Kungatiden
David and the Ammonites: The War against Hanun
After King Hanun of the Ammonites humiliates David's envoys by shaving off half their beards, he triggers a major war in which Joab and Abishai defeat the Ammonites and their Aramean mercenaries. Later, Hadadezer gathers the Arameans at Helam, but David strikes them down and kills the commander Shobak.
Andra Samuelsboken 10,1-19
1Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.
וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ חָנ֥וּן בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
2David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation of his servants to console him over his father. But when David's servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד ׀ עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח דָּוִ֧ד לְנַחֲמ֛וֹ בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֶל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
3the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending you men to console you? Hasn't David sent his servants to you to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?"
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֜וֹן אֶל־חָנ֣וּן אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֗ם הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤ד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים הֲ֠לוֹא בַּעֲב֞וּר חֲק֤וֹר אֶת־הָעִיר֙ וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ שָׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
4So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut their garments in half at the buttocks, and sent them away.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֗ד וַיְגַלַּח֙ אֶת־חֲצִ֣י זְקָנָ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַ֣ד שְׁתֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃
5When David was told, he sent men to meet them, for the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return."
וַיַּגִּ֤דוּ לְדָוִד֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵח֔וֹ עַד־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃
6When the Ammonites realized they had made themselves odious to David, they sent and hired the Arameans of Beth Rehob and the Arameans of Zobah—twenty thousand foot soldiers—along with the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob.
וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֡וֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת־אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־רְח֜וֹב וְאֶת־אֲרַ֣ם צוֹבָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ ט֔וֹב שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ׃
7When David heard of it, he sent out Joab with the whole army of fighting men.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הַצָּבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃
8The Ammonites marched out and took up battle positions at the entrance of the gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open field.
וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַאֲרַ֨ם צוֹבָ֤א וּרְחוֹב֙ וְאִֽישׁ־ט֣וֹב וּמַֽעֲכָ֔ה לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
9When Joab saw that he faced battle lines both in front of him and behind him, he chose some of the best troops in Israel and drew them up against the Arameans.
וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹאָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה מִפָּנִ֖ים וּמֵֽאָח֑וֹר וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכֹּל֙ בְּחוּרֵ֣י *בישראל **יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃
10The rest of the men he put under the command of his brother Abishai, who drew them up against the Ammonites.
וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֕ךְ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
11Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and rescue you.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֤ק אֲרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְהָיִ֥תָה לִּ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה וְאִם־בְּנֵ֤י עַמּוֹן֙ יֶחֱזְק֣וּ מִמְּךָ֔ וְהָלַכְתִּ֖י לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַֽ לָֽךְ׃
12Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in his sight."
חֲזַ֤ק וְנִתְחַזַּק֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָ֔ה יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
13Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.
וַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יוֹאָ֗ב וְהָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֔וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בּֽ͏ַאֲרָ֑ם וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
14When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and withdrew into the city. So Joab broke off the attack against the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.
וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֲבִישַׁ֔י וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑יר וַיָּ֣שָׁב יוֹאָ֗ב מֵעַל֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
15When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.
וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖ף לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּאָסְפ֖וּ יָֽחַד׃
16Hadadezer sent messengers and brought out the Arameans from beyond the River, and they came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר וַיֹּצֵ֤א אֶת־אֲרָם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ חֵילָ֑ם וְשׁוֹבַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
17When David was told of it, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans drew up their lines to meet David and fought against him.
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗ד ס וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖א חֵלָ֑אמָה וַיַּעַרְכ֤וּ אֲרָם֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their horsemen. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.
וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜ד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֨ת שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ שַׂר־צְבָא֛וֹ הִכָּ֖ה וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם׃
19When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
וַיִּרְא֨וּ כָֽל־הַמְּלָכִ֜ים עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥מוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיַּֽעַבְד֑וּם וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ע֖וֹד אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ פ