Commentaria in I Paralipomenon
Chapter 19. Synopsis of the Chapter
Hanon king of Ammon, disfiguring David’s ambassadors, mocks them: wherefore David attacks him in war, and overthrows him together with the Syrians who came to his aid.
1. Now it happened that Naas king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2. And David said: I will show kindness to Hanon the son of Naas; for his father did me a favour. And David sent messengers to comfort him on the death of his father. And when they were come into the land of the children of Ammon, to comfort Hanon, 3. the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon: Thou perhaps thinkest that David, to honour thy father, hath sent comforters to thee, and thou dost not perceive that his servants are come to thee to search, and spy, and view thy land. 4. So Hanon shaved the servants of David, and cut off their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away. 5. And when they were gone, and had told David, he sent to meet them (for they had suffered a great affront) and commanded them to stay at Jericho till their beards were grown, and then to return. 6. And the children of Ammon, seeing that they had done an injury to David, both Hanon and the rest of the people, sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacha, and out of Soba. 7. And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha with his people. And when they were come, they encamped over against Medaba. The children of Ammon also, gathered together from their cities, came to battle. 8. And when David heard this, he sent Joab and all the army of valiant men: 9. and the children of Ammon came out, and set their army in array near the gate of the city; but the kings who were come to their aid stood apart in the field. 10. Then Joab, understanding that the battle was against him both before and behind, chose out the most valiant men of all Israel, and went against the Syrian. 11. And the rest of the people he gave under the hand of Abisai his brother, and they went against the children of Ammon. 12. And he said: If the Syrian be too strong for me, thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will help thee. 13. Be of good courage, and let us behave manfully for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight. 14. So Joab and the people that were with him went against the Syrian to battle; and he put them to flight. 15. And the children of Ammon, seeing that the Syrian was fled, they also fled from Abisai his brother, and entered into the city: and Joab also returned to Jerusalem. 16. And the Syrian, seeing that he had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and brought the Syrian that was beyond the river: and Sophach, the captain of the army of Adarezer, was their leader. 17. And when this was told David, he gathered together all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and fell upon them, and set his army in array against them, they fighting against him. 18. But the Syrian fled from Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and Sophach the general of the army. 19. And the servants of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, fled to David, and served him: and was unwilling Syria any further to give aid to the children of Ammon.
7. And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots,—that is, horsemen fighting from scythed chariots. It is a metonymy; for the container is put for the contained, namely the chariot for the charioteer. 18. David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots,—that is, soldiers fighting from chariots, or certainly the horses drawing the chariots: for the chariots themselves can be burned, but cannot be slain.