Shmuel Bais 10:13

13 And Yoav drew near, and HaAm that were with him, unto the milchamah against the Syrians; and they fled before him.

Shmuel Bais 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.)

Shmuel Bais 10:13 In-Context

11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt be for me for yeshuah (salvation, rescue); but if the Bnei Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come for you for yeshuah (salvation, rescue).

12 Chazak (be strong)! And let us play the man for amenu (our people), and for the towns of Eloheinu; and Hashem do that which seemeth Him hatov in His einayim.

13 And Yoav drew near, and HaAm that were with him, unto the milchamah against the Syrians; and they fled before him.

14 And when the Bnei Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Avishai, and entered into the Ir. So Yoav returned from the Bnei Ammon, and came to Yerushalayim.

15 And when the Syrians saw that they were defeated before Yisroel, they gathered themselves together.