10:1 Some time afterwards the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him.1 10:2 So David said, “I will extend kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash in the same way that his father extended kindness to me.”
So David sent a message by his servants to console Hanun2 over the death of3 his father. When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 10:3 the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “In your estimation is David really honoring your father by sending comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants here to you in order to garner information on4 the city by spying on it so as to overthrow it?”
10:4 So Hanun took David’s servants into custody and after shaving off half of each one’s beard and cutting his garments in two up to his buttocks, he sent them away. 10:5 When David was informed of this, he sent a delegation to meet them, for the men were extremely humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho your beards grow out, and then return.”
10:6 The Ammonites were then apprehensive,5 for they were contemptible6 to David. So the Ammonites sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob.7
10:7 When David heard about all this,8 he sent Joab and all the fighting9 army. 10:8 Then the Ammonites came out and arranged for battle at the opening of the city gate, and the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob along with Ish-tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
10:9 When Joab realized that he was exposed to battle both in front and behind, he selected some elite Israelite troops and arranged them for confronting the Arameans. 10:10 The rest of the army10 he placed under the command of11 Abishai his brother and arranged to meet the Ammonites. 10:11 He said, “If the Arameans prove to be stronger than I, you will provide support for me. And if the Ammonites prove to be stronger than you, I will come to your aid. 10:12 Be strong and courageous for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God! May the LORD do what seems good to him!”
10:13 So Joab and the army that was with him approached for battle against the Arameans, but they retreated12 from him. 10:14 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans had retreated from Abishai, they entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and returned13 to Jerusalem.
10:15 When the Arameans realized that they were defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.14 10:16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans to be brought from the Trans-Ephrates, and they came to Helam. Shobach, leader of the army of Hadadezer, led them.15
10:17 When David was informed, he assembled all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans arranged for battle with David and fought with him. 10:18 But the Arameans retreated from Israel. David killed seven hundred charioteers and 40,000 horsemen of the Ammonites. He also struck Shobach the leader of the army, and he died there. 10:19 When all the kings who were in league with Hadadezer16 realized that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. From they on the Arameans were apprehensive about providing any further help to the Ammonites.