Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. X.

Vers. 2. THen said David, I will shew kindnesse unto Hanun the sonne of Na∣hash, as his father shewed kindnesse unto me.] It is no where expressed what this kindnesse was which David here speaks of, most probable it is, that Na∣hash did some way succour David, or at least give friendly entertainment to him in the time of his troubles, and that because he was persecuted by Saul, whom he might the rather hate, because he had been discomfited by him before Jabesh-gilead, 1. Sam. 11.1, 11. and had continuall warre with him, 1. Sam. 14.47. Indeed we reade be∣fore, chap. 8.12. of spoyls taken by David from the children of Ammon; but that is meant of this warre which here the sacred History enters upon; for till this time David molested them not.

Vers. 4. Wherefore Hanun took Davids servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, &c.] Doubtlesse because he desired to expose these embassadours of David, to the derision and scorn of every one that should see them; therefore he chose to shave off onely the one half of their beards; yet it may well be that he did the ra∣ther pitch upon this way of disgracing them, as it were in contempt of their religi∣on, because by the Law of God they were forbidden to cut or shave their beards at all, even in their greatest mourning: Lev. 19.27. Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou marre the corners of thy beard. And indeed, why else did David when he heard of this, vers. 5. appoint them to tarry at Jericho till their beards were grown; when the Ammonites had shaven off one half of their beards, it had been an easie matter by shaving off the other half, to have taken away the deformity of half a beard; and at the worst, they had onely then looked as they did in their younger years: but it seems the shaving of their beards at all, was in it self a reproch to the Israelites, and therefore he would not suffer them to stirre abroad, till their beards were grown on the other side. As for that other disgrace he put upon them, to wit, that he cut off their garments to the middle, even to their buttocks, that was a greater reproch then the other, because the Israelites wore not breeches, as we do, but onely long loose garments, and the discovering of those parts, by the light of nature all men abhorre; whence is that of the Prophet, concerning the stripping of the Egyptians that should be carried away captives, Isa. 20.4. So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Vers. 5. When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, &c.] To wit, to comfort them, to clothe them anew, and to appoint them to stay by the way at Jeri∣cho till their beards were grown, as it follows in the next words; concerning which see the foregoing note. Indeed it was long after this ere the citie Jericho was built up again, as we see 1. Kings 16.34. where it is noted of Ahabs reigne, In his dayes did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho. But it seems there were some cottages already in this place, for the use of those that kept their cattell, and in these the embassadours might be appointed to stay; for the more desolate the place was, the fitter it was for them to stay in, till their beards were grown again.

Vers. 6. The children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, &c.] These Syrians he hired with a thousand talents of silver,, and with these here mentioned those also of Mesopotamia, and two and thirty thousand chariots, 1. Chron, 19.6, 7. 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 Meso∣potamia, and out of Syria Maachah, and out of Zobah. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots: who were all ready enough to engage themselves in this warre, as hoping to free themselves from that yoke which David had laid upon them, and to revenge that losse they had formerly received; for he had lately vanquished them, and made them a tributary people, chap. 8.6. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts.

Vers. 7. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.] As thinking it best policie to be before-hand with them, and to fight with them in their own countrey.

Vers. 8. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battell in aray at the entring of the gate.] To wit, of Medeba a citie in the borders of Ammon, Num. 21.30. where they assembled together, 1. Chron. 19.7. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba.

And the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field. &c.] To the end that they might hemme in the Israelites, and set upon them both in the front and in the rear, the Syrians were appointed to pitch by themselves in a place of the field apart from the Ammonites, either openly or in secret, as lying in ambush (for they would not trust these their mercenary au∣xiliaries of the Syrians, with the guard of the city) and the Ammonites themselves pitched their souldiers before the citie.

Vers. 9. He chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in aray against the Syrians.] Being perswaded that these mercenary Syrians would soonest shrink, if they were couragiously assaulted, he chose out the slower of his army to set upon them, not doubting but if they were routed, the Ammonites would soon be discou∣raged, and slie too.

Vers. 12. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God, &c.] Thus Joab did encourage his captains and souldiers to fight valiantly; first, by putting them in mind that they were to fight for their own coun∣trey and people, to defend them against cruell adversaries, who if they prevailed,

would certainly over-runne their land, lay waste their cities, and make havock a∣mongst their brethren: and secondly, by remembring them that it was for Gods cause and party, the people of God, and the land which he had chose for his inhe∣ritance.

Vers. 16. And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river, &c.] That is, beyond Euphrates: Hadarezer and his Syrians fearing that David would be revenged on them for aiding the Ammonites, resolved that there was no way but to stand it out; and therefore made themselves as strong as the could, that they might assay to cast off Davids yoke.

Vers. 18. And David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and fourty thousand horsemen, &c.] To wit, seven thousand men which fought in chariots, besides fourty thousand footmen, which though not here expressed, are yet mentioned 1. Chron. 19.18. But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men▪ which fought in chariots, and fourty thousand foot∣men. The greatnesse of this overthrow makes it probable, that at this time it was that Rezon a servant to this Hadarezer, revolted from him, and made himself king of Damascus, 1. Kings 11.23, 24. And God stirred him up another adversary, Re∣zon the sonne of Eliadah, which fled from his Lord Hadadezer of Zobah: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Da∣mascus.