How did Joab respond when battle faced him in front and behind?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Joab chose Israel’s bravest men to face the Syrians, put the rest under his brother Abisai against the Ammonites and arranged for each brother to help the other if the enemy proved too strong.

Chapter breakdown

The Ammonites abuse David’s ambassadors; they and their allies are defeated.

Naas, king of the children of Ammon, died, and his son succeeded him. David said he would show kindness to Hanon, son of Naas, because Naas had done him a favour. He sent messengers to comfort Hanon over his father’s death. When they arrived, the Ammonite princes questioned whether David had sent them to honour Hanon’s father and alleged that they had come to examine, search and spy out the land. Hanon shaved the heads and beards of David’s servants, cut their garments from the buttocks to the feet and sent them away. After leaving, they sent word to David. Because they had suffered a great affront, he sent to meet them and ordered them to stay at Jericho until their beards grew, then return.

Seeing that they had injured David, Hanon and the rest of the Ammonite people sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Syria Maacha and Soba. They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacha with his people, who camped opposite Medaba. The Ammonites gathered from their cities and came to battle. When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of valiant men. The Ammonites formed their army before the city gate, while the kings who had come to help stood apart in the field.

Joab saw that battle faced him in front and behind. He chose the bravest men of Israel and marched against the Syrians, giving the rest to his brother Abisai to face the Ammonites. He told Abisai to help him if the Syrians were too strong for him, and promised to help Abisai if the Ammonites were too strong for him. He called for courage and manly conduct for their people and the cities of their God, saying that the Lord would do what was good in his sight. Joab and his men went against the Syrians and put them to flight. When the Ammonites saw the Syrians flee, they too fled from Abisai into the city. Joab returned to Jerusalem.

Seeing that they had fallen before Israel, the Syrians sent messengers and brought Syrians from beyond the river. Sophach, general of Adarezer’s army, led them. David was told, gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and formed his army against them. They fought him, but the Syrians fled before Israel. David killed 7,000 chariots, 40,000 footmen and Sophach, the army’s general.

Challoner explains “seven thousand chariots” as men who fought in chariots. This is the edition’s explanatory note, separate from the verse.

When Adarezer’s servants saw that Israel had overcome them, they went over to David and served him. Syria would no longer help the children of Ammon.

The story inside

David’s wish to show kindness follows a favour from Hanon’s father. The princes question the purpose of his comforters and accuse them of spying; Hanon shaves them and cuts their garments before sending them away. David responds to their report with instructions to wait at Jericho until their beards grow. The Ammonites recognize their injury to David and hire forces with 1,000 talents of silver. Their own army stands by the city gate and the assisting kings in the field. Facing battle before and behind, Joab divides his force with Abisai and makes a conditional arrangement for mutual help. His words combine courage for their people and God’s cities with leaving the result to what the Lord sees as good. Joab puts the Syrians to flight; seeing this, the Ammonites flee into the city. The Syrians then bring others from beyond the river under Sophach. David crosses the Jordan with all Israel, defeats them and kills the stated forces and general. Adarezer’s servants enter David’s service, and Syrian help for Ammon ends.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The embassy’s purpose and the princes’ allegation are different parts of the account. David gives his father’s favour as the reason to comfort Hanon. The princes allege spying, after which Hanon abuses the messengers. The repair keeps the allegation in their speech and David’s stated reason in his own, rather than adding a plan to invade or a custom of diplomatic immunity.
2
Joab’s arrangement has two explicit conditions. Abisai is to help if the Syrians are too strong for Joab; Joab will help if the Ammonites are too strong for Abisai. The narrative reports the enemies fleeing, without saying either condition required reinforcement. His encouragement also preserves the people, God’s cities and the Lord doing what is good in his sight.
3
The second Syrian defeat changes the service and help described at the end. David gathers all Israel after hearing about the new forces, crosses the Jordan and defeats them. Adarezer’s servants then serve David, and Syria ceases helping Ammon. The casualty wording is preserved, with Challoner’s explanation of the chariot men clearly identified as a note.

Test your recall

Naas had favoured David → David sends comforters to Hanon. The princes allege spying → Hanon abuses and dismisses them → their report leads David to order a wait at Jericho. Battle faces Joab before and behind → he divides forces with Abisai and offers conditional mutual help. The Syrians flee → the Ammonites follow into the city. Syrians bring more forces under Sophach → David crosses the Jordan and defeats them → Adarezer’s servants serve David and Syria stops helping Ammon.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 43292–43296
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 19 The Ammonites abuse David’s ambassadors: both they and their confederates are overthrown.
Lines 43297–43316
19:1. Now it came to pass that Naas the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 19:2. And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Naas: for his father did a favour to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him upon the death of his father. But when they were come into the land of the children of Ammon, to comfort Hanon, 19:3. The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon: Thou thinkest perhaps that David to do honour to thy father hath sent comforters to thee: and thou dost not take notice, that his servants are come to thee to consider, and search, and spy out thy land. 19:4. Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the buttocks to the feet, and sent them away. 19:5. And when they were gone, they sent word to David, who sent to meet them (for they had suffered a great affront) and ordered them to stay at Jericho till their beards grew and then to return.
Lines 43318–43333
19:6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they had done an injury to David, Hanon and the rest of the people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia and out of Syria Maacha, and out of Soba. 19:7. And they hired two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha, with his people. And they came and camped over against Medaba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and came to battle. 19:8. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of valiant men: 19:9. And the children of Ammon came out and put their army in array before the gate of the city: and the kings, that were come to their aid, stood apart in the field.
Lines 43335–43355
19:10. Wherefore Joab understanding that the battle was set against him before and behind, chose out the bravest men of all Israel, and marched against the Syrians, 19:11. And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abisai his brother, and they went against the children of Ammon. 19:12. 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, I will help thee. 19:13. Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves manfully for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord will do that which is good in his sight. 19:14. So Joab and the people that were with him, went against the Syrians to the battle: and he put them to flight. 19:15. And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled from Abisai his brother, and went into the city: and Joab also returned to Jerusalem.
Lines 43357–43367
19:16. But the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and brought to them the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Sophach, general of the army of Adarezer, was their leader. 19:17. And it was told David, and he gathered together all Israel, and passed the Jordan, and came upon them, and put his army in array against them, and they fought with him. 19:18. But the Syrian fled before Israel: and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and Sophach the general of the army.
Lines 43369–43370
Seven thousand chariots.... That is, of men who fought in chariots.
Lines 43371–43375
19:19. And when the servants of Adarezer saw themselves overcome by Israel, they went over to David, and served him: and Syria would not help the children of Ammon any more.