1 Chronicles 5:20

1Ch 5:20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that [were] with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.

Ver. 20. And they were helped against them.] Helped from heaven, by means of some manifest miracle.

For they cried to God in the battle.] So did Jabez; {1Ch 4:10} Jehoshaphat; {2Ch 20:3} the thundering legion; the late king of Sweden, whose prayer before the great battle of Lutzen - where he fell, - was, "Jesus, vouchsafe this day to be my strong helper; and give me courage to fight for the honour of thy name." Prayer alone he held the surest piece of his whole armour.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch_5:20

And they were helped against them.

Helped

We are like William of Orange, with a few followers and an empty purse, making war against the master of half the world with the mines of Peru for a treasury. But like William, too, when questioned concerning our resources, we can reply, Before we took up this cause we entered into close alliance with the King of kings. (Sword and Trowel.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To wit, by the Lord that gave them the victory.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 20. They put their trust in him.] Or, as the Targum says, "Because they trusted במימריה bemeymriah, in his WORD."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. they were helped] with divine assistance; cp. 1Ch_15:26.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there fell down many slain,.... Many were killed in the battle, besides the great number of prisoners made, so that the army the Ishmaelites brought into the field was very great:

because the war was of God; or from the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; he stirred up the Israelites to it, directed, assisted, and succeeded them, that vengeance might be taken on this wicked and idolatrous people:

and they dwelt in their stead until the captivity; the Targum adds, of Sennacherib king of Assyria; but this captivity of the tribes referred to was not by him, but by Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, Ch1 5:26 and they dwelt not in the country of the Arab-hagarites, or Ishmaelites in their stead there, but in Gilead, as in Ch1 5:10 which belonged to the Gadites and Reubenites originally, but had been dispossessed of it, or however distressed in it by these Hagarites, which they now drove out, and dwelt in their stead; for as for the Scenite-arabs or Ishmaelites, they never were conquered and brought into subjection by any people, but always maintained their independency (d); and lived upon the plunder of their neighbours, pitching their tents here and there for their convenience, which in these parts were at this time spoiled.

(d) See the notes on Gen. xvi. 12. and Dan. xi. 41. and a dissertation upon the independency of the Arabs, at the end of the Universal History, vol. 20. See Gill on Gen 16:12. See Gill on Dan 11:41.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

They were helped against them, to wit, by God, 1Ch 5:22, who gave them extraordinary courage and success.

All that were with them; their friends and allies in this war.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Helped - By God, ver. 22, who gave them extraordinary courage and success.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

For there fell down many slain,.... Many were killed in the battle, besides the great number of prisoners made, so that the army the Ishmaelites brought into the field was very great:

because the war was of God; or from the Word of the Lord, as the Targum; he stirred up the Israelites to it, directed, assisted, and succeeded them, that vengeance might be taken on this wicked and idolatrous people:

and they dwelt in their stead until the captivity; the Targum adds, of Sennacherib king of Assyria; but this captivity of the tribes referred to was not by him, but by Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, Ch1 5:26 and they dwelt not in the country of the Arab-hagarites, or Ishmaelites in their stead there, but in Gilead, as in Ch1 5:10 which belonged to the Gadites and Reubenites originally, but had been dispossessed of it, or however distressed in it by these Hagarites, which they now drove out, and dwelt in their stead; for as for the Scenite-arabs or Ishmaelites, they never were conquered and brought into subjection by any people, but always maintained their independency (d); and lived upon the plunder of their neighbours, pitching their tents here and there for their convenience, which in these parts were at this time spoiled.

(d) See the notes on Gen. xvi. 12. and Dan. xi. 41. and a dissertation upon the independency of the Arabs, at the end of the Universal History, vol. 20. See Gill on Gen 16:12. See Gill on Dan 11:41.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

trust

(See Scofield "Psa 2:12").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

the Israelites cried out to God

"the Israelites prayed to God for help"

They captured their animals

"The Israelites captured the Hagrites' animals"

fifty thousand camels

"50,000 camels" (See: Numbers)

250,000 sheep

"two hundred and fifty thousand sheep" (See: Numbers)

two thousand donkeys

"2,000 donkeys" (See: Numbers)

100,000 men

"one hundred thousand men" (See: Numbers)

the battle was from God

God's help in battle is described as if he were the one who caused the battle. AT: "Because God helped them"

translationWords

divine

God

trust

camel

ewe

donkey

adversary

captive

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And they were assisted against them for the Lord helped them.

and the Hagarites and all who were with them other nations [that came] to their aid.

and He accepted their prayers וְנַעְתּוֹר, similar to if וַיֵּעָתֵר לוֹ accepted his prayer (Gen. 25:21).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.