1 Chronicles 19:17 King James Version (KJV)

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.


1 Chronicles 19:17 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

17 And it was told H5046 David; H1732 and he gathered H622 all Israel, H3478 and passed over H5674 Jordan, H3383 and came H935 upon them, and set the battle in array H6186 against them. So when David H1732 had put the battle H4421 in array H6186 against H7125 the Syrians, H758 they fought H3898 with him.


1 Chronicles 19:17 American Standard (ASV)

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.


1 Chronicles 19:17 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

17 And it is declared to David, and he gathereth all Israel, and passeth over the Jordan, and cometh in unto them, and setteth in array against them; yea, David setteth in array the battle to meet Aram, and they fight with him;


1 Chronicles 19:17 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set [the battle] in array against them. And David put the battle in array against the Syrians, and they fought with him.


1 Chronicles 19:17 World English Bible (WEB)

17 It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.


1 Chronicles 19:17 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

17 And word of this was given to David; and he got all Israel together and went over Jordan and came to Helam and put his forces in position against them. And when David's forces were in position against the Aramaeans, the fight was started.

Cross Reference

1 Chronicles 19:9 KJV

And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

Isaiah 22:6-7 KJV

And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

Commentary on 1 Chronicles 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 19

1Ch 19:1-5. David's Messengers, Sent to Comfort Hanun, Are Disgracefully Treated.

1. after this—This phrase seems to indicate that the incident now to be related took place immediately, or soon after the wars described in the preceding chapter. But the chronological order is loosely observed, and the only just inference that can be drawn from the use of this phrase is, that some farther account is to be given of the wars against the Syrians.

Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died—There had subsisted a very friendly relation between David and him, begun during the exile of the former, and cemented, doubtless, by their common hostility to Saul.

3. are not his servants come unto thee for to search?—that is, thy capital, Rabbah (2Sa 10:3).

4, 5. shaved them—not completely, but only the half of their face. This disrespect to the beard, and indecent exposure of their persons by their clothes being cut off from the girdle downwards, was the grossest indignity to which Jews, in common with all Orientals, could be subjected. No wonder that the men were ashamed to appear in public—that the king recommended them to remain in seclusion on the border till the mark of their disgrace had disappeared—and then they might, with propriety, return to the court.

1Ch 19:6-15. Joab and Abishai Overcome the Ammonites.

6. when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David—One universal feeling of indignation was roused throughout Israel, and all classes supported the king in his determination to avenge this unprovoked insult on the Hebrew nation.

Hanun … sent a thousand talents of silver—a sum equal to £342,100, to procure the services of foreign mercenaries.

chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia … Syria-maachah, and … Zobah—The Mesopotamian troops did not arrive during this campaign (1Ch 19:16). Syria-maachah lay on the north of the possessions of the trans-jordanic Israelites, near Gilead.

Zobah—(see on 1Ch 18:3).

7. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots—Hebrew, "riders," or "cavalry," accustomed to fight either on horseback or in chariots, and occasionally on foot. Accepting this as the true rendering, the number of hired auxiliaries mentioned in this passage agrees exactly with the statement in 2Sa 10:6: twenty thousand (from Syria), twelve thousand (from Tob), equal to thirty-two thousand, and one thousand with the king of Maachah.

8. David … sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men—All the forces of Israel, including the great military orders, were engaged in this war.

9-15. children of Ammon … put the battle in array before the gate of the city—that is, outside the walls of Medeba, a frontier town on the Arnon.

the kings that were come were by themselves in the field—The Israelitish army being thus beset by the Ammonites in front, and by the Syrian auxiliaries behind, Joab resolved to attack the latter (the more numerous and formidable host), while he directed his brother Abishai, with a suitable detachment, to attack the Ammonites. Joab's address before the engagement displays the faith and piety that became a commander of the Hebrew people. The mercenaries being defeated, the courage of the Ammonites failed; so that, taking flight, they entrenched themselves within the fortified walls.

1Ch 19:16-19. Shophach Slain by David.

16. And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel—(See on 2Sa 10:15-19).

18. David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men—(Compare 2Sa 10:18, which has seven hundred chariots). Either the text in one of the books is corrupt [Keil, Davidson], or the accounts must be combined, giving this result—seven thousand horsemen, seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen [Kennicott, Houbigant, Calmet].