2 Samuel 10:13

13 Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled.

2 Samuel 10:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 10:13

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto
the battle against the Syrians
Fell upon them; attacked them first, began the battle with them; rightly judging, that if they, being hired soldiers, were closely pressed, they would give way, which would discourage the Ammonites, who depended much upon them; and the fight, according to Josephus ^F24, lasted some little time, who says, that Joab killed many of them, and obliged the rest to turn their backs and flee, as follows:

and they fled before him:
the Syriac and Arabic versions in this verse, and in all others in this chapter where the word "Syrians" is used, have "Edomites", reading "Edom" instead of "Aram", the letters (r) "R" and (d) "D" in the Hebrew tongue being very similar.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6. sect. 2.)

2 Samuel 10:13 In-Context

11 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for my [troops], be ready to help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for your [troops], I'll come to help you.

12 Be strong! Let's prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the LORD will do what he considers right."

13 Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled.

14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, the Ammonites fled from Abishai and went into the city. So Joab stopped his campaign against the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.

15 Realizing that Israel had defeated them, the Arameans reassembled [their troops].