2 Samuel 10:13

13 So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

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 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.

12 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

13 So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.