1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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II Samuel 10:1 And *it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon, his son, reigned in his stead.

Year of the World 2967, Year before Christ 1037.
II Samuel 10:2 And David said: *I will shew kindness to Hanon, the son of Naas, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

1 Paralipomenon 19:2. 		Naas, whom Saul had defeated, and who on that account is supposed to have received his rival more willingly, (Calmet) when he had retreated into the country of Moab, 1 Kings 22:3. After receiving many presents from Naas, he retired to Odollam. (St. Jerome, Tradit.) (Menochius) --- Though the Israelites were not to seek the friendship of these nations, (Deuteronomy 23:6,) they were not forbidden to make a return of gratitude. (Menochius)
II Samuel 10:3 The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon, their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?

It. Thus, by their insinuations, they pervert the good dispositions of their prince, and by too much policy bring ruin on the nation. (Haydock) --- History affords many examples of similar effects of worldly wisdom. (Menochius)
II Samuel 10:4 Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments, even to the buttocks, and sent them away.

Away, having forced them as it were to go into mourning for the deceased king. These nations adopted the same customs as the Hebrews: they cut their hair, and rent their garments, to express their deep affliction, Isaias 15:2. The Arabs would deem it a great insult, and a piece of irreligion, to shave their beard. (Darvieux vii. p. 175.) Plutarch (Agesil) observes, that the Lacedemonians obliged those who acted in a cowardly manner in war, to wear only one whisker: and Herodotus (II. 121,) takes notice of a person who, in contempt, cut off the beard on the right cheeks of some soldiers, who were placed to guard the body of his brother, who had been gibbeted, having first made them drunk, that he might take away the body. The garments (Aquila says, "the tunic," Septuagint, "the cloak, or mandua," which is a military garment used in Persia) were cut (Calmet) for the same purpose, like our spencers, (Haydock) that the ambassadors might be exposed to derision, as breeches were not usually worn, (Calmet) except by priests officiating. (Du Hamel) --- This was in contempt of circumcision. (Menochius) --- Yet we cannot suppose, but that the ambassadors would procure something to cover themselves before they arrived at Jericho, where they remained till their beard and the hair of their head (1 Paralipomenon xix.) were grown. The city was not rebuilt, but there were some houses in the territory of that devoted place, Josue 6:26. (Haydock)
II Samuel 10:5 When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.
II Samuel 10:6 And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.

Rohob, the capital, between Libanus and Antilibanus. --- Soba was subject to Adarezer, 2 Kings 8:3. --- Maacha, at the foot of Hermon. --- Istob (Hebrew ish tob) signifies, the man, or prince, or "the master of Tob," (Calmet) where Jephte lived, Judges 11:5. (Du Hamel) (Salien) --- Josephus thinks that Istob is the name of a fourth king, who, together with the king of Micha, brought 22,000 into the field. The first he styles king "of the Mesopotamians," (1 Paralipomenon 19:6.) which Salien explains of the country between Abana and Pharphar, the two great rivers of Syria, (4 Kings 5:12,) though, on this occasion, he allows that Adarezer hired forces from the utmost parts beyond the Euphrates. (Haydock)
II Samuel 10:7 And when David heard this, he sent Joab, and the whole army of warriors.

Warriors. The outrage offered to the ambassadors was a sufficient reason. The king of Ammon might have refused to receive them; but he could not, with any propriety, treat them with scorn. "The right of ambassadors has both a divine and human sanction." (Cicero, contra Verrem 3.) --- The Romans have frequently waged war to revenge such wrongs. (Grotius, Jur. 2:18.)
II Samuel 10:8 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha, were by themselves in the field.

Ammon. David was disposed to have lived in peace with this nation: but they voluntarily provoked his arms, after he had made such havoc upon all the neighbouring idolaters, and thus draw down the scourge of Providence; who suffers those to be blinded whom he has resolved to punish. The preparations for this war seem to have been greater than usual, and it continued for a longer period, and in the end proved destructive to all. (Haydock) --- Gate of Medaba. (Paralipomenon) Besides the 33,000 auxiliaries (ver. 6) and the natives, 32,000 chariots of war were hired from beyond the Euphrates, 1 Paralipomenon 19:7.
II Samuel 10:9 Then Joab, seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
II Samuel 10:10 And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai, his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.
II Samuel 10:11 And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
II Samuel 10:12 Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.

City, Jerusalem, the metropolis; or, all the cities of Israel. (Paralipomenon)
II Samuel 10:13 And Joab, and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.
II Samuel 10:14 And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
II Samuel 10:15 Then the Syrians, seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.

Together, expecting that David would punish them farther. (Menochius)
II Samuel 10:16 *And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.

Year of the World 2968, Year before Christ 1036.
II Samuel 10:17 And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.

Helam. Ptolemy mentions Alamata, on the Euphrates. But perhaps we ought to read the Hebrew Lehem, "he came upon them." See 1 Paralipomenon 19:17. Some translate, "he came to their army."
II Samuel 10:18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach, the captain of the army, who presently died.

Hundred. Paralipomenon, thousand, allowing ten men for each chariot. (Du Hamel; Menochius) --- The men is omitted in both texts. See 2 Kings 8:4. (Haydock) --- Horsemen. Paralipomenon reads, footmen, supplying what is here omitted, (Salien) so that 87,000 Syrians perished, unless there be a mistake of the transcribers. (Calmet) --- Smote, though not perhaps with his own hand, as he slew so many thousands by means of his army. (Menochius)
II Samuel 10:19 And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men, before Israel. And they made peace with Israel, and served them: and the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

Before Israel. Hebrew and Septuagint only read, "And when all the kings, servants of Adarezer, saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them," etc. (Haydock) --- The addition is not found in the ancient version of St. Jerome. These tributary kings lived in Syria, and some perhaps beyond the Euphrates. See Psalm lix. (Calmet) --- The army had consisted of 145,000 men. After the loss of 87,000, the servants of Adarezer went over to David, and served him, Paralipomenon. (Menochius)