2 Samuel 10

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2 Samuel • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

2 Samuel 10:1–19

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1-5 6-14 15-19

1-5

Verse 1

After the wars with the Moabites, Syrians and Edomites the king of the Ammonites, who are descendants of Lot, Nahash dies. Nahash was an enemy of Saul who in 1 Samuel 11 threatened Jabesh Gilead with plucking out all of the men’s right eyes and who’s defeat by Saul cemented his leadership with Isreal when some were questioning him early in his kingship. Later Nahash was viewed as a friend and supporter of David and Nahash’s son Hanun was his successor.

Verse 2

So when David learned of Nahash’s death he sent an envoy to Hanun to relay his condolences and to continue the relationship David had with Nahash with Hanun.

Verse 3

When David’s envoy arrived at Rabbah Hanun’s advisors were sceptical of David’s intentions in sending these messengers and thought that they were there to spy out the land so that David could take it by force.

Verse 4

Hanun not being like his father agreed and sided with the advisors and decided to humiliate the messengers send a message of his own back. He had half of the men’s beards shaved off, which was a great indignity to them as the Israelites never shaved their beards. But it was a further humiliation to just shave off half and not all of it because it would just look silly. Hanun didn’t stop at the beards though and cut off their robes at the hip exposing their buttocks and private parts this being a shameful practice inflicted on prisoners of war. He then sent the men away to go back to David humiliated and half naked.

Verse 5

When David was told of what happened to his messengers and that they were greatly ashamed because of their beards and robes, he sent word back to them, and probably new robes, for them to stay in Jericho, which was the closest city to Rabbah on the way back to Jerusalem, until their beards had come back in enough so they could return. Jericho which had not been rebuilt yet at this time probably had some smaller dwellings and was sparsely populated which also made it a good place for the men to stay and avoid further humiliation.

6-14

Verse 6

In what had to be a surprise to no one the Ammonites were now hated by David and considering all of the victories David and his army had recently the Ammonites hired the Syrians who were at Beth Rehob and Zoba, which is where Hadadezer was king of that fought with David before, to increase their numbers against David. They also enlisted the aid of Maacah which was a place in the tribe of Manasseh that could not be conquered and the people expelled and Ishtob. In all 33,000 mercenary soldiers. The parallel passage of 1 Chron. 19 says it is chariots and horsemen.

1 Chron 19:6-7 “When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle.”

Verse 7

When David received word that the Ammonites and all of the mercenaries were gathering for war he sent Joab and all of army of mighty men mentioned in chapter 23 to meet them.

Verse 8

The forces from Ammon came out of the city of Rabbah and went to their border city of Medeba at the gate. The mercenaries were some distance from the city laying in wait in the fields to ambush Joab and the army.

Verse 9

When Joab realized that he was facing an army on the front and from the rear he split up his forces one to face the Syrians to be led by himself.

Verse 10

The other half of the his army was to face off against the Ammonites led by his brother Abishai.

Verse 11

Joab and Abishai set up some sort of signal so that if Joab started losing against the Syrians Abishai would come to his aid and if Abishai was not doing well Joab Abishai would come to his aid.

Verse 12

Joab then gives a pep speech to all of his men including Abishai, to help them stay courageous and that they were there to defend all the peoples and to honor God and to do His will.

Verse 13

God was certainly with Joab and his forces as they defeated the Syrians and they fled the battle.

Verse 14

When the Ammonites saw that the mercenaries were being defeated and in retreat from Joab they also started to flee the battle. So Joab and Abishai returned to Jerusalem in victory.

15-19

Verse 15

The Syrians regrouped after their defeat

Verse 16

Hadadezer, whom David defeated previously, sent more troops to the aid of the Syrians that fled Joab from across the Euphrates led by the commander of his army, Shobach. They all met at Helam then went out to battle David.

Verse 17

When David learned that the Syrians were amassing to go to battle with them, David himself with all of the army to cross the Jordan and battle with the Syrians near Helam which is about 20 miles from Jerusalem.

Verse 18

Israel and the Syrians fought and Israel routed the Syrians once again David, here it is recorded that there were 700 charioteers killed and in the parallel passage in 1 Chron 19 it is listed as 7000, this is either a scribal error or there were 700 chariots destroyed with 10 men in each. David and his army also killed 40,000 horsemen, listed as foot soldiers in 1 Chron. 19, it was probably a mixture of the two adding up to 40,000. They also killed Shobach the Syrian commander of the army.

1 Chron. 19:18 “And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army.”

Verse 19

When the kings who were under Hadadezer were defeated by David they made peace with and served Israel. Now the Syrians became afraid to aid the nation of Ammon again and the Ammonites stood alone.

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