2 Samuel 10

In order to defend Israel, David sent his entire army out to fight the Ammonites and their allies (verse 7). Joab was in command, aided by his brother Abishai. They prepared a battle plan (verses 9–11), and then Joab left the outcome to the Lord: “Be strong and . . . fight bravely,” he told Abishai, “and the LORD will do what is good in his sight” (verse 12). Here we see once again the joining together of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.⁴³ The Apostle Paul says that we are to work out our salvation” in a similar way-both we and God working together (see Philippians 2:12–13).

13–19 The Israelites won an initial victory (verses 13–14), but it was not decisive. The enemy regrouped (verse 15). Hadadezer⁴⁴ brought reinforcements from beyond the (Euphrates) River (verse 16).

In response, David himself led Israel’s army across the Jordan to fight Hadadezer’s forces, which were gathered on Israel’s eastern border. Once again the Israelites overcame their enemy, killing seven hundred⁴⁵ charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers (verse 18).

When the kings of the various northern nations who were under Hadadezer’s control saw that they had been defeated, they surrendered to the Israelites and became subject to them and were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore (verse 19). However, the Ammonites themselves had not yet been completely defeated; they had retreated into their chief city, Rabbah (see 2 Samuel 11:1). Later on, we shall learn of the Ammonites’ final defeat (2 Samuel 12:26–31).