John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David , etc.] Or had made themselves odious to him, as it is rendered in ( 1 Chronicles 19:6); were abominable to him, that he was incensed against them, and enraged at them, and was determined to be avenged on them for the affront given, of which they had certain information: but instead of seeking to appease him, and give him satisfaction for the affront, the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob ; a place near Hamath, ( Numbers 13:21); there was a city of this name in the tribe of Asher, out of which the Canaanites could not be driven, and perhaps now inhabited by Syrians, or by a people so called, ( Joshua 19:28 Judges 1:31); and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen : that is, out of both places; this place Hadadezer was king of, with whom David had fought before, and beat, and who owed him a grudge on that account, and was ready to assist the Ammonites against him, ( 2 Samuel 8:3-5), and of King Maacah a thousand men ; that is, of the king of Maacah, which was a place in the tribe off Manasseh, from whence the inhabitants could not be expelled, ( Joshua 13:11,13); and seems now to have been inhabited by Syrians, and therefore is called Syriamaachah, ( Chronicles 19:6); and of Ishtob twelve thousand men ; which is thought to be the same with the land of Tob, whither Jephthah fled, and dwelt in it, when ill used by his brethren, ( Judges 11:3,5); these mercenary soldiers were in all thirty three thousand men; ( 1 Chronicles 19:6,7), it is said, chariots and horsemen, even thirty two thousand; these were hired with a thousand talents of silver.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-14 - They that are at war with the Son of David, not only give the provocation, but begin the war. God has forces to send against thos that set his wrath at defiance, Isa 5:19, which will convince them tha none ever hardened his heart against God, and prospered. Christ' soldiers should strengthen one another's hands in their spiritual warfare. Let nothing be wanting in us, whatever the success be. When we make conscience of doing our duty, we may, with satisfaction, leave the event with God, assuredly hoping for his salvation in his own way an time.
Original Hebrew ויראו7200 בני1121 עמון5983 כי3588 נבאשׁו887 בדוד1732 וישׁלחו7971 בני1121 עמון5983 וישׂכרו7936 את853 ארם758 בית רחוב1050 ואת853 ארם758 צובא6678 עשׂרים6242 אלף505 רגלי7273 ואת853 מלך4428 מעכה4601 אלף505 אישׁ376 ואישׁ376 טוב2897 שׁנים8147 עשׂר6240 אלף376 אישׁ׃505
