrians commanded by himself, and the other to face the Ammonites commanded by his brother Abishai.

Verse 9. The front of the battle — Hebrew, the face of the battle; was against him before, and behind — That is, they had divided their forces, the Syrians appearing before him, and the Ammonites behind him. He put them in array against the Syrians — He also, like an expert commander, presently divided his army into two bodies, and picked out the best soldiers to engage the Syrians, who, it seems, were the strongest, or the most valiant.

9. Before and behind — Joab thus seems to have unwittingly taken a position between Rabbah and Medeba, so as to have the Ammonites in front and the Syrians behind. Hence he found it necessary to provide for fighting with both armies at the same time.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

11. If the Syrians be too strong for me — So the understanding was not to attack both armies at the same time; but Abishai was to watch the success of Joab, and if he was likely to be repulsed, he should not attempt to fight the Ammonites, but come to his help. Nevertheless there was the possibility that the Ammonites might rush forth and attack Abishai’s forces before Joab could come in contact with the Syrians, in which case Joab was not to attack the Syrians, but hold off, ready to render Abishai any needed assistance.

Verse 12. Be of good courage] This is a very fine military address, and is equal to any thing in ancient or modern times. Ye fight pro aris et focis; for every good, sacred and civil; for God, for your families, and for your country.

Verse 12. Be of good courage, &c. — These words, it is likely, were not spoken to Abishai alone, but to all the army by their officers, that they might not be disheartened at the sight of such numerous forces as in a manner encompassed them, but be so much the more resolute for the preservation of their country. And the Lord do that which seemeth him good — If they did their duty, he trusted Divine Providence would favour them. But if not, he would be resigned to God’s will: he would piously leave the issue with him. And when we have done our part, according to the duty of our place, we may, with the greatest satisfaction, leave the event with God; not thinking that our efforts bind him to prosper us, but that he may still do as he pleaseth, and yet hoping for his salvation in his own way and time.

12. Play the men — Show yourselves courageous and brave. The cities of our God — The cities God had given Israel. The children of Israel were taught to regard themselves and their land as the property of God. Leviticus 25:23.

Verses 13, 14. Joab drew nigh unto battle against the Syrians — He acted very wisely in assaulting the mercenary army first; for they that are hired to fight generally take great care to save themselves, having little regard to the cause for which they fight. Then fled they also — They seem not to have struck a stroke, but provided for their safety by retiring into the city, near to which their army was drawn up. So Joab returned — Here is no account of the number of the slain, who, probably, were few, because they did not fight, but flee. The year also seems to have been so far spent that it was not a fit season for laying siege to the city. See 2 Samuel 11:1.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

Verse 14. The Syrians were fled] They betook themselves to their own confines, while the Ammonites escaped into their own city.

Verses 13, 14. Joab drew nigh unto battle against the Syrians — He acted very wisely in assaulting the mercenary army first; for they that are hired to fight generally take great care to save themselves, having little regard to the cause for which they fight. Then fled they also — They seem not to have struck a stroke, but provided for their safety by retiring into the city, near to which their army was drawn up. So Joab returned — Here is no account of the number of the slain, who, probably, were few, because they did not fight, but flee. The year also seems to have been so far spent that it was not a fit season for laying siege to the city. See 2 Samuel 11:1.

14. The children of Ammon… entered… the city — Retreated from before the gates of Rabbah, (verse 8,) and fortified themselves within the capital. Joab returned… to Jerusalem — Deeming it unwise to lay siege to Rabbah at that time. Compare 2 Samuel 11:1.

Verses 15, 16. They gathered themselves together — Fearing David would fall upon them for assisting his enemies, they resolved to be beforehand with him, and therefore levied a new army to invade his territories. And Hadarezer — Who was king of Aram Zoba, in Mesopotamia; sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river — That is, beyond Euphrates, which was the bound of his territories eastward, 2 Samuel 8:3.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

Verse 16. The Syrians that were beyond the river] That is, the Euphrates.

Hadarezer] This is the same that was overthrown by David, 2 Samuel 8:3 and there called Hadadezer; which is the reading here of about thirty of Kennicott’s and Deuteronomy Rossi’s MSS. But the r resh and d daleth are easily interchanged.

Verses 15, 16. They gathered themselves together — Fearing David would fall upon them for assisting his enemies, they resolved to be beforehand with him, and therefore levied a new army to invade his territories. And Hadarezer — Who was king of Aram Zoba, in Mesopotamia; sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river — That is, beyond Euphrates, which was the bound of his territories eastward, 2 Samuel 8:3.

Ver. 16. The Syrians—beyond the river Euphrates. Helam is not found in ancient maps. King Hadarezer had contributed, through malice, to make David illustrious, and to fulfil the word of the Lord, that the boundary of Israel should be from the river Euphrates to the river of Egypt; and though that kingdom had partially recovered its strength, it was now overthrown, for Solomon built Tadmor, not far from Zobah. 2 Chronicles 8:4.

16. Brought out the Syrians… beyond the river — By which act he seems to have lost his dominion in that border. See 2 Samuel 8:3. When the Syrian cities beyond the Euphrates learned that their king had been smitten by the army of David they openly renounced their allegiance to the kingdom of Zobah. Helam — A place somewhere beyond the Jordan, and probably near the borders of Syria; but its situation has never been discovered. Shobach the captain — Who was to Hadarezer’s army what Joab was to David’s.

Verse 17. David-gathered all Israel together] He thought that such a war required his own presence.

Verses 17, 18. David passed over Jordan — In this expedition David seems to have commanded his army in his own person. But, notwithstanding, the Syrians appear to have begun the fight. David slew the men of seven hundred chariots, &c. — The parallel place, 1 Chronicles 19:18, reads, seven thousand men that fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and not horsemen, as here. It is probable, either that horse and foot were mixed together, and that, in all, there were slain forty thousand of them, part horsemen and part footmen; or, as many learned men suppose, that some error has crept into the text in one of the places. Houbigant is of opinion, that the text here, corrected from the parallel passage, should be read, David destroyed seven thousand horsemen, seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand footmen.

DAVID’S WAR WITH THE AMMONITES AND SYRIANS, 1-19.

This great contest with the Ammonites was the most fearful and long-continued of all the wars of David. It involved him in war with the Aramean kingdoms, and also with Edom, lasted apparently through five campaigns, and resulted in extending his dominion from the Desert of Paran to the river Euphrates.

1. Ammon — The territory of the Ammonites was contiguous to that of the Moabites. See on Genesis 19:37, 38. Against this nation Jephthah and Saul had fought and been victorious. Judges 11:32, 33; 1 Samuel 11:11.

Verse 18. SEVEN HUNDRED chariots-and forty thousand HORSEMEN] In the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 19:18, it is said, David slew of the Syrians SEVEN THOUSAND men, which fought in chariots. It is difficult to ascertain the right number in this and similar places. It is very probable that, in former times, the Jews expressed, as they often do now, their numbers, not by words at full length, but by numeral letters; and, as many of the letters bear a great similarity to each other, mistakes might easily creep in when the numeral letters came to be expressed by words at full length. This alone will account for the many mistakes which we find in the numbers in these books, and renders a mistake here very probable. The letter z zain, with a dot above, stands for seven thousand, n nun for seven hundred: the great similarity of these letters might easily cause the one to be mistaken for the other, and so produce an error in this place.

Verses 17, 18. David passed over Jordan — In this expedition David seems to have commanded his army in his own person. But, notwithstanding, the Syrians appear to have begun the fight. David slew the men of seven hundred chariots, &c. — The parallel place, 1 Chronicles 19:18, reads, seven thousand men that fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and not horsemen, as here. It is probable, either that horse and foot were mixed together, and that, in all, there were slain forty thousand of them, part horsemen and part footmen; or, as many learned men suppose, that some error has crept into the text in one of the places. Houbigant is of opinion, that the text here, corrected from the parallel passage, should be read, David destroyed seven thousand horsemen, seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand footmen.

Ver. 18. Seven hundred is here mis-written for seven thousand, as appears from 1 Chronicles 19:18. Horsemen also, as in the Septuagint, and in Josephus, is rendered footmen.

18. Seven hundred chariots — In 1 Chronicles 19:18, we have seven thousand. The discrepancy is doubtless the error of a copyist. Forty thousand horsemen — In Chronicles forty thousand footmen, another discrepancy resulting either from the carelessness of some early copyist, or the fragmentary character of these accounts. A fully detailed history of this war would doubtless give us many facts and figures now unknown.

V. 19. And served them-And thus at length was fulfilled the promise made to Abraham, and repeated to Joshua, that the borders of Israel should extend as far as the river Euphrates. The son of David sent his ambassadors, his apostles and ministers, to the Jewish church and nation. But they intreated them shamefully, as Hanun did David’s, mocked them, abused them, slew them. And this it was that filled the measure of their iniquity, and brought upon them ruin without remedy.

Verse 19. Made peace with Israel] They made this peace separately, and were obliged to pay tribute to the Israelites. Some copies of the Vulgate add here after the word Israel, Expaverunt et fugerunt quinquaginta et octo millia coram Israel; “and they were panic-struck, and fled fifty-eight thousand of them before Israel.” This reading is nowhere else to be found. “Thus,” observes Dr. Delaney, “the arms of David were blessed; and God accomplished the promises which he had made to Abraham, Genesis 15:18, and renewed to Joshua, Joshua 1:2, 4.” And thus, in the space of nineteen or twenty years, David had the good fortune to finish gloriously eight wars, all righteously undertaken, and all honourably terminated; viz.

1. The civil war with Ish-bosheth. 2. The war against the Jebusites. 3. The war against the Philistines and their allies. 4. The war against the Philistines alone. 5. The war against the Moabites. 6. The war against Hadadezer. 7. The war against the Idumeans. 8. The war against the Ammonites and Syrians. This last victory was soon followed by the complete conquest of the kingdom of the Ammonites, abandoned by their allies. What glory to the monarch of Israel, had not the splendour of this illustrious epoch been obscured by a complication of crimes, of which one could never have even suspected him capable!

WE have now done with the first part of this book, in which we find David great, glorious, and pious: we come to the second part, in which we shall have the pain to observe him fallen from God, and his horn defiled in the dust by crimes of the most flagitious nature. Let him that most assuredly standeth take heed lest he fall.

II SAMUEL

Verse 19. The kings that were servants to Hadarezer — He being the most powerful prince in those parts, it appears there were several petty kings that were subject to him. They made peace with Israel, and served them — As it is likely Hadarezer himself also did: whereby God fulfilled his promise to Abraham, (which was renewed to Joshua,) of enlarging the dominion of his posterity as far as Euphrates. See Genesis 15:18; Joshua 1:2, 3,

4. Wonderful to reflect on! kingdoms and vast tracts of country, which were promised by God, ages before, to the posterity of a man who had not one foot of property in them, we see here all falling, with a very particular exactness, under the dominion of one of the posterity of him to whom they had been promised! So faithful is God, and all his purposes will be fulfilled! Thus, in the space of nineteen or twenty years, David had the happiness of finishing gloriously eight wars, all righteously undertaken, and all honourably terminated; namely, 1st, The civil war with Ish-bosheth: 2d, The war against the Jebusites: 3d, Against the Philistines and their allies: 4th, Against the Philistines alone: 5th, Against the Moabites: 6th, Against Hadadezer: 7th, Against the Idumeans: 8th, Against the Ammonites and Syrians. We shall soon see this last entirely completed, by the conquest of the kingdom of the Ammonites, abandoned by their allies. What glory for the monarch of Israel, had not the splendour of this illustrious epocha been obscured by a complication of crimes, of which one could never have even suspected him! See Delaney.

19. They made peace — The kings or chieftains under Hadarezer made peace. It seems that Hadarezer himself was not present at this war, so that in this treaty with Israel his officers acted for him. The Syrians feared to help… Ammon any more — They had now suffered two disastrous defeats in attempting to help the Ammonites, the first in the field before Medeba, (verse 8; comp. 1 Chronicles 19,) and the second at Helam. But, as we have argued in the notes on verse 6, and 2 Samuel 8:3, there was yet another engagement subsequent to these, but probably intimately connected with them, and not long after. Hadarezer went to recover his border along the Euphrates, and this act was too much like violation of the peace David had just made with his subject-kings, and hence the war with Hadarezer, the interference of the Syrians of Damascus, and the consequent subjection of all Syria to the kingdom of Israel, recorded in chapter 8.