OET INT FRT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEUT JOB YEHO (JOS) HERO (JDG) RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG YOEL (JOEL) MIC ISA ZEP HAB YIR (JER) LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBAD DAN EZEK EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL 2 PS WIS TOB MAN BAR G DAN G ESD L ESD ESG JDT 3 MAC SIR 1 MAC 2 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL LAOD PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
OET 1 CHR Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29
OET CH1 19 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19
This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.
19 Some time later, the Amoni King Nahash died and his son Hanun became their king, 2 and David said, “I’ll show loyal commitment to Nahash’s son Hanun, because his father was good to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father’s death. However, when David’s servants entered Amoni territory to comfort Hanun, 3 the Amoni leaders asked their new king, “Do you think that David’s really sending comforters to honour your father? Wouldn’t it be more likely that he sent his servants to explore and spy out the land in order to overthrow you?” 4 So King Hanun took David’s servants and had their beards shaved off, plus he cut off the bottom half of their robes to expose their buttocks, and then he sent them home. 5 Some people quickly informed David what had happened, so he sent messengers to meet the men (because they were very much humiliated) and to tell them, “Stay there in Yeriho (Jericho) until your beards grow out, then return here.”
6 By then, the Amonim realised that they’d greatly insulted King David, so King Hanun and the Amonim sent thirty tonnes of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, Aram-Ma’akah, and Tsovah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots, as well as the king of Ma’akah and his army. They all came and set up their camps near Meydeva, plus they were joined by the Amonim themselves coming out of their cities ready for battle.
8 When David heard about that, he sent Yoav (Joab) with the entire army. 9 Then the Amonim marched out and deployed ready for battle at the entrance to their city, while the kings who’d come were over in the countryside with their men.
10 Yoav quickly realised that he’d have to fight on two fronts, so he chose Yisrael’s (Israel) best warriors and sent them out to face the Arameans (Syrians), 11 while he sent the remaining men (under the control of his older brother Avishay) out against the Amonim. 12 Yoav told them, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you can come to rescue me. But if the Amonim start to gain on you, then I’ll come to rescue you. 13 We must be strong and fight hard to defend our people and our cities that belong to our god. Yahweh will do what he considers to be good.”
14 So Yoav advanced his troops to attack the Arameans, but the Arameans fled away from them. 15 When the Amonim saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Avishay and withdrew into the city, so Yoav went back to Yerushalem (Jerusalem).
16 When the Arameans saw that they were defeated by Yisrael, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from across the Perat (Euphrates) river, led by Shofak, the commander of Hadadezer’s army. 17 When that was reported to David, he gathered all of Yisrael and crossed the Yarden (Jordan). They positioned themselves against the Arameans, who then fought against them. 18 But the Arameans fled away from the Israelis, and David killed seven thousand chariot drivers and forty thousand men on foot, as well as killing Shofak, their army commander. 19 When Hadadezer’s servants saw that Yisrael had defeated them, they made peace with David and became his subjects, so Aram (Syria) wasn’t willing to help the Amonim militarily any more.
2 Samuel 8:1-8; 10:1-19; 12:21-31; 1 Chronicles 18:2-11; 19:1-19; 20:1-3
The accounts of David’s greatest military victories stand like bookends around the record of David’s most grievous sins. Sometime after David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and the Lord promised to establish his dynasty over Israel, David achieved a series of victories over virtually all of Israel’s neighboring nations. These began with David’s capture of Metheg-ammah (likely Gath) and all of Philistia and was followed by his victory over Moab. Then Nahash king of Ammon died, and David sent envoys to express his condolences to Nahash’s son Hanun, who had now become king. Hanun, however, intentionally humiliated David’s envoys, shaving off half their beards and cutting off the bottom half of their garments before sending them back to Israel. When David heard of it, he sent word to his envoys to remain at Jericho until their beards grew back. In the meantime, the Ammonites called upon several Aramean nations to help them fight against Israel, which was likely their original intent for humiliating David’s envoys. Warriors came from Beth-rehob and Zobah, which lay between Israel and Hamath farther north, as well as from Maacah (see “Geshur and Maacah” map) and Tob. The writer of 1 Chronicles also notes that soldiers came from Mesopotamia as well. David sent his commander Joab to fight this coalition at Rabbah. The writer of 1 Chronicles consistently speaks of the battle occurring at Medeba, rather than Rabbah, but the town of Medeba south of Heshbon seems an unlikely location for the battle. Perhaps Rabbah was also referred to at times as Medeba. In any case, Joab and his brother Abishai divided their forces into two groups, with Joab leading the fight against the Arameans to the north and Abishai leading the fight against the Ammonites just outside the gates of Rabbah. As Joab advanced, the Arameans fled, which in turn led the Ammonites to retreat behind the walls of Rabbah. After this Joab (and probably his forces) returned home to Israel. But the Arameans regrouped and added more troops from Aramean nations beyond the Euphrates River. David met them in battle at Helam (likely modern Alma) and won a great victory over them, even killing their commander Shobah (or Shophach). After this the Arameans made peace with Israel. Sometime later David also subjugated the Edomites, who lived to the south of Moab. It was likely sometime after this that David engaged in adultery with the wife of Uriah, one of his own valiant warriors (see “David’s Mighty Men” map), and then he tried to cover up his sin by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. His sin was later exposed by Nathan the prophet, and David repented. After this Joab returned to Rabbah to finish capturing the city, and when victory was close at hand he called for David to come and finish taking the city. Thus the Ammonites became subject to Israel as well. From all these conquered nations David took many spoils and dedicated them to the Lord’s service, including great amounts of bronze from the towns of Tebah (also called Betah and Tibhath), Berothai, and Cun.
The Battle with the Ammonites and the Arameans
The Battle with the Arameans
2 Samuel 8:1-8; 10:1-19; 12:21-31; 1 Chronicles 18:2-11; 19:1-19; 20:1-3
The accounts of David’s greatest military victories stand like bookends around the record of David’s most grievous sins. Sometime after David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and the Lord promised to establish his dynasty over Israel, David achieved a series of victories over virtually all of Israel’s neighboring nations. These began with David’s capture of Metheg-ammah (likely Gath) and all of Philistia and was followed by his victory over Moab. Then Nahash king of Ammon died, and David sent envoys to express his condolences to Nahash’s son Hanun, who had now become king. Hanun, however, intentionally humiliated David’s envoys, shaving off half their beards and cutting off the bottom half of their garments before sending them back to Israel. When David heard of it, he sent word to his envoys to remain at Jericho until their beards grew back. In the meantime, the Ammonites called upon several Aramean nations to help them fight against Israel, which was likely their original intent for humiliating David’s envoys. Warriors came from Beth-rehob and Zobah, which lay between Israel and Hamath farther north, as well as from Maacah (see “Geshur and Maacah” map) and Tob. The writer of 1 Chronicles also notes that soldiers came from Mesopotamia as well. David sent his commander Joab to fight this coalition at Rabbah. The writer of 1 Chronicles consistently speaks of the battle occurring at Medeba, rather than Rabbah, but the town of Medeba south of Heshbon seems an unlikely location for the battle. Perhaps Rabbah was also referred to at times as Medeba. In any case, Joab and his brother Abishai divided their forces into two groups, with Joab leading the fight against the Arameans to the north and Abishai leading the fight against the Ammonites just outside the gates of Rabbah. As Joab advanced, the Arameans fled, which in turn led the Ammonites to retreat behind the walls of Rabbah. After this Joab (and probably his forces) returned home to Israel. But the Arameans regrouped and added more troops from Aramean nations beyond the Euphrates River. David met them in battle at Helam (likely modern Alma) and won a great victory over them, even killing their commander Shobah (or Shophach). After this the Arameans made peace with Israel. Sometime later David also subjugated the Edomites, who lived to the south of Moab. It was likely sometime after this that David engaged in adultery with the wife of Uriah, one of his own valiant warriors (see “David’s Mighty Men” map), and then he tried to cover up his sin by arranging for Uriah’s death in battle. His sin was later exposed by Nathan the prophet, and David repented. After this Joab returned to Rabbah to finish capturing the city, and when victory was close at hand he called for David to come and finish taking the city. Thus the Ammonites became subject to Israel as well. From all these conquered nations David took many spoils and dedicated them to the Lord’s service, including great amounts of bronze from the towns of Tebah (also called Betah and Tibhath), Berothai, and Cun.
The Battle with the Ammonites and the Arameans
The Battle with the Arameans
OET 1 CHR Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29