LESSON NINE 19-20 ISRAEL’S CONFLICT WITH AMMON THE CONQUEST OF THE PHILISTINES 11. VICTORY OVER AMMON AND SYRIA (19:l-19) INTRODUCTION The conflict with the Ammonites was one of the most critical in which David was ever involved. During this encounter David sinned with Bathsheba and opened the door to numerous troubles which plagued him until he died. He was a great king, but he failed God in this Bathsheba incident. TEXT Chapter 19:l. And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2. And David said,“I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father,” And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun,“Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come unto thee to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?” 4. So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5. Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.” 6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of ham-maacah, and out of Zobah. 7. So they hired them thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who 152 VICTORY OVER ’AMMON AND SYRIA 19-20 came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 9. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. 10. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrains. 11. And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12. And he said, “If the Syrains be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. 13. Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good.” 14. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. 15. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16. And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head. 17. And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18. And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. 19. And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more. 12. WARS WITH RABBAH AND THE PHILISTINES (20:1-8) Chapter 20:l. And it came to pass, at the time of the return 153 19-20 FIRST CHRONICLES of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joah led forth the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it. 2. And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much. 3, And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Amrnon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4. And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued, 5. And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6. And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born unto the giant. 7. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him, 8. These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. PARAPHASE Chapter 19:l. When King Nahash of Ammon died, his son Hanun became the new king. 2, 3. Then David declared, “I am going to show friendship to Hanun because of all the kind things his father did for me.” So David sent a message of sympathy to Hanun for the death of his father. But when David’s ambassadors arrived, King Hanun’s counselors warned him, “Don’t fool yourself that David has sent these men to honor your father! They are here to spy out the land so that they cad come in and conquer it!” 4. So King Hanun insulted King David’s ambassadors by shaving their beards and cutting their robes off at the middle to expose their buttocks; then he 154 VICTORY OVER AMMON AND SYRIA 19-20 sent them back to David in shame. 5, When David heard what had happened, he sent a message to his embarrassed emissaries, telling them to stay at Jericho until their beards had grown out again. 6. When King Hanun realized his mistake he sent $2,000,000 to enlist mercenary troops, chariots, and cavalry from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7. He hired thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the support of the king of Maacah and his entire army. These forces camped at Medeba where they were joined by the troops King Hanun had recruited from his cities. 8. When David learned of this, he sent Joab and the mightiest warriors of Israel. 9. The army of Ammon went out to meet them and began the battle at the gates of the city of Medeba. Meanwhile, the mercenary forces were out in the field. 10. When Joab realized that the enemy forces were both in front and behind him, he divided his army and sent one group to engage the Syrians. 11. The other group, under the command of his brother Abishai, moved against the Ammonites. 12. “If the Syrians are too strong for me, come and help me,” Joab told his brother; “and if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come and help you. 13. Be courageous and let us act like men to save our people and the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is best.” 14. So Joab and his troops attacked the Syrians, and the Syrians turned and fled. 15. When the Ammonites, under attack by Abishai’s troops, saw that the Syrians were retreating, they fled into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem. 16. After their defeat, the Syrians summoned additional troops from east of the Euphrates River, led personally by Shophach, King Hadadezer ’s commander-in-chief. 17, 18. When this news reached David, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and engaged the enemy troops in battle. But the Syrians again fled from David, and he killed seven thousand of their troops. He also killed Shophach, the commander-in-chief of the Syrian army. 19. Then King Hadadezer’s troops surrendered to King David and became his subjects. And never 155 19-20 FIRST CHRONICLES again did the Syrians aid the Ammonites in their battles. Chapter 20:l. The following spring (spring was the season when wars usually began) Joab led the Israeli army in successful attacks against the cities and villages of the people of Ammon.