2 Samuel 10:13

13 iniit itaque Ioab et populus qui erat cum eo certamen contra Syros qui statim fugerunt a facie eius

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 et ait Ioab si praevaluerint adversum me Syri eris mihi in adiutorium si autem filii Ammon praevaluerint adversum te auxiliabor tibi

12 esto vir fortis et pugnemus pro populo nostro et civitate Dei nostri Dominus autem faciet quod bonum est in conspectu suo

13 iniit itaque Ioab et populus qui erat cum eo certamen contra Syros qui statim fugerunt a facie eius

14 filii autem Ammon videntes quod fugissent Syri fugerunt et ipsi a facie Abisai et ingressi sunt civitatem reversusque est Ioab a filiis Ammon et venit Hierusalem

15 videntes igitur Syri quoniam corruissent coram Israhel congregati sunt pariter