2 Samuel 10:8

8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

2 Samuel 10:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 10:8

And the children of Ammon came out
Either out of Rabbah their metropolis, as Josephus ^F21; or rather out of Medeba, as it seems from ( 1 Chronicles 19:7 ) ; a city that lay on the borders of their country, and was a frontier town, see ( Numbers 21:30 ) ;

and put the battle in array, at the entering in of the gate;
of the city of Medeba; they were first within the city, but, upon the approach of Joab and his army, they came out and drew up in a line of battle at the gate of it:

and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, [were]
by themselves in the field;
at some distance from the city, the Ammonites not choosing to trust: mercenaries in it; and perhaps they placed these ambush in the field, to get Joab between two fires, as we now express it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6. sect. 2.

2 Samuel 10:8 In-Context

6 And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah [with] a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

7 And David heard [of it], and he sent Joab, and all the host, the mighty men.

8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

9 And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind; and he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians;

10 and the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother that he might array them against the children of Ammon.