2 Samuel 10:12, commentary and pictures

This belongs to the greatest wars and victories of David's reign, which brought the most extensive additions to his power. The war grew from a vast coalition of surrounding nations against David, springing from jealousy of his increasing power, and was wholly unprovoked by him. The conflict began when news of the death of Nahash king of the Ammonites came to Jerusalem, and David sent ambassadors with sympathy to Hanun his son and successor to repay kindness shown when David was a fugitive from Saul. Hanun's counselors misconstrued the message as sent to search the city and spy it out and overthrow it, and Hanun treated the messengers as spies with scorn and insult, violating the sacred office of ambassador which by universal law of nations ensured protection and demanded prompt retaliation for indignity.

The Ammonites hated the true God and were bitter enemies of Israel, and Nahash's apparent kindness to David was prompted only by hostility to Saul. They still remembered how half a century before Nahash had demanded the right eyes of Jabesh-gilead when it was besieged and suing for peace, and how the king of Israel had foiled that cruel design and rescued them. Having made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire thirty-two thousand chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Syria-maachah and Zobah, and gathered forces from their cities to battle with allies from between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. In this way the north and east of Canaan was encircled with armed foes banded together to crush Israel.

The verse is the charge of Joab as captain leading Israel's army across the Jordan toward the Ammonite capital against the allied Ammonites and Syrians, spoken to inspire the troops for the conflict. It calls them to take good courage and fight valiantly for the people and for the cities of God while trusting the Lord to do what is good in His sight. The charge was followed in the first battle by defeat of the united allied forces, and after they renewed the war the next year with an immense Syrian army, David took the field in person and by God's blessing inflicted a disastrous defeat. As a result the Syrians from Lebanon to the Euphrates gave up the war and became tributary to Israel, while David pressed the war against the Ammonites until their strongholds fell and the whole region came under Israel's dominion.