2 Samuel 10:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.

NIV: Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans.

NASB: Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel, and lined them up against the Arameans.

CSB: When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans.

NLT: When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields.

KJV: When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

NKJV: When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians.

In 2 Samuel 10:9–14, the king of Ammon realizes his mistake. When Hanun thought David was spying on him to prepare for an invasion, he humiliated David's messengers, leaving David no choice but to send in Joab and the Israelite army (1 Chronicles 19:1–5). Hanun hires four Syrian armies (1 Chronicles 19:6–9), but the Israelites send the Syrians fleeing and the Ammonites into hiding. The Syrians call their countrymen for reinforcements and lose horribly when David arrives (2 Samuel 10:15–19). First Chronicles 10:10–15 tells the same story.

In 2 Samuel 10, David sends a delegation. Their mission is to offer condolences to the new king of Ammon following the death of his father. Suspecting a trick, the king humiliates David's messengers. The Ammonites hire four Syrian armies and wait for Israel's attack. Joab leads Israel in a defeat of the Syrians and a retreat of the Ammonites. The Syrians, however, regroup under the leadership of Hadadezer, who calls all Syrian kings to join a massive army to fight Israel. David defeats that army, making the Syrians subject to him. First Chronicles 19 also records the battle.

Second Samuel chapter 10 gives context to 2 Samuel 8:7. The Ammonite king dies, and David sends messengers with condolences. The new king fears they are spies and disgraces them. The Ammonites call on Syrians for support and start a battle which Joab wins. The Ammonites hide in their city, and David beats the Syrians into submission. David proves that the Israelites are a fearsome power. The next spring, David will send Joab to destroy the Ammonites. While the army is away, David sins against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). The battles are also found in 1 Chronicles 19.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.