And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and [Hanun] his son reigned in his 2 stead. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun [their lord], Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search [the city], and to B. 1 Chron. 19. (Continuous.) And it came to pass after this, that [Nahash] the king of the children of Ammon died, and messengers his son reigned in his 2 stead. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent to comfort him concerning his father. And 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,. Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee to search, and to 1 B. The copyist by a slip writes Abimelech. 6. m A. . B. N. In The LXX corrects it. See I Chron. 24. 3, The LXX and Josephus agree with B. n B. paraphrases in order to show that the word is not here used in the sense of priest, but in a civil sense involving freedom of access. the A.V. we read 'chief rulers,' and Josephus says 'in charge of his person.' If I was sometimes written in its shortened form (V), the one might easily be taken for the other, especially in the early character. b A. has accidentally omitted the prefix. Note the change of order in the latter part of the verse. C 7 the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men®. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of 8 the mighty men. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zobah, and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by them9 selves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array 10 against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abeshai his brother, and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. 11 And he said, If the Syrians be B. 1 Chron. 19. (Continued.) shaved overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4 So Hanun took David's servants, and [them,] and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 [Then there went certain], and they told. unto David [how the men were served]. And he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then 6 return. And 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 Aram7 maacah, and out of Zobah. So they hired them thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; [who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.] 8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of 9 the mighty men. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the city: and the kings that were by them 10 selves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abeshai his brother, and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12 And he said, If the Syrians be c B. uses a different word from that of A. The word (A.) is also in Isa. 20. 4. B.'s word is not used elsewhere. The root of it (y) is to be found in 1 Sam. 20. 3, and Isa. 27. 4. Probably it sounded less offensive. d A. Niphal. B. Hithpael. • Although differently worded, the numbers are practically the same, viz. 32,000, apart from the people of Maacah, who (A. tells us) were an additional thousand; but B.'s chariots were probably chariot-men (see A. 18, note). The LXX agrees in the main with our texts, giving footmen in A. and chariots in B. A. 2 Sam. 10. (Continued.) too strong for me, then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will [come and] help thee. 12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God and the LORD do that which seemeth him 13 good. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Syrians: 14 and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab [returned from the children of Ammon, and] came to Jerusalem. 15 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they [gathered themselves 16 together. And Hadarezer] sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River: [and they came to Helam,] with Shobach' the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head. 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came Helams. to And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred chariotmen, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, [that he died there.] 19 And when [all the kings that were] servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more. and B. 1 Chron. 19. (Continued.) too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. 13 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him 14 good. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle before the Syrians; 15 and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai [his brother], and entered into the city. Then Joab with Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head. 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came upon 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 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariotmen, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. And when 19 the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more. easily interchanged, but the change being repeated is deli berate. The LXX readings uncertain. .(חלמה .var, lect) חלאמה. B. D. LXX and Josephus take it as the name of a place. If so, it has not been identified; but there is Alamatha, W. Euphrates. h B. again turns hundreds into thousands. So Josephus the change of horsemen into footmen cannot be accounted for as a textual variation, (The narrative concerning Uriah the Hittite; Nathan's parable; the death of the child.) 12 26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah, [of the children of Ammon,] and 27 took the royal city. [And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called 29 after my name. And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought 30 against it, and took it.] And he took the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and there were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil 31 of the city, exceeding much. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes [of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln]. And thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem. 2 B. 1 Chron. 20. (Continuous.) And it came to pass, at [the time of] the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, that Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted [the country of] the children of Ammon, [and came] and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones [in it]; and it was set upon David's head. And he brought forth the spoil 3 of the city, exceeding much. And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. § 10. A. D. B. . The LXX preserves our two texts. only used here. A. 2 Sam. 21. (§ 11.) (Tamar, Absalom, and Ammon; the revolt of Absalom; the flight and return of David; the revolt of Sheba; the Gibeonite revenge on the house of Saul; David succoured by Abishai.) 18 19. And it came to pass after this, that there was again a war with the Philistines at Gob then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, [which was] of the sons of the giant. And there was again war with the Philistines [at Gob]; and Elhanan the son of Jaare[oregim the Beth-lehemite] slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had [on every hand] six fingers, and [on every foot] six toes, four and twenty [in number]; and he also was born to the giant. 21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei David's brother slew him. These [four] were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. a e § 11. A. n. B. Dyn. Gob cannot be another reading for Gezer. Can it be another name for the place or district? It has not been identified. Josephus has Gezer, but the LXX suggests Gath, cf. v. 22. The difference between Saph and Sippai, though only one letter (), is an old one, being preserved in the LXX. b Oregim (i. e. weavers) added by A. from below. Lahmi, preceded by N, may have been another reading for Beth-lehemite. Lakhmi was a Chaldean deity. only]. B. 77, the ordinary word. את לחמי .B • Keri Shimea. This word has gone through Testament and New Testament. .בית הלחמי .A here] מדון for מדין A • .רפה .d A B. N. So below. many variations both in the Old |