2 Samuel 10:13

2Sa 10:13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that [were] with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

Ver. 13. And they fled before him.] As not able to endure so fierce an assault of those most warlike soldiers, the flower of the whole army, - no, not the first shock. How many of them were slain is not said: fight any longer they would not, and to flee they were better prepared by their chariots, than the Israelites were to pursue them.

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.

2Sa_10:13

And Joab drew near, and the people that were with him unto the battle.

Victory

It is one thing, when men may either fight or fly, and another when they must either fight or die. The Syrians in the battle referred to in the text had their option to fight or fly, for that otherwise they must either fight or die. Hard-pressed by the valour and obstinacy of the forces of Joab, they fled back into their own city Medeba, a town in their borders, before which they pitched to guard their coast. What was the result of the victory over the Syrians referred to in the text? What but the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham (the fifteenth chapter of Genesis and the eighteenth verse), and repeated to Joshua (first chapter and the fourth verse) that the borders of Israel should extend to the river Euphrates? From the wilderness and this Lebanon, said God, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. Little did the Syrians know, and little knew the Ammonites, and faintly also must David have known the purposes of the Almighty that were bound up in the war. Still those purposes were fixed, and the Lord in His own good time proved that Himself had gained the victory; for on the banks of the Euphrates, as by the sides of Jordan, were hallelujahs raised to the King of Israel, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who above all reigns and will reign omnipotent, making the wrath of man to praise Him. But the flight of the Syrians and their discomfiture at Medeba did not immediately, as we might imagine, result in peace. They were like most other barbarous and rapacious nations, dogged, infatuated, and obstinate to the last. We would have thought that the defeat they experienced, even in their own country and before their stronghold, would have taught them a lesson, and induced them to make overtures of peace. But no; they make a new attempt to recover their lost honour, and to check the progress of Davids victorious arms. The forces that were lately dispersed rallied again, and as we read in the fifteenth verse, gathered themselves together. Again, we have seen that Joab, before the battle, supposed the worst, that one of them should be obliged to give back; and in that case that the other, upon a given signal, should send a detachment to relieve it: If occasion be, thou shalt help me, and I will help thee. Here is an acknowledgment of mutual helplessness and mutual helpfulness. Are the soldiers of Christ strengthening one anothers hands in their spiritual warfare--the strong- succouring and helping the weak? Are those who through grace have been conquerors over temptation, counselling, comforting, and praying for those who are tempted? I have prayed for thee, said Christ to Peter, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (G. M. Irvine, M. A.)

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

2Sa 10:13-14. Joab drew nigh unto battle against the Syrians — He acted very wisely in assaulting the mercenary army first; for they that are hired to fight generally take great care to save themselves, having little regard to the cause for which they fight. Then fled they also — They seem not to have struck a stroke, but provided for their safety by retiring into the city, near to which their army was drawn up. So Joab returned — Here is no account of the number of the slain, who, probably, were few, because they did not fight, but flee. The year also seems to have been so far spent that it was not a fit season for laying siege to the city. See 2Sa 11:1.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(13) Against the Syrians.—The attack was begun, not against both parts of the foe at once, but Joab threw the weight of his forces against the stronger division of the enemy while Abishai watched and held in check the Ammonites. His tactics were completely successful. The Syrians fled, and the Ammonites, seeing that the whole army of Israel could now be thrown upon them, retired precipitately into the city.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. they fled before him] “They that are hired to fight generally have a great care to save themselves, having no regard to the cause for which they fight.” Patrick.

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.

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians,.... Fell upon them; attacked them first, began the battle with them; rightly judging, that if they, being hired soldiers, were closely pressed, they would give way, which would discourage the Ammonites, who depended much upon them; and the fight, according to Josephus (x), lasted some little time, who says, that Joab killed many of them, and obliged the rest to turn their backs and flee, as follows:

and they fled before him: the Syriac and Arabic versions in this verse, and in all others in this chapter where the word "Syrians" is used, have "Edomites", reading "Edom" instead of "Aram", the letters "R" and "D" in the Hebrew tongue being very similar.

(x) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6. sect. 2.)

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

CHAPTER X.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He prudently falls upon them first, because they were but mercenaries, and not concerned so much in the success as the Ammonites were, all whose interest lay at stake; and therefore not likely to venture too far in their defence.

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

from Abishai

Here Abishai represents himself and his soldiers. AT: "from Abishai and his soldiers" (See: Synecdoche)

into the city

Here "the city" refers to Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites.

went back to Jerusalem

"returned to Jerusalem"

translationWords

Jerusalem

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