Introduction:
Who are the Israelites fighting when King David had his affair with Bathsheba?
(The Ammonites at Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites.)
What was the theme of 2 Samuel chapter 8?
David defeating Israel’s enemies. At the end of David’s reign, Israel was securely at rest in the Promised Land.
The battle in Chapter 10 may be the same battle that was described in 2 Samuel 8.
Hadadezer appears in chapter 10 as David’s active and capable foe (10:16) yet in chapter 8 David had defeated him (8:3) and plundered his city (8:7, 12).
2 Samuel 8:3-4 NLT
3 David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.
Chapter 10 gives us the historical context for chapter 11 unpacking the events of chapter 8.
Note:
You will need to reach your own conclusions with some of the unanswered questions in this lesson.
2 Samuel 10:1-19 NLT
David Defeats the Ammonites
10:1 Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death.
But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, their master, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come in and conquer it!” 4 So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
5 When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.
6 When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob. 7 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. 8 The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.
9 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields. 10 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. 12 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”
13 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 14 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem.
15 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped, 16 they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s forces.
17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle formation and fought against David. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. 19 When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 10:1-19 NLT
See 1 Chronicles 19:1-19
David Defeats the Ammonites
10:1 Some time after this,
King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death.
David wanted to keep the Ammonites as peaceful neighbors.
King Nahash an enemy of Saul had always been loyal to David.
- At this point in time, King David wanted to keep peace with his neighbors, the Ammonites.
But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, their master, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father?
- The Ammonite leaders question David’s motives.
Their questions may have been legitimate.
No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come in and conquer it!”
Rabbah was the chief city of the Ammonites.
- The Ammonites may have been thinking about what had happened to their neighbors, the Moabites. (2 Samuel 8:2)
2 Samuel 8:2 NLT
2 David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.
4 So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
In this instance, David’s kindness was neither appreciated nor reciprocated.
This act of humiliation angered David (see verse 6).
This action was a disgraceful, dishonorable, shameful, insulting, contemptable behavior.
This was a shameful practice inflicted on prisoners of war.
Isaiah 20:4 NLT
4 For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.
- When the Ammonites humiliated David’s soldiers, it was the beginning of Israel’s war with the Ammonites.
This insult to David was, in effect, a declaration of war.
5 When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.
Jericho was the first place west of the Jordan River that would have been reached by David’s servants as they returned from Rabbah.
The city of Jericho had not yet been formally reconstructed, but it was located near a large spring of water and it was a good place of seclusion for the men to stay.
6 When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob.
- Realizing they have offended David, the Ammonites hire mercenaries from the Syrians of Zobah, Rehob, and other regions.
Refer to a Bible map.
Hiring armies was a common practice of the day.
The term “Syrian” is often used interchangeably with Arameans in English translations of the Bible.
7 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. 8 The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gate,
Rabbah
while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.
The Israelites were facing a two-front battle.
The Ammonites in the city.
The Syrian mercenaries in the fields around the city.
- The Israelites were facing a two-front battle.
9 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields.
- Joab finds himself between the Ammonite and the Aramean armies.
10 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,” Joab told his brother. “And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. 12 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”
- Joab motivates his troops to be courageous and trust in the LORD for the outcome.
Fight bravely and trust in the Lord.
Battles have two parts. Our part and God’s part.
13 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 14 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem.
- Joab did not attempt to capture the city of Rabbah at this time. (See 11:1 – next lesson.)
15 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped, 16 they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s forces.
The exact location of Helam is uncertain, but it is believed to have been in the region east of the Jordan River, possibly in the area of Gilead or near the borderlands between Israel and Aram (modern-day Syria). (Chat GPT)
Seven miles north of Tob???
- The Arameans, realizing that they were no match for Israel, regrouped, joining up with additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer.
17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle formation and fought against David. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 700 charioteers
(1 Chronicles 19:18 says 7,000 charioteers. This could be the same battle discussed in chapter 8.)
and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.
- The Israelites achieve a decisive victory, killing 700 (or 7,000) charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.
19 When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects.
After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.
- The Arameans (Syrians) made peace with Israel and are no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
The Syrians occupying territories in the northern section of David’s kingdom were no longer a threat to Israel at this point in time. (Refer to a map of David’s kingdom.)
