1 Chronicles 19

ENGWEBEnglish19 verses

1After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

2David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”

4So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

6When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Arammaacah, and out of Zobah.

7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.

8When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men.

9The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10Now 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 Syrians.

11The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

12He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

13Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.”

14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him.

15When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers, and drew out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head.

17It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on 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.

18The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the army.

19When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

Commentary

See Gill "1Ch 19:1".

CHAPTER 191Ch 19:1-5. David's Messengers, Sent to Comfort Hanun, Are Disgracefully Treated.1. after this—This phrase seems to indicate that the incident now to be related took place immediately, or soon after the wars described in the preceding chapter. But the chronological order is loosely observed, and the only just inference that can be drawn from the use of this phrase is, that some farther account is to be given of the wars against the Syrians.Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died—There had subsisted a very friendly relation between David and him, begun during the exile of the former, and cemented, doubtless, by their common hostility to Saul.

Chapter 19 The story is here repeated of David’s war with the Ammonites and the Syrians their allies, and the victories he obtained over them, which we read just as it is here related, 2 Sa. 10. Here is, I. David’s civility to the king of Ammon, in sending an embassy of condolence to him on occasion of his father’s death (v. 1, 2). II. His great incivility to David, in the base usage he gave to his ambassadors (v. 3, 4). III. David’s just resentment of it, and the war which broke out thereupon, in which the Ammonites acted with policy in bringing the Syrians to their assistance (v. 6, 7), Joab did bravely (v. 8–13), and Israel was once and again victorious (v. 14–19).Verses 1-5 Let us here observe, 1. That is becomes good people to be neighbourly, and especially to be grateful. David will pay respect to Hanun because he is his neighbour; and religion teaches us to be civil and obliging to all, to honour all men, and to be ready to do all offices of kindness to those we live among; nor must difference in religion be any obstruction to this. But, besides this, David remembered the kindness which his father showed to him. Those that have received kindness must return it as they have ability and opportunity: those that have received it from the parents must return it to the children when they are gone. 2. That, as saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked, 1 Sa. 24:13. The vile person will speak villany, and the instruments of the churl will be evil, to destroy those with lying words that speak right, Isa. 32:6, 7. Those that are base, and design ill themselves, are apt to be jealous and to suspect ill of others without cause. Hanun’s servant suggested that David’s ambassadors came as spies, as if so great and mighty a man as David needed to do so mean a thing (if he had any design upon the Ammonites, he could effect it by open force, and had no occasion for any fraudulent practices), or as if a man of such virtue and honour would do so base a thing. Yet Hanun hearkened to the suggestion, and, against the law of nations, treated David’s ambassadors villainously. 3. Masters ought to protect their servants, and with the greatest tenderness to concern themselves for them if they come by any loss or damage in their service. David did so for his ambassadors, v. 5. Christ will do so for his ministers; and let all masters thus give unto their servants that which is just and equal.

19:1-19 David's wars. - The history is here repeated which we read 2Sa 10. The only safety of sinners consists in submitting to the Lord, seeking peace with him, and becoming his servants. Let us assist each other in a good cause; but let us fear lest, while made instruments of good to others, we should come short of salvation, through unbelief and sin.

See Gill "1Ch 19:1".

4, 5. shaved them—not completely, but only the half of their face.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG ከዚህም በኋላ የአሞን ልጆች ንጉሥ ናዖስ ሞተ፥ ልጁም በእርሱ ፋንታ ነገሠ። አማርኛ ENGNIV In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. English BCV ድሕሪዙይ፥ ንጉስ ደቂ ኣሞን ናዖስ ሞተ፤ ክንድኡ ኸዓ ወዱ ሓኖን ነገሰ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Takka ture Nahaash mootiin Amoonotaa duunaan ilmi isaa iddoo abbaa isaatii mootii ta'e. Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወኮነ እምድኅረ ዝንቱ ሞተ ንኣሶን ንጉሠ ደቂቀ ዐሞን፡ ወነግሠ ህየንቴሁ ወልዱ። giz GAZGAZ Takka ture Nahaash mootiin Amoonotaa duunaan ilmi isaa iddoo abbaa isaatii mootii ta'e. Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ድሕሪዙይ፥ ንጉስ ደቂ ኣሞን ናዖስ ሞተ፤ ክንድኡ ኸዓ ወዱ ሓኖን ነገሰ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV ከዚህ በኋላ የአሞናውያን ንጉሥ ናዖስ ሞተ፤ ልጁም በእግሩ ተተክቶ ነገሠ። አማርኛ