1 Chronicles Chapter 19
War with Ammon and Syria
A. The offense of the Ammonites.
1. (1 Chronicles 19:1-2) David sends ambassadors to the Ammonites at the death of their king.
“It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. Then David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.”
David, though the strongest ruler in the region, did not rule as a tyrant. His decision to show kindness to Hanun reveals his loyalty to Nahash, who had previously helped him. David’s kindness was not passive; he acted on it by sending messengers to personally comfort Hanun. This demonstrated diplomacy, maturity, strength, and a willingness to maintain peace with a neighboring pagan nation.
a. I will show kindness: David intended to express sincere compassion toward a grieving king. Even in international relations, he chose righteousness over suspicion or hostility.
b. So David sent messengers to comfort him: David’s mercy was active. He did not merely feel kindness; he took deliberate steps to console Hanun. This reflects the heart of a godly leader who treats others with respect even across cultural and religious divides.
2. (1 Chronicles 19:3-5) Hanun, the new king of the Ammonites, treats Israel’s ambassadors shamefully.
“And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land? Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. Then some went and told David about the men, and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
The princes of Ammon poisoned Hanun’s mind with suspicion. Whether out of genuine paranoia or an attempt to appear clever and strategic, they projected deceit where none existed. Such is the pattern of corrupt men, who assume others are as dishonest as themselves. Hanun embraced their foolish counsel and committed a grave insult by shaving the ambassadors’ beards and exposing their nakedness. In the ancient Near East the beard was a man’s honor, symbolizing dignity and freedom. To shave it by force was an attack on personal identity and a deliberate public humiliation.
Cutting their garments at the waist added further disgrace, making them objects of mockery. This treatment was not just an insult to the men, it was a direct insult to David, since an attack on an ambassador is an attack on the king who sent him. This same principle applies to Christ and His servants, as Jesus said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18).
David responded not with rash retaliation but with compassion for the men who had been humiliated. He allowed them to remain at Jericho until their beards regrew, protecting their dignity and shielding them from further shame. This reveals David’s pastoral concern for his people and his understanding of how deeply their honor had been wounded.
3. (1 Chronicles 19:6-8) The Ammonites and Israelites prepare for war.
“When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maachah, and from Zobah. So they hired for themselves thirty two thousand chariots, with the king of Maachah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. Also the people of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle. Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.”
When the people of Ammon realized the enormity of their offense, the text says they “saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David.” They knew they were in the wrong. David did not reject them first, they had publicly humiliated his ambassadors and brought shame upon Israel. Their guilt pushed them deeper into folly instead of repentance. Rather than seeking peace or humbling themselves before David, they sent an enormous sum of money, a thousand talents of silver, to hire foreign mercenaries. This was common in the ancient world, but it also exposed their weakness. They had no ability to defend themselves against Israel, so they attempted to buy protection from Mesopotamia, Syrian Maachah, and Zobah.
The force they assembled was massive by ancient standards. Thirty two thousand chariots accompanied by the king of Maachah and his people encamped before Medeba. The Ammonite cities also gathered their own troops for battle. This coalition demonstrates how one foolish act, rooted in pride and bad counsel, can escalate into a region shaking war. Hanun’s arrogance turned a diplomatic gesture into a military crisis that drew in nations from across the region.
When David heard the situation, he responded immediately. He sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. David’s strength was not only his own leadership but the devotion and skill of those who served him. These men were not always mighty. Many had begun their journey with David when they were distressed, indebted, or discontented at Adullam Cave as recorded in 1 Samuel 22:1-2. Under David’s leadership they were transformed into the most formidable fighting force in Israel’s history. The bond between David and his mighty men was mutual. He was their leader, and they were his loyal warriors.
Among these mighty men was Adino the Eznite, who became famous for striking down eight hundred men in a single encounter as described in 2 Samuel 23:8. Jashobeam, another of David's elite warriors, killed three hundred men in one battle as recorded in 1 Chronicles 11:11. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, gained renown for killing a lion in a pit on a snowy day and for defeating a towering Egyptian warrior by taking the Egyptian’s own spear and killing him with it as stated in 1 Chronicles 11:22-23. These descriptions underscore the elite character of the force that marched under David’s command. When these men took the field, it signaled that Israel meant business and that the coming conflict would be decisive.
B. Victory for Israel.
1. (1 Chronicles 19:9-13) Joab divides the army into two groups.
“Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the people of Ammon. Then he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
As the Ammonites drew up their army in front of the city gate, the hired kings from the surrounding regions positioned themselves out in the open field. The army of Israel suddenly found itself caught in a pincer movement. Joab saw the danger immediately, for the battle line was “before and behind.” Rather than collapsing in fear or considering surrender, Joab quickly divided his force. He personally took Israel’s best warriors to face the Syrians, while the remainder of the army was placed under Abishai to confront the Ammonites. This tactical decision showed both courage and clarity of mind in a moment that would have overwhelmed a lesser commander.
Joab told his brother, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.” His plan assumed no defeat, only mutual reinforcement. As Morgan noted, Joab made no provision for ultimate failure, because he stood confident that Israel must fight and that God would determine the outcome. His rallying cry to the troops stands as one of the great battlefield speeches in Scripture: “Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” Courage and strength are matters of obedience, not emotion. Scripture later affirms this principle, commanding believers to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). Joab reminded the army of what was at stake, namely their people and their cities, and he closed with a confession that after they had done their duty, the final result belonged to the Lord. As Meyer observed, it is foolish to believe that God will do everything while we do nothing, just as it is foolish to believe that we fight alone. Joab held both truths in perfect balance.
2. (1 Chronicles 19:14-15) Joab defeats the Syrians, and the Ammonites retreat to the city of Rabbah.
“So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai his brother and entered the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem.”
Joab advanced toward the Syrians, yet the text emphasizes that the mercenaries fled before any real fighting even began. Their retreat was immediate and total. This was not because Joab had overwhelming numbers but because the presence of God was with Israel. It was a fulfillment of the promise given to an obedient nation: “The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways” (Deuteronomy 28:7). The Ammonites, seeing their hired warriors flee, lost heart and ran back into Rabbah. They were no more capable of standing against the army of the mighty men than the Syrians had been. As Payne notes, Joab did not besiege Rabbah at this time, possibly because the season was already too late in the year for a proper siege. Instead, the immediate threat was neutralized and Joab returned to Jerusalem, awaiting the next stage of the conflict.
3. (1 Chronicles 19:16-19) David wipes out the Syrian reinforcements.
“Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought the Syrians who were beyond the River, and Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when David had set up in battle array against the Syrians, they fought with him. Then the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shophach the commander of the army. And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. So the Syrians were not willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.”
The Syrians, humiliated in their first defeat, refused to give up. Instead of accepting God’s clear judgment, they sent messengers to gather reinforcements from “beyond the River,” meaning the greater Syrian forces east of the Euphrates. This reveals that Israel’s enemies were persistent, determined, and willing to escalate the conflict. Shophach, Hadadezer’s seasoned commander, led this reinforced coalition. They intended to crush Israel once and for all and redeem their earlier shame.
When David heard this news, he acted immediately. He did not send Joab alone. He “gathered all Israel,” mobilizing the full strength of the nation. This prevented the reinforced Syrian armies from overwhelming Joab’s contingent. David crossed over the Jordan, took the initiative, and confronted the Syrians head on. The result was decisive. Israel routed the enemy completely. The Syrians fled, and David personally oversaw the destruction of seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. Even Shophach, their highest military leader, fell in battle. With their commanders dead and their armies crushed, the servants of Hadadezer surrendered, made peace, and placed themselves under David’s authority. The final line states the long term effect of this victory: the Syrians were no longer willing to help Ammon. Their alliance collapsed as Israel’s dominance became undeniable.
The emphasis on “all Israel” is significant. As Selman observed, this incident shows the entire nation unified under David, securing peace and stability that would eventually allow Solomon to build the temple. Yet the chapter also ends with unfinished business. Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, remained unconquered, and Joab returned to Jerusalem awaiting the next campaign. It would be during the next spring’s battles, when David stayed home instead of leading, that he fell into sin with Bathsheba. God had already shown David through this very event that Israel needed his direct leadership. When David personally came to the battlefield, God blessed the victory. This was a gracious warning that David sadly ignored when he chose to remain comfortably in Jerusalem the next season.
These events remind us that no believer is above temptation. As Morgan observed, constant watchfulness is the only safeguard. Even great victories and great blessings do not guarantee safety if the heart is not actively guarded. David’s lapse came not in battle but in comfort, when vigilance was neglected. The warning stands for all who walk with God.
