2 Samuel 10:13

13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they 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 And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

12 Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him."

13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.