1 Now 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 shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David 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 honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 Then there went certain, 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 Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched 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 before 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 out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians 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 behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight.
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: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over 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 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in 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 became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
<html><b>because his father showed me kindness</b> when David took his father, his mother, his brothers, and his father’s household and settled them in the region of the king of Moab, as it is written (I Sam. 22: 3): “And David went from there to Mizpeh Moab, and he said to the king of Moab: Let my father and mother come out now, etc.” And the children of Moab came and slew them all except Elihu, David’s brother, who fled to the land of the children of Ammon. Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, accepted him, for they [David’s brothers] were no longer mentioned, except Elihu, as it is written in the grouping of the princes (below 27:18): “Of Judah: Elihu of the brothers of David.” That is the meaning of “for his father showed me kindness.” And it was on the basis of that hatred that David smote Moab and abused them more than his other enemies, as it is written (II Sam. 8:2): “And David smote Moab, etc.”</html>
<html><b>Do you think that David honors your father</b> Is it not written in their Torah (Deut. 23:7): “You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity?” Do you think that he is forsaking the commandment of his God and is coming to greet you, and that he sent comforters in honor of your father? Is it not in order to investigate, etc.?</html>
<html><b>their garments</b> - Heb. מַדְוֵיהֶם, like (Lev. 6:3): “The priest shall put on his linen garment (מִדּוֹ).” <b>in half up to their groin</b> - Heb. הַמִפְשָׂעָה, up to their private parts, both front and back, and in Samuel (II 10:4): “שְׁתוֹתֵיהֶם, their private parts,” like (Isa. 20:4): “… with their private parts (שֵׁת) bared, the shame of Egypt.”</html>
<html><b>from Aram Naharaim and from Aram-Maacah</b> There were many Arameans, and that is the meaning of Aram-Maacah - the Arameans dwelling in Maacah. Some Arameans dwelt by the Euphrates River, and [likewise] Aram-Zobah; but Aram, without a surname, is the main part of the nation. Similarly, the Ammonites dwelling in Ammon are called Ammonites, but the main part of the nation was in other places, and so, the children of Esau in the land of Seir, but the main part [of the nation] dwelt in Edom.</html>
<html><b>were by themselves in the field</b> They divided their armies into two battle arrays: the children of Ammon were in one array at the entrance of the city against all Israel, and the kings who were with them in the second array were by themselves in the field behind Israel.</html>
<html><b>into the hands of Abshai</b> To Abishai, who is called Abshai throughout the entire Book of Chronicles, both in the written text and in the reading, except for these two cases, which are exceptions to the rule according to the Masorah. The reason that he is called Abshai in this entire Book is because it was written in David’s honor, and it is not honor to call his nephew Abishai, meaning: “I, too, am as esteemed as David because my [grand]father was Jesse [Yishai]” Therefore, in this entire Book, he is called Abshai, and in the entire Book of Samuel he is called Abishai, except once, where he is called Abshai: (II Sam. 10:10): “And the rest of the people he gave over to Abshai his brother.” This is according to the Masorah, because Jesse was the father of his mother, Zeruiah, who was his mother.</html>
<html><b>and Shophach the general</b> And in Samuel (ad loc.) it is written: “and Shobach the general.” Our Rabbis explained in Sotah (42b): “Shobach, because he was as tall as a dovecote (שׁוֹבָךְ). Shophach, because he would shed (שׁוֹפֵךְ) blood like water.”</html>