2 Samuel 10:12

Contextual Overview

⁶When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob. ⁶ When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob. ⁶Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. ⁶ Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men. ⁶ And when the children of Ammon sawe that they stancke in the sight of Dauid, they sent & hyred the Syrians of the house of Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba .xx. thousand footemen, and of king Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelue thousand men. ⁶ The Ammonites saw that they had become David's enemies, so they hired Arameans from Beth Rehob and Zobah. There were 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maacah with 1000 men and 12,000 men from Tob. ⁶ And the sons of Ammon saw that they were odious to David. And the sons of Ammon sent and hired Syrians from Beth-rehob, and Syrians from Zobah, twenty thousand footmen; and the king of Maacah with a thousand men; and the men of Tob ⁶ When the Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-re'hob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Ma'acah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. ⁶ When the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. ⁶ And when the children of Ammon saw that they stanke before Dauid, the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twentie thousand footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelue thousand men.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Be of good: This is a very animating address, and equal to anything of the kind in ancient or modern times. Ye fight pro aris et focis; for every good, sacred and civil; for God, for your families, and for your countries. Such harangues, especially in very trying circumstances, are very natural, and may perhaps be found in the records of every nation. Several instances might be quoted from Roman and Grecian history; but few are more remarkable than that of Tyrtaeus, the lame Athenian poet, to whom the command of the army was given in one of the Messenian wars. The Spartans had at that time suffered great losses, and all their stratagems proved ineffectual, so that they began to despair of success; when the poet, by his lectures on honour and courage, delivered in moving verse to the army, ravished them to such a degree with the thoughts of dying for their country, that, rushing on with a furious transport to meet their enemies, they gave them an entire overthrow, and by one decisive battle brought the war to a happy conclusion. Numbers 13:20, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:6, Joshua 1:7, Joshua 1:9, Joshua 1:18, 1 Samuel 14:6, 1 Samuel 14:12, 1 Samuel 17:32, 2 Chronicles 32:7, Nehemiah 4:14, Hebrews 13:6

play: 1 Samuel 4:9, 1 Chronicles 19:13, 1 Corinthians 16:13

the Lord: 2 Samuel 16:10, 2 Samuel 16:11, Judges 10:15, 1 Samuel 3:18, Job 1:21

Reciprocal: Judges 18:9 - be not 1 Samuel 17:37 - Go 2 Samuel 2:7 - let your 2 Samuel 24:3 - General 1 Kings 2:2 - and show Esther 4:16 - if I perish Psalms 60:12 - we shall Proverbs 27:17 - so

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be of good courage, and let us play the men,.... This Joab said, not only to encourage Abishai and himself, but in the hearing of the rest of the officers of the army, and of many of the people, to hearten them to the battle; who might be somewhat intimidated with the number of their enemies, and the position they were in, being before and behind them; and therefore he thought proper to make such a speech to them to animate them to light:

for our people, and for the cities of our God; that the people of Israel might not be carried captive, and their cities spoiled and plundered; and instead of being cities where the people of God dwelt, and he was worshipped, would, if taken, become the habitations of idolatrous Heathens, and where temples would be erected to idols, and the worship of them; these were the arguments he used to engage them to fight manfully for their country, the liberties and religion of it:

and the Lord do that which seemeth him good: tacitly suggesting that victory was of the Lord, and that it became them to do their part in fighting courageously, and leave the issue to the Lord, on whom alone success depended.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the cities of our God - This rather indicates that the relief of Medeba was one of the immediate objects in view, and consequently that at this time Medeba was still in the possession of the Reubenites. To prevent an Israelite city falling into the hands of a pagan people, and the rites of Moloch being substituted for the worship of Yahweh, was a very urgent motive to valor.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 10:12. Be of good courage — This is a very fine military address, and is equal to any thing in ancient or modern times. Ye fight pro aris et focis; for every good, sacred and civil; for God, for your families, and for your country.