2 Samuel 10:7-14

10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. ¹  10:8 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

10:9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans. ²  10:10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army ³  and they were deployed ⁴  against the Ammonites. 10:11 Joab ⁵  said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me, ⁶  you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, ⁷  I will come to your rescue. 10:12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!” ⁸ 

10:13 So Joab and his men ⁹  marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. 10:14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to ¹⁰  Jerusalem. ¹¹ 

2 Samuel 12:26-29

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

12:26 ¹² So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. 12:27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. ¹³  12:28 So now assemble the rest of the army ¹⁴  and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”

12:29 So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.

[10:7]  ¹ tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[10:9]  ² tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”

[10:10]  ³ tn Heb “people.”

[10:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “he arranged.”

[10:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”

[10:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”

[10:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

[10:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”

[10:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”

[10:14]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:26]  ¹² sn Here the narrative resumes the battle story that began in 11:1 (see 11:25). The author has interrupted that story to give the related account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He now returns to the earlier story and brings it to a conclusion.

[12:27]  ¹³ sn The expression translated the water supply of the city (Heb “the city of the waters”) apparently refers to that part of the fortified city that guarded the water supply of the entire city. Joab had already captured this part of the city, but he now defers to King David for the capture of the rest of the city. In this way the king will receive the credit for this achievement.

[12:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 29, 31.