2 Samuel 10:8

8 Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field. (And so the Ammonites went out, and dressed the battle array before them at the entrance to the city gate. And the Syrians from Zoba and from Rehob, and the men from Tob, and from Maacah, were asides half 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 sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, and they sent, and hired with meed of Bethrehob of Syria, and of Zoba of Syria, twenty thousand of footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob, twelve thousand of men. (And the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, and so they sent for, and hired for pay, Syrians from Bethrehob and from Zoba, yea, twenty thousand footmen, and a thousand men from King Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.)

7 And when David had heard this, he sent (out) Joab, and all the host of fighters (and all his army of fighting men).

8 Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field. (And so the Ammonites went out, and dressed the battle array before them at the entrance to the city gate. And the Syrians from Zoba and from Rehob, and the men from Tob, and from Maacah, were asides half in the field.)

9 Therefore Joab saw, that the battle was made ready against him, both even against him and behind his back; and he chose to himself of all the chosen men of Israel (and he chose for himself the best men out of all Israel), and ordained (the) battle array against (the) Syrians.

10 Forsooth he betook to Abishai, his brother, the tother part of the people, which dressed (the) battle array against the sons of Ammon.