2 Samuel 10:3-13

3 the princes of the Ammonites * said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? 1Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?"
4 So Hanun took David's servants and 2shaved off half of their beards, and 3cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.
5 When they told it to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return."
6 Now when the sons of Ammon saw that 4they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and 5hired the Arameans of 6Beth-rehob and the 7Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 * foot soldiers, and the king of 8Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 * * men.
7 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men.
8 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array 9at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of 10Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 Now when Joab saw that the battle * was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans.
10 But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the sons of Ammon.
11 He said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.
12 "11Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and 12may the LORD do what is good in His sight."
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and 13they fled before * him.

Cross References 13

  • 1. Genesis 42:9, 16
  • 2. Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 41:5
  • 3. Isaiah 20:4
  • 4. Genesis 34:30; 1 Samuel 27:12
  • 5. 2 Samuel 8:3, 5; 2 Kings 7:6
  • 6. Judges 18:28
  • 7. 2 Samuel 8:3
  • 8. Deuteronomy 3:14
  • 9. 1 Chronicles 19:9
  • 10. Judges 11:3, 5
  • 11. Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:6; 1 Corinthians 16:13
  • 12. 1 Samuel 3:18
  • 13. 1 Kings 20:13-21

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Lit "In your eyes is David honoring"
  • [b]. Lit "Return to"
  • [c]. Lit "gate"
  • [d]. Lit "the faces of the battle were against"
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