Chapter 19 of I Chronicles recounts the narrative of the delegation David sent to console Hanun son of Nahash, king of the Ammonites, the humiliation inflicted upon his emissaries, and the two military campaigns that ensued - against the Ammonites and against Aram. The chapter appears in its entirety in II Samuel, Chapter 10, and the Malbim himself directs the reader to his commentary there. Therefore, our focus here will be on the additions found in Divrei HaYamim and the comparisons between the two books.
What Was Nahash's Act of Kindness?
וַֽיְהִי֙ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מׇת נָחָ֖שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ - It happened after this that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, died, and his son reigned in his place.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜יד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמִּי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛יד מַלְאָכִ֖ים לְנַחֲמ֣וֹ עַל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜יד אֶל־אֶ֧רֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֛וֹן אֶל־חָנ֖וּן לְנַחֲמֽוֹ׃ - And David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." And David sent messengers to console him concerning his father; and David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun, to console him.
Nahash, king of the Ammonites, died, and his son Hanun arose to reign in his stead. David said: I will send a diplomatic delegation to console Hanun, for his father showed kindness to me. What was that kindness? It is not specified in Scripture, but Chazal explain: When David fled from Saul, he took his father, mother, and brothers and settled them in the domain of the king of Moab, as it is written: "David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, 'Please let my father and my mother stay with you.'" The Moabites, however, killed them - they killed Jesse, David's mother, and his brothers, except for Elihu. Elihu, David's brother, fled to the land of the Ammonites, and Nahash, king of Ammon, took him in and saved him. This is the kindness of which David spoke.
The compelling proof for this explanation, though not explicitly stated in Scripture, is cited by Pseudo-Rashi: from this point forward, David's brothers are never mentioned again except for Elihu, who is mentioned among the divisions of the leaders of Judah - "Elihu, one of the brothers of David." If so, where did all the rest disappear to? Rather, as stated, the king of Moab killed them after David entrusted them to his care.
From this one can also understand why, when David struck Moab and "measured them with a line," he dealt them such a harsh and severe blow, treating them far more severely than his other enemies. For there was an element of vengeance here for the murder of his parents and brothers, and to ensure that they would never repeat such an atrocity, so that the nations would understand that Israel is not to be harmed.
The Counsel of the Ammonite Princes: "To Search, to Overthrow, and to Spy"
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵי־עַמּ֜וֹן לְחָנ֗וּן הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤יד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַחֲמִ֑ים הֲלֹ֡א בַּעֲבוּר לַחְקֹ֨ר וְלַהֲפֹ֤ךְ וּלְרַגֵּל֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ בָּ֥אוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ - And the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, "Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Is it not to search out, to overthrow, and to spy out the land that his servants have come to you?"
The princes of Ammon said to Hanun: Are you so naive as to believe that David is honoring your father and sending you comforters? His entire intention is to send men to inspect the land from within. One who enters the city sees where the fortifications are, where the army is positioned, where the walls are thick, and where breaches exist. And what compelled them to conclude this? They cited proof from the verse in Israel's own Torah: "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days." If so, why would David suddenly come to seek the peace and well-being of the king of Ammon?
The Humiliation: Shaving Half the Beard and Cutting the Garments
וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ וַֽיְגַלְּחֵ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַד־הַמִּפְשָׂעָ֑ה וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃ - So Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.
Hanun is convinced and sends David's diplomatic delegation away in great humiliation. "And shaved them" - shaving in itself is not inherently a massive humiliation, even though in their time everyone was accustomed to growing a beard; rather, here he shaved half of their beards, and shaving half a beard is a tremendous disgrace. "And cut off their garments" - madveihem means their clothing, related to "his linen tunic" (mido vad). And he cut them in half "up to the groin" (ad hamifsa'ah), meaning up to the private parts. The word mifsa'ah is derived from pesi'ah (stride or step), as in "I will march through it" (efse'ah vah), for that place is the stride of a person, and this is a euphemism. The private parts are similarly referred to as "feet", as in "and he had not trimmed his feet", which means he had not shaved his pubic hair. In the Book of Shmuel it states "up to their buttocks" (ad shetotaihem), which is also a euphemism for the private parts.
"Remain in Yericho until your beards have grown"
וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ וַיַּגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֤יד עַל־הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵח֔וֹ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃ - People went and told David about the men, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, "Remain in Yericho until your beards have grown, and then return."
"People went and told David about the men" - messengers of theirs went to tell David what had happened, and the reason is immediately explained: "for the men were greatly humiliated." They themselves could not come before David in this state, being half naked and with half a beard, so they hid and sent word to inform David of their situation. "And he sent to meet them" - he sent people to instruct them to stay in Yericho, and he certainly also sent someone to clothe them. But a beard does not grow back instantly, and in their day beard transplants were not an option, so what could they do? Furthermore, shaving off the rest of the beard entirely was apparently also considered a humiliation. Therefore David tells them: "Remain in Yericho until your beards have grown, and then return" - stay until the beard grows back and you are no longer disgraced, and only then return to your homes.
Perhaps support can be drawn from here for the opinions that hold shaving involves the prohibition of "a man shall not wear a woman's garment" (lo yilbash), in accordance with the ruling of the Chasam Sofer. For this reason, the Jews of Hungary were accustomed to grow a mustache: according to the Chasam Sofer, shaving raises a concern of lo yilbash, so they grew a mustache so that a man's masculine appearance would remain distinct, alleviating the concern. And from this verse, where having a shaved beard was considered a humiliation, there seems to be support for this view.
"Became odious to David" - Hiring Aram
וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁ֖וּ עִם־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חָנוּן וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֜וֹן אֶ֣לֶף כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף לִשְׂכֹּ֣ר לָהֶם מִן־אֲרַ֨ם נַהֲרַ֜יִם וּמִן־אֲרַ֤ם מַֽעֲכָה֙ וּמִצּוֹבָ֔ה רֶ֖כֶב וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ - When the Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen for themselves from Aram Naharayim, Aram Maacah, and Tzovah.
"And the Ammonites saw" - here related to fear - "that they had become odious to David": meaning their reputation had become foul-smelling, repulsive in David's eyes like something putrid and malodorous. They understood that David would not let the humiliation inflicted on his emissaries pass without response, and so they went and hired mercenaries to protect them - chariots and horsemen from Aram Naharayim, Aram Maacah, and Tzovah.
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains that there were many Aramean factions: "Aram Maacah" refers to Arameans residing in Maacah; "Aram Naharayim" refers to Arameans dwelling along the Euphrates, between two rivers; and "Aram Tzovah" - or plain "Aram" - was the core of the nation, as their primary settlement was in Aram Tzovah. Similarly, Ammonites living in Ammon are called Ammonites and constitute the core of the nation, though there are Ammonites in other places; and the descendants of Esav living in the land of Seir in Edom constitute the core of the nation, though there are descendants of Esav elsewhere. Therefore, Scripture emphasizes that these were Arameans from Aram Naharayim, Aram Maacah, and Tzovah, which was the main center of Aram.
Chariots or Infantry? Two Hirings
וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ לָהֶ֡ם שְׁנַיִם֩ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף רֶ֗כֶב וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ וְאֶת־עַמּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י מֵֽידְבָ֑א וּבְנֵ֣י עַמּ֗וֹן נֶאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ - So they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his people, and they came and encamped before Meideva; and the Ammonites assembled from their cities and came to battle.
They hired thirty-two thousand chariots - war chariots harnessed to horses - as well as the king of Maacah himself and his people. "And they came and encamped before Meideva," and the Ammonites also gathered from their cities and came to battle.
The Malbim notes that here Scripture writes "thirty-two thousand chariots," whereas in Sefer Shemuel the tally is thirty-two thousand foot soldiers. He resolves this: initially they hired infantrymen, and afterward they sent a thousand talents of silver - a detail not mentioned in Sefer Shemuel - and with that money they hired charioteers matching that number. In other words, there were two hirings: first foot soldiers, and afterward charioteers.
Two Fronts: Front and Rear
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־צָבָ֖א הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃ - David heard, and he sent Joab and the entire army of mighty warriors.
"And the entire army of mighty warriors" - meaning the entire army, as well as the elite warriors.
וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֑יר וְהַמְּלָכִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔אוּ לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃ - The Ammonites came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open field.
Pseudo-Rashi explains: They divided their forces into two battle lines. The Ammonites formed one battle line at the entrance of the city facing all of Israel, while the kings allied with them formed a separate line by themselves in the open field, behind Israel, in order to attack them from both sides.
וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹאָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֧ה פְנֵֽי־הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו פָּנִ֣ים וְאָח֑וֹר וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכׇּל־בָּחוּר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃ - Joab saw that the battle front was against him before and behind, so he selected from all the chosen men of Israel and drew up against the Arameans.
Joab sees that the battle front - that is, the vanguard of the enemy warriors - was facing him from both front and rear, so he selects from all the finest men of Israel and arrays them for battle against Aram.
Avshai or Avishai?
וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַיַּעַרְכ֔וּ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ - The rest of the troops he placed under the command of his brother Avshai, and they deployed against the Ammonites.
Joab placed the rest of the troops in the charge of his brother Avshai - Avishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah - to deploy against the Ammonites. Here it is worth noting the name: throughout Divrei HaYamim he is called "Avshai," except in two exceptional instances, whereas throughout Sefer Shemuel he is called "Avishai," with only one exception: "The rest of the troops he placed under the command of Avshai."
Pseudo-Rashi explains according to his consistent approach throughout the book: Divrei HaYamim was written to honor David, and in the name "Avishai" there is a slight toward David's honor. For "Avishai" sounds like "Avi Yishai" (my father is Jesse), making it appear as though he were equating himself with the king - David is the son of Jesse, and he too would seemingly take pride in having Jesse as his father (even though he was actually his grandson). Therefore, Scripture calls him "Avshai," thereby obscuring "Yishai" so that no one appears to place himself on an equal footing with David. One might reject another interpretation - that "Avi Yishai" implies the arrogant claim "I am the father of Jesse" - since it is inconceivable that a grandson would consider himself his grandfather's father; but taking pride in Jesse being his father is plausible, and that would detract from David's honor.
"Be Strong and Let Us Strengthen Ourselves for Our People"
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ אֲרָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִּ֖י לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה וְאִם־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֛וֹן יֶחֶזְק֥וּ מִמְּךָ֖ וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּֽיךָ׃ - And he said, "If Aram proves too strong for me, then you shall be my help; but if the children of Ammon prove too strong for you, then I will save you."
Yoav says to Avshai: A portion of the people will be with me and a portion with you. If Aram proves too strong for me, you will come and serve as a reinforcement for me to be saved from them; and if the reverse happens, that I prevail over Aram while the children of Ammon prove too strong for you, I will come and save you.
חֲזַ֤ק וְנִֽתְחַזְּקָה֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַיהֹוָ֔ה הַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ - "Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may Hashem do what seems good in His sight."
"Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves" - you and the people with you must take courage, and we too will strengthen ourselves. "For our people" - so that our people are not taken captive, "and for the cities of our God" - so that they do not conquer the cities of our God. "And may Hashem do what seems good in His sight" - if all our strengthening does not avail, Heaven forbid, and a defeat ensues, we know that whatever Hashem does is good in His eyes, and it is certainly for the best; we have no understanding of how, but we will accept it with love, as explained by the Metzudas David.
From here we see the necessity of strengthening the people in a time of war. For this purpose they would send the priest anointed for war (the Kohen Mashuach Milchama), as the Rambam cites, who would tell the people that they were going out to fight on behalf of Hashem; and anyone who goes out and gives of his soul, fighting for the honor of Hashem, is assured that he will return safely, and should not fear or dread the enemy. Meanwhile, anyone with transgressions on his hands would return home, lest he cause faint-heartedness among his brethren. Here too, "Be strong and let us strengthen ourselves for our people" are words of motivation whose entire aim is to teach: I am not fighting merely to save myself, but to save the Jewish people as a whole and the cities of Israel, and the honor of Heaven is at stake - and through this a person will surely be further strengthened in battle.
First Victory
וַיִּגַּ֨ש יוֹאָ֜ב וְהָעָ֧ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י אֲרָ֖ם לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיָּנ֖וּסוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃ - So Yoav and the people who were with him drew near before Aram for battle, and they fled before him.
וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּֽי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה וַיָּבֹ֥א יוֹאָ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ - And when the children of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avshai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Yoav came to Jerusalem.
Yoav and the people with him advance toward Aram, and Aram flees. The children of Ammon see that Aram has fled, and they too flee from Avshai and withdraw into the city, and Yoav returns to Jerusalem.
Shophach - Aram's Secret Weapon
וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֗ם כִּ֣י נִגְּפוּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים וַיּוֹצִ֣יאוּ אֶת־אֲרָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשׁוֹפַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃ - And when Aram saw that they were routed before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them.
Aram saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they set out to recruit their secret weapon - Shophach. They brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer's army at their head. In the Book of Shmuel his name appears as "Shovach," and Chazal explain: "Shovach" - for he was as tall as a dovecote (shovach); "Shophach" - for he poured out (shofech) blood like water, which is why he was called Shophach, from the root of pouring out.
A General Mobilization and Arraying the Battle
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗יד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם וַיַּעֲרֹ֨ךְ דָּוִ֜יד לִקְרַ֤את אֲרָם֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ׃ - And it was told to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and arrayed against them; and David arrayed the battle against Aram, and they fought with him.
"And it was told to David" - they came and informed him that a game-changing force was arriving: Shophach with the Arameans from beyond the River. David sees the situation and gathers all Israel, not just the army that was deployed earlier, but a general mobilization; he crosses the Jordan and comes upon them. "And arrayed against them" means that he prepared himself to wage war against them - organizing the army formation opposite formation - and then "David arrayed the battle against Aram, and they fought with him."
Seven Thousand Charioteers and Forty Thousand Foot Soldiers
וַיָּ֣נׇס אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֒ל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וְאֵ֛ת שׁוֹפַ֥ךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הֵמִֽית׃ - And Aram fled from before Israel, and David slew of Aram seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, and he put to death Shophach the commander of the army.
Aram flees, and David kills from them seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. Yet in the Book of Shmuel it says seven hundred charioteers. One must understand that "rechev" does not mean the vehicle itself, but rather the rider, the warrior upon the chariot.
The Radak resolves this: there, it refers to seven hundred "chosen" charioteers - the elite battalions, the best among them; while here, where seven thousand charioteers are mentioned, it refers to the rest of the chariot personnel, the other warriors upon the chariots. Likewise regarding the other number: there it says "and forty thousand horsemen," while here it says "and forty thousand foot soldiers." The Radak explains that there it counted the forty thousand horsemen without counting the foot soldiers, while here it counts the foot soldiers without counting the horsemen, because they were already counted there. Thus, there were forty thousand of each: horsemen are those riding on horseback without chariots, and foot soldiers are those who go on foot to fight with spear and javelin. And as we have mentioned several times, Ezra came in Divrei HaYamim and revealed what had not been explained and recounted in the Book of Shmuel.
The Malbim explains the contradiction regarding the seven hundred in a different way: Ezra revealed that every chariot had ten horses, and therefore seven hundred chariots equal seven thousand horses - the verse there speaks of the chariots themselves, while here it refers to the chariot horses, so there is no contradiction. As for the forty thousand, the Malbim found it less plausible to say that these were an additional forty thousand; rather, they were the exact same forty thousand. Why, then, does Scripture call them horsemen in one place and foot soldiers in another? The Malbim explains: "parash" (horseman) is a title denoting prowess and skill in riding horses, but at that time they fought on foot. In other words, they were horsemen in potential - he brought men skilled in riding horses, but they came to fight as infantry rather than as mounted troops.
Aram Makes Peace with David
וַיִּרְא֞וּ עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥ימוּ עִם־דָּוִ֖יד וַיַּעַבְדֻ֑הוּ וְלֹֽא־אָבָ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עֽוֹד׃ - And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him; and Aram was not willing to save the children of Ammon any more.
The servants of Hadadezer are those we saw earlier in verse 16, who were brought as reinforcement troops for the children of Ammon: when Aram saw that they were defeated before Israel, they brought the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer's army at their head. Now, when the servants of Hadadezer see that they too have been defeated before Israel and that their commander Shophach was killed, they make peace with David and serve him. "And Aram was not willing to save the children of Ammon any more" - following this great defeat, Aram had no desire to enter into such ventures again, and never went to help the children of Ammon in any other matter where they needed deliverance.
In summary:
The chapter opens with good intentions - David seeks to repay kindness with kindness to the son of Nachash, who had taken in his brother Elihu when their parents and brothers were killed by Moav - and ends in a heavy war, after the princes of Ammon suspected the delegation of consolers to be spies and humiliated David's emissaries by shaving half their beards and cutting off their garments. David preserves their dignity ("Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown"), Yoav and Avishai divide their forces between Aram and the Ammonites and encourage one another with "Be of good courage, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people, and for the cities of our God" - a motivation born of self-sacrifice for the community and for the honor of Heaven, along with the acceptance of "and the Lord do that which is good in His eyes." In the end, even the mobilization of Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, cannot withstand them; Aram is defeated, makes peace with David, and refuses to help the Ammonites any further.