1 Chronicles 19 · Adam Clarke
Introduction David sends a congratulatory message to Hanun, king of Ammon, 1Chr 19:1 , 1Chr 19:2 . He treats the messengers with great incivility, 1Chr 19:3 , 1Chr 19:4 . David is exasperated, but condoles with the degraded messengers, 1Chr 19:5 . The Ammonites prepare for war, and hire thirty-two thousand chariots, and besiege Medeba, 1Chr 19:6 , 1Chr 19:7 . David sends Joab to attack them; he defeats the Syrians and Ammonites, 1Chr 19:8-15 . The discomfited Syrians recruit their army, and invade David's territories beyond Jordan; he attacks them, kills Shophach their general, seven thousand charioteers, and forty thousand of their infantry, 1Chr 19:16-18 . The Syrians abandon the Ammonites and make a separate peace with David, 1Chr 19:19 . Verse 1 Now it came to pass - See the same history, 2Sam 10:1 (note), etc., and the notes there.
Verse 4 And cut off their garments in the midst - Usque ad eorum, pudenda. So the Targum, Jarchi, and others; leaving exposed what nature and decency require to be concealed. See on 2Sam 10:4 (note).
Verse 6 Chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia - These are not mentioned in the parallel place in Samuel; probably they did not arrive till the Ammonites and their other allies were defeated by the Israelites in the first battle.
Verse 7 Thirty and two thousand - The whole number mentioned in Samuel is, Syrians, of Beth-rehob, and of Zoba, twenty thousand; of King Maacah, one thousand; of Ish-tob, twelve thousand; in all thirty-three thousand. Of chariots or cavalry there is no mention. These could not have been the whole army.
Verse 13 Be of good courage - See the note on 2Sam 10:12 .
Verse 18 Forty thousand footmen - See this number accounted for in the note on 2Sam 10:18 (note).