Chapter 10

1And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.   אוַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ חָנ֥וּן בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו:
2And David said: "I shall show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed me kindness. And David sent to comfort him through his servants, for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.   בוַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד | עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כַּאֱשֶׁר֩ עָשָֹ֨ה אָבִ֚יו עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח דָּוִ֧ד לְנַחֲמ֛וֹ בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֶל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן:
just as his father showed me kindness: And what was this kindness? When David was fleeing from Saul, his father, mother and brother came to him (I Sam. 22:4) and he brought them before the king of Moab and said to him: Please allow my father and mother to live with you. Nevertheless he killed them excepting one that fled and escaped to the land of the sons of Ammon, to Nahash Midrash of R. Tanhuma in p. Va’yerah.   כאשר עשה אביו עמדי חסד: ומהו החסד, כשהיה דוד בורח מפני שאול, באו אליו אביו ואמו ואחיו (שמואל-א כב ד): וינחם את פני מלך מואב, ויאמר לו ישב נא אבי ואמי עמך, והרגם, חוץ מאחד מהם שברח ונמלט לארץ בני עמון אצל נחש, (במדרש רבי תנחומא בוירא אליו):
3And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord: "Do you think that David honors your father that he sent you comforters? Is it not in order to investigate the city and to spy it out, and to search it that David has sent his servants to you?"   גוַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֜וֹן אֶל־חָנ֣וּן אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֗ם הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֚ד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים הֲ֠לוֹא בַּעֲב֞וּר חֲקֹ֚ר אֶת־הָעִיר֙ וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ שָׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ:
Do you think that David honors your father: Does it appear to you that David honors your father? They are warned; “Do not seek their peace.” and he seeks your peace?   המכבד דוד את אביך בעיניך: הנראה בעיניך שדוד מכבד את אביך, הם מוזהרים לא תדרוש שלומם, והוא ידרוש שלומך:
4And Hanun took David's servants and he shaved off a half of their beards, and he cut off their garments in half up to their buttocks, and he sent them away.   דוַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֗ד וַיְגַלַּח֙ אֶת־חֲצִ֣י זְקָנָ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַ֣ד שְׁתֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם:
garments: their robes.   מדויהם: חלוקיהם:
buttocks: Heb. שתותיהם, their buttocks.   שתותיהם: העגבות:
5And they told it to David; and he sent to meet them; for the men were very much ashamed. And the king said: 'Remain seated in Jericho until your beards grow, and then you shall return.'   הוַיַּגִּ֚דוּ לְדָוִד֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֚אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירִיחוֹ עַד־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם:
6And the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David; and the children of Ammon sent and hired [of] the Arameans of Beth-rehob, and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand footsoldiers, and [of] the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and [of] Ish-tov, twelve thousand men.   ווַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֡וֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת־אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־רְח֜וֹב וְאֶת־אֲרַ֣ם צוֹבָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת־מֶ֚לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ ט֔וֹב שְׁנֵים־עָשָֹ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ:
7And David heard [of it], and he sent Joab, and the entire host of the mighty warriors.   זוַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הַצָּבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּרִֽים:
8And the children of Ammon came out, and they prepared the battle at the entrance of the gate; and the Arameans of Zobah, and Rehob, and Ish-tov, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.   חוַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַאֲרַ֨ם צוֹבָ֚א וּרְחוֹב֙ וְאִֽישׁ־ט֣וֹב וּמַֽעֲכָ֔ה לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה:
9And Joab saw that the battle front was before and behind him: and he chose of all the choice [men] of Israel and he sent them against the Arameans.   טוַיַּ֣רְא יוֹאָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֚ה אֵלָיו֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה מִפָּנִ֖ים וּמֵֽאָח֑וֹר וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכֹּל֙ בְּחוּרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (כתיב ביִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל) וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם:
10And the rest of the people he gave over to Abishai his brother, and he set (them) against the children of Ammon.   יוְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֕ךְ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן:
11And he said: "If the Arameans will be too strong for me, then you shall help me, and if the children of Ammon will be too strong for you, then I shall go to your aid.   יאוַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֚ק אֲרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְהָיִ֥תָה לִּ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה וְאִם־בְּנֵ֚י עַמּוֹן֙ יֶחֱזְק֣וּ מִמְּךָ֔ וְהָלַכְתִּ֖י לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַֽ לָֽךְ:
12Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves on behalf of our people, and on behalf of the cities of our God: and [then] may God do what is good in His eyes."   יבחֲזַ֚ק וְנִתְחַזַּק֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהֹוָ֔ה יַעֲשֶֹ֥ה הַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינָֽיו:
13And Joab and the people that were with him drew forward to do battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him.   יגוַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יוֹאָ֗ב וְהָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֔וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בַּֽאֲרָ֑ם וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ מִפָּנָֽיו:
14And [when] the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, then they [likewise] fled from before Abishai, and they came to the city. And Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.   ידוּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֚וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֲבִישַׁ֔י וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑יר וַיָּ֣שָׁב יוֹאָ֗ב מֵעַל֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א יְרוּשָׁלָֽםִ:
15And the Arameans saw that they were smitten before Israel, and they gathered themselves together.   טווַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖ף לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּאָסְפ֖וּ יָֽחַד:
16And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Arameans that were from beyond the River; and they came to Helam, and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer, before them.   טזוַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר וַיֹּצֵ֚א אֶת־אֲרָם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ חֵילָֽם וְשׁוֹבַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם:
and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer: Because he was very strong and ruthless, they are referred to by his name.   ושובך שר צבא הדדעזר: על שם שהיה גבור ועריץ מאוד הזכירו בשמו:
17And it was told to David; and he gathered together all Israel, and he crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans set themselves against David, and fought with him.   יזוַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗ד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֚ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖א חֵלָ֑אמָה וַיַּעַרְכ֚וּ אֲרָם֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ:
18And the Arameans fled before Israel; and David slew of the Arameans, seven hundred chariots, and forty-thousand horsemen, and Shobach the captain of his host he smote, and he died there.   יחוַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֘ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜ד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שְׁבַ֚ע מֵאוֹת֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֨ת שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ שַׂר־צְבָא֛וֹ הִכָּ֖ה וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם:
19And all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, and they made peace with Israel and served them. And the Arameans feared to aid the children of Ammon any more.   יטוַיִּרְא֨וּ כָֽל־הַמְּלָכִ֜ים עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֚י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥מוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיַּֽעַבְד֑וּם וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ע֖וֹד אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן: