19:2 And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of
Nahash, because his a 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.
(a) Because Nahash received David and his company, when
Saul persecuted him he would now show pleasure to his
son for the same.
19:3 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 b spy
out the land?
(b) Thus the malicious always interpret the purpose of the
godly in the worst sense.
19:4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and c shaved them,
and cut off their d garments in the midst hard by their
buttocks, and sent them away.
(c) They shaved off half of their beards, (2Sa 10:4).
(d) To put them to shame and villany, while the ambassadors
should have been honoured: and because the Jews used to
wear side garments and beards, they thus disfigured
them, to make them odious to others.
19:6 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 e Zobah.
(e) Which were five in all.
19:7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the
king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before
f Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves
together from their cities, and came to battle.
(f) Which was a city of the tribe of Reuben beyond Jordan.
19:13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly
for our g people, and for the cities of our God: and let
the LORD do [that which is] good in his sight.
(g) He declares that where the cause is evil, the courage
cannot be valiant, and that in good causes men should
be courageous, and commit the success to God.
19:16 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 h river: and Shophach the
captain of the host of Hadarezer [went] before them.
(h) That is, Euphrates.
19:18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the
Syrians i seven thousand [men which fought in] chariots,
and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the
captain of the host.
