Once upon a time, after the death of Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, his son, Hanun succeeded him on the throne in continuation of his legacy. Always the peacemaker, King David sought to extend the branches of friendship to the new king, as the deceased Nahash had once shown kindness to David. David dispatched his servants on a mission of compassion, to console Hanun in his period of grief.
The messengers were received in the land of the children of Ammon. However, the seed of suspicion was planted in Hanun’s heart by the princes of Ammon. They cast aspersions on David’s intentions, alleging that his emissaries were sent not to console but to spy and plan for an overthrow of the kingdom.
Intrigued by these allegations, Hanun mistreated David’s emissaries, dishonoring them by shaving their beards and disrobing them down to their buttocks before sending them back to their king.
Upon hearing the disgraceful treatment meted out to his servants, the compassionate David sent his people to meet the humiliated messengers, instructing them to stay at Jericho until their beards grew back, their dignity partially restored.
Recognizing they had incurred the wrath of David, Hanun and the children of Ammon swiftly mobilized for war. They amassed a sum of one thousand silver talents to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Arammaacah, and Zobah, bolstering their forces with thirty-two thousand chariots and the additional support of the king of Maacah and his followers.
The news reached David, who responded with the call of war. He dispatched his trusted commander Joab, along with the full strength of his army.
David’s forces faced off against the hired Syrians, as the children of Ammon watched from the safety of their city. Understanding the dire situation, Joab handpicked the best of Israel’s warriors to counter the Syrians, while the rest, under the command of his brother Abishai, were prepared to fight the Ammonites.
As the battle commenced, Joab and his men heroically charged the Syrian forces, causing them to turn tail and flee. Witnessing this, the children of Ammon followed suit and retreated into their city. With the battlefield cleared, Joab triumphantly returned to Jerusalem.
The Syrians, albeit defeated, were not willing to give up. They rallied reinforcements from beyond the River, led by Shophach, Hadarezer’s highest-ranking officer. But David, upon hearing this, led all of Israel to cross the Jordan and confront them.
During the ensuing battle, David displayed his battlefield prowess, causing the Syrians to flee. He slew the men of seven thousand Syrian chariots and forty thousand foot soldiers, including the mighty Shophach.
Witnessing their defeat, Hadarezer’s servants acknowledged their lack of strength against Israel, and made peace with David, agreeing to serve him. From thus on, they no longer supported or aided the children of Ammon, resulting in quieter, peaceful times in the land of Israel under King David’s rule.
