David’s Messengers Disgraced
וַיְהִי֙ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת נָחָ֖שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜יד אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד׀ עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמִּי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛יד מַלְאָכִ֖ים לְנַחֲמ֣וֹ עַל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜יד אֶל־אֶ֧רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֛וֹן אֶל־חָנ֖וּן לְנַחֲמֽוֹ׃
And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵי־עַמּ֜וֹן לְחָנ֗וּן הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤יד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַחֲמִ֑ים הֲלֹ֡א בַּ֠עֲבוּר לַחְקֹ֨ר וְלַהֲפֹ֤ךְ וּלְרַגֵּל֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ בָּ֥אוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ פ
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ וַֽיְגַלְּחֵ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַד־הַמִּפְשָׂעָ֑ה וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ וַיַּגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֤יד עַל־הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵח֔וֹ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃
When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁ֖וּ עִם־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חָ֠נוּן וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֜וֹן אֶ֣לֶף כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף לִשְׂכֹּ֣ר לָ֠הֶם מִן־אֲרַ֨ם נַהֲרַ֜יִם וּמִן־אֲרַ֤ם מַעֲכָה֙ וּמִצּוֹבָ֔ה רֶ֖כֶב וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ לָהֶ֡ם שְׁנַיִם֩ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף רֶ֗כֶב וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַעֲכָה֙ וְאֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י מֵידְבָ֑א וּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן נֶאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ פ
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־צָבָ֖א הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיַּֽעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֑יר וְהַמְּלָכִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔אוּ לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.
David Defeats Ammon and Aram
וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹאָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֧ה פְנֵי־הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו פָּנִ֣ים וְאָח֑וֹר וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכָּל־בָּחוּר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃
When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַיַּ֣עַרְכ֔וּ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
And he placed the rest of the troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ אֲרָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִּ֖י לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה ס וְאִם־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֛וֹן יֶֽחֶזְק֥וּ מִמְּךָ֖ וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּֽיךָ׃
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
חֲזַ֤ק וְנִֽתְחַזְּקָה֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָ֔ה הַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ יוֹאָ֜ב וְהָעָ֧ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י אֲרָ֖ם לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיָּנ֖וּסוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה וַיָּבֹ֥א יוֹאָ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֗ם כִּ֣י נִגְּפוּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים וַיּוֹצִ֣יאוּ אֶת־אֲרָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשׁוֹפַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗יד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם וַיַּעֲרֹ֨ךְ דָּוִ֜יד לִקְרַ֤את אֲרָם֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וְאֵ֛ת שׁוֹפַ֥ךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הֵמִֽית׃
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
וַיִּרְא֞וּ עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥ימוּ עִם־דָּוִ֖יד וַיַּֽעַבְדֻ֑הוּ וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹן עֽוֹד׃ פ
When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.