Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Verſ. 2. THen ſaid David, I will ſhew kindneſſe unto Hanun the ſonne of Nahaſh, as his father ſhewed kindneſſe unto me.] It is no where expreſſed what this kindneſſe was which David here ſpeaks of, moſt probable it is, that Nahaſh did ſome way ſuccour David, or at leaſt give friendly entertainment to him in the time of his troubles, and that becauſe he was perſecuted by Saul, whom he might the rather hate, becauſe he had been diſcomfited by him before Jabeſh-gilead, 1. Sam. 11.1, 11. and had continuall warre with him, 1. Sam. 14.47. Indeed we reade before, chap. 8.12. of ſpoyls taken by David from the children of Ammon; but that is meant of this warre which here the ſacred Hiſtory enters upon; for till this time David moleſted them not.
Verſ. 4. Wherefore Hanun took Davids ſervants, and ſhaved off the one half of their beards, &c.] Doubtleſſe becauſe he deſired to expoſe theſe embaſſadours of David, to the deriſion and ſcorn of every one that ſhould ſee them; therefore he choſe to ſhave off onelyonly the one half of their beards; yet it may well be that he did the rather pitch upon this way of diſgracing them, as it were in contempt of their religion, becauſe by the Law of God they were forbidden to cut or ſhave their beards at all, even in their greateſt mourning: Lev. 19.27. Ye ſhall not round the corners of your heads, neither ſhalt thou marre the corners of thy beard. And indeed, why elſe did David when he heard of this, verſ. 5. appoint them to tarry at Jericho till their beards were grown; when the Ammonites had ſhaven off one half of their beards, it had been an eaſie matter by ſhaving off the other half, to have taken away the deformity of half a beard; and at the worſt, they had onelyonly then looked as they did in their younger years: but it ſeems the ſhaving of their beards at all, was in it ſelf a reproch to the Iſraelites, and therefore he would not ſuffer them to ſtirre abroad, till their beards were grown on the other ſide. As for that other diſgrace he put upon them, to wit, that he cut off their garments to the middle, even to their buttocks, that was a greater reproch then the other, becauſe the Iſraelites wore not breeches, as we do, but onelyonly long looſe garments, and the diſcovering of thoſe parts, by the light of nature all men abhorre; whence is that of the Prophet, concerning the ſtripping of the Egyptians that ſhould be carried away captives, Iſa. 20.4. So ſhall the king of Aſſyria lead away the Egyptians priſoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the ſhame of Egypt.
Verſ. 5. When they told it unto David, he ſent to meet them, &c.] To wit, to comfort them, to clothe them anew, and to appoint them to ſtay by the way at Jericho till their beards were grown, as it follows in the next words; concerning which ſee the foregoing note. Indeed it was long after this ere the citie Jericho was built up again, as we ſee 1. Kings 16.34. where it is noted of Ahabs reigne, In his dayes did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho. But it ſeems there were ſome cottages already in this place, for the uſe of thoſe that kept their cattell, and in theſe the embaſſadours might be appointed to ſtay; for the more deſolate the place was, the fitter it was for them to ſtay in, till their beards were grown again.
Verſ. 6. The children of Ammon ſent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, &c.] Theſe Syrians he hired with a thouſand talents of ſilver,, and with theſe here mentioned thoſe alſo of Meſopotamia, and two and thirty thouſand chariots, 1. Chron, 19.6, 7. When the children of Ammon ſaw that they had made themſelves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon ſent a thouſand talents of ſilver, to hire them chariots and horſemen out of Meſopotamia, and out of Syria Maachah, and out of Zobah. So they hired thirty and two thouſand chariots: who were all ready enough to engage themſelves in this warre, as hoping to free themſelves from that yoke which David had laid upon them, and to revenge that loſſe they had formerly received; for he had lately vanquiſhed them, and made them a tributary people, chap. 8.6. Then David put garriſons in Syria of Damaſcus, and the Syrians became ſervants to David, and brought gifts.
Verſ. 7. And when David heard of it, he ſent Joab, and all the hoſt of the mighty men.] As thinking it beſt policie to be before-hand with them, and to fight with them in their own countrey.
Verſ. 8. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battell in aray at the entring of the gate.] To wit, of Medeba a citie in the borders of Ammon, Num. 21.30. where they aſſembled together, 1. Chron. 19.7. So they hired thirty and two thouſand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba.
And the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Iſhtob, and Maacah, were by themſelves in the field. &c.] To the end that they might hemme in the Iſraelites, and ſet upon them both in the front and in the rear, the Syrians were appointed to pitch by themſelves in a place of the field apart from the Ammonites, either openly or in ſecret, as lying in ambuſh (for they would not truſt theſe their mercenary auxiliaries of the Syrians, with the guard of the city) and the Ammonites themſelves pitched their ſouldiers before the citie.
Verſ. 9. He choſe of all the choice men of Iſrael, and put them in aray againſt the Syrians.] Being perſwaded that theſe mercenary Syrians would ſooneſt ſhrink, if they were couragiouſly aſſaulted, he choſe out the ſlower of his army to ſet upon them, not doubting but if they were routed, the Ammonites would ſoon be diſcouraged, and ſlie too.
Verſ. 12. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, &c.] Thus Joab did encourage his captains and ſouldiers to fight valiantly; firſt, by putting them in mind that they were to fight for their own countrey and people, to defend them againſt cruell adverſaries, who if they prevailed, would certainly over-runne their land, lay waſte their cities, and make havock amongſt their brethren: and ſecondly, by remembring them that it was for Gods cauſe and party, the people of God, and the land which he had choſe for his inheritance.
Verſ. 16. And Hadarezer ſent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river, &c.] That is, beyond Euphrates: Hadarezer and his Syrians fearing that David would be revenged on them for aiding the Ammonites, reſolved that there was no way but to ſtand it out; and therefore made themſelves as ſtrong as the could, that they might aſſay to caſt off Davids yoke.
Verſ. 18. And David ſlew the men of ſeven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and fourty thouſand horſemen, &c.] To wit, ſeven thouſand men which fought in chariots, beſides fourty thouſand footmen, which though not here expreſſed, are yet mentioned 1. Chron. 19.18. But the Syrians fled before Iſrael, and David ſlew of the Syrians ſeven thouſand men▪ which fought in chariots, and fourty thouſand footmen. The greatneſſe of this overthrow makes it probable, that at this time it was that Rezon a ſervant to this Hadarezer, revolted from him, and made himſelf king of Damaſcus, 1. Kings 11.23, 24. And God ſtirred him up another adverſary, Rezon the ſonne of Eliadah, which fled from his Lord Hadadezer of Zobah: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David ſlew them of Zobah: and they went to Damaſcus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damaſcus.