2 Samuel 10:17

2Sa 10:17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

Ver. 17. He gathered all Israel together.] The best of all, and fittest for his purpose; leading them forth himself. See 2Sa 8:6. This put life into his soldiers, as Queen Elizabeth also did by her personal presence at Tilbury Camp; and as the thrice valiant King of Sweden did.

And fought with him.] Very desperately, no doubt; for they had no hope of having quarter, since they had before this rebelled and joined with the Ammonites, to make war against him.

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 10:17-18. David passed over Jordan — In this expedition David seems to have commanded his army in his own person. But, notwithstanding, the Syrians appear to have begun the fight. David slew the men of seven hundred chariots, &c. — The parallel place, 1Ch 19:18, reads, seven thousand men that fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and not horsemen, as here. It is probable, either that horse and foot were mixed together, and that, in all, there were slain forty thousand of them, part horsemen and part footmen; or, as many learned men suppose, that some error has crept into the text in one of the places. Houbigant is of opinion, that the text here, corrected from the parallel passage, should be read, David destroyed seven thousand horsemen, seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand footmen.

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

Meaning, the greatest part.

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

Verse 17. David - gathered all Israel together] He thought that such a war required his own presence.

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

(17) He gathered . . . and passed.—David, hearing of the great Syrian rally, now took the field in person. Joab may have been with him, but more probably was employed at the south in holding the Ammonites in check and preventing their forming a junction with their confederates.

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

And when it was told David,.... What preparations the Syrians were making to fight him, and where they were:

he gathered all Israel together; all the fighting men in the country:

and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam: which, according to Bunting (b), was twenty miles from Jerusalem. David seems to have gone himself in person to this war:

and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him; they formed themselves in a line of battle, and attacked him first, being eager to fight, and perhaps confident of victory, because of their numbers.

(b) Travels, &c. p. 140, 141.

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

Helam. Ptolemy mentions Alamata, on the Euphrates. But perhaps we ought to read the Hebrew Lehem, "he came upon them." See 1 Paralipomenon xix. 17. Some translate, "he came to their army."

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).

All Israel, i.e. the chosen and valiant men picked out of all Israel.

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

David gathered all Israel together. Some commentators see in this an indication of dissatisfaction with Joab. Really it was a matter of course that in so great a war the king should place himself at the head of his levies. For not only was he possessed of great military genius, but his personal presence would make the men of Israel, a race of sturdy free men, assemble in greater numbers, and would give them confidence. If David himself went there would be no shirking the war and finding excuses to stay at home, and in the camp there would be prompt alacrity and zeal.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

David went with all Israel (all the Israelitish forces) against the foe, and smote the Aramaeans at Helam, where they had placed themselves in battle array, slaying seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, and so smiting (or wounding) the general Shobach that he died there, i.e., that he did not survive the battle (Thenius). With regard to the different account given in the corresponding text of the Chronicles as to the number of the slain, see the remarks on Sa2 10:6. It is a fact worthy of notice, that the number of men who fell in the battle (seven hundred receb and forty thousand parashim, according to the text before us; seven thousand receb and forty thousand ragli, according to the Chronicles) agrees quite as well with the number of Aramaeans reported to be taken prisoners or slain, according to Sa2 8:4 and Ch1 18:4-5 (viz., seventeen hundred parashim or a thousand receb, and seven thousand parashim and twenty thousand ragli of Aram-Zoba, and twenty-two thousand of Aram-Damascus), as could possibly be expected considering the notorious corruption in the numbers as we possess them; so that there is scarcely any doubt that the number of Aramaeans who fell was the same in both accounts (2 Samuel 8 and 10), and that in the chapter before us we have simply a more circumstantial account of the very same war of which the result is given in 2 Samuel 8 and Ch1 13:1-14.

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.)

When David was told this

This can be stated in active form. AT: "When David heard about this" (See: Active or Passive)

gathered all Israel together

Here "Israel" represents the army of Israel. AT: "assembled all the army of Israel together" (See: Metonymy)

Helam

See how you translated this man's name in 2 Samuel 10:16.

against David and fought him

Here David represents himself and his soldiers. AT: "against David and his soldiers and fought them" (See: Synecdoche)

David killed

Here David represents himself and his soldiers. AT: "David and his soldiers killed" (See: Synecdoche)

seven hundred ... forty thousand

"700 ... 40,000" (See: Numbers)

Shobak the commander of their army was wounded and died there

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The Israelites wounded Shobak the commander of the Aramean army, and he died there" (See: Active or Passive)

Shobak ... Hadarezer

See how you translated these men's names in 2 Samuel 10:16.

saw that they were defeated by Israel

This can be stated in active form. AT: "realized that the Israelites had defeated them" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Jordan River

Aram

chariot

horse

die

peace

Israel

fear

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