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.
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And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. 20:3
Trivia: Who among David's men had faces like lions and could run as fast as deer on the mountains?
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.
I'll be kind to Hanun, since his father, Nahash, was kind to me. [1]
So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun.
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?
Do you really think David honors your father? His messengers aren't here to comfort you. They're here to spy on us and overthrow your kingdom.
4Wherefore 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.
The Ammonites figured that they stunk to David, so they hired mercenaries to help them fight against him.
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.
When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all his mighty men.
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.
Joab came up with a battle plan.
He told his brother Abishai:
If the Syrians are too much for me, come help me.
If the Ammonites are too much for you, I'll help you.
Be brave. Let us be men for our people and for the cities of God
And let God do whatever seems good to him.
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.
And the Syrians fled from Joab, and the Ammonites fled from Abishai.
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.
David killed 7000 chariot men and 40,000 footmen. [3]
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.
Nahash threatened to gouge out the eyes of the Israelite messengers. That's a strange way to show kindness!
The same story is told in 2 Samuel, but some of the details were changed by the Chronicler.
For example, in 2 Samuel, David hired 33,000 Syrian soldiers, while in 1 Chronicles, he hires 32,000 chariots.
On what must have been a particularly good day for killing but not so good for counting, David kills 7000 men in chariots and 40,000 footmen.