bosheth, and made him a grant of all the land that belonged to Saul, and appointed Ziba to have the oversight of its cultivation for the benefit of Mephibosheth, who was, at the same time, appointed to eat at the royal table continually as one of the king's own sons.

David had long been on terms of intimacy, and even of friendship, with Nahash, king of the Ammonites, and several acts of friendly interest had passed between the two sovereigns. About this time Nahash died, and was succeeded in the kingdom by his son Hanun. Impressed with kindly feelings for the young king from recollections of the friendship of his father, David sent two of his servants to condole with him and to comfort him. It unfortunately happened, however, for Hanun, that he was surrounded by weak and unworthy advisers. They said to him, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?" The sole apology for this unreasonable and rash advice of Hanun's counsellors is found in the fact that the Ammonites were at this time the only people who held a national existence independent of the Hebrews, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates. Acting on the suggestion of his advisers, Hanun ordered one half of the ambassadors' beards to be shaven off, and their garments to be cut off in the middle, and in this shameful plight he sent them back to their master. On hearing of this outrage, the first thought of David was sympathy for his messengers. He accordingly sent a person to meet them, to soothe their wounded feelings; and, as it was regarded as very shameful for men to appear in public in such circumstances, he counselled them to remain at Jericho until they were able to appear in public in a suitable manner

CHAPTER XI.

THE WAR WITH THE AMMONITES, AND THE EVENTS WHICH THEN TRANSPIRED.

HAVING Committed the outrage just mentioned on the Hebrew ambassadors, Hanun knew that a war between the two countries was rendered inevitable. No nation possessing ordinary power and self-respect would hesitate for a moment to punish such an insult, at almost any risk or cost. Although David can hardly be supposed to have been indisposed to resent the affront offered him by the ill-treatment of his ambassadors, yet he does not appear to have been the first to have recourse to military measures; for the account states, that "when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish-tob twelve thousand men." (2 Sam. x. 6.) These measures of the king of Ammon greatly aggravated his original offence.

Those nations that the Ammonites thus drew into alliance with themselves against David, were principally those whom David had subdued, and were tributary states dependent on him. The success of the Ammonites in forming these alliances casts important light on the social and military position of the states contiguous to the Hebrews at this time. It will be remembered that David defeated Hadadezer,

king of Zobah, soon after he had subdued Moab, and took from him a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. Yet, when he had to war with Edom, he found their army supported not only by Syrians from Zobah, but also by Syrians from Mesopotamia. And now,

when Ammon, having outraged all the laws which should regulate the intercourse between independent civilized states, is about to engage in warfare with Israel, they are supported again with an important army mainly drawn from these identical Syrian states. Beth-rehob was a small town in the north of Syria, near Dan: it was probably the parent seat of that branch of the Syrian family which afterward settled in Zobah. Hadadezer, king of Zobah, is said to have been the son of Rehob. (2 Sam. viii. 3.) Thus, although previously subdued, it seems that the whole family of Syrian nations were ready to rise in opposition to Israel, whenever a favourable opportunity offered. Those of Damascus were probably prevented from joining in the confederacy by the presence of the Hebrew garrison.

On

David sent forth his forces to this war under the command of Joab, the chief captain of his army. reaching the neighbourhood of the city of Ammon, the Hebrew general found his enemies drawn up in two distinct and separate bodies. The Ammonites had marched out of the city, and were marshalled before the gates to cover the approach to the place; the Syrians were ranged in order of battle at some distance; so that Joab saw that whichever army he assailed, the other would be ready to take advantage of

every movement, and to fall on his flanks or rear, as they might see it their policy to do.

It is certain that the Hebrew general regarded his

VICTORY OVER THE SYRIANS AND AMMONITES.

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situation as one of great gravity and peril; but he addressed himself to his duty with the greatest caution and determination. He followed the example of his foes, and divided his army into two sections, placing one under the command of his brother Abishai, and taking the other under his own charge. Joab's estimate of the danger and serious character of the struggle may be gathered from his address to his brother immediately before the battle: "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth Him good." (2 Sam. x. 12.) Joab then marched his division to attack the Syrians, leaving Abishai to fight the Ammonites, each engaging to assist the other as far as possible in case of need.

The Syrian soldiers were evidently unprepared for this movement: when they saw that they had to meet an entire division of the Hebrew army, they shrunk from the contest. For, when "Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians, they fled before him." And when the Ammonites found that they could count on no support from the Syrians, they also retired from the contest and took refuge in the city. Having for the present broken up this alliance, and compelled the Ammonites to secure themselves in what was then regarded as their impregnable capital, Joab led his troops back to Jerusalem.

The war was not, however, terminated; indeed, it was scarcely begun by this campaign. The Ammonites had not been chastised for the insolent outrage they had committed. This had yet to be accomplished. The Syrians, also, had committed themselves so fully by their alliance with Ammon, that they must either submit to be reconciled to David on his own terms, or

form such a combination of forces as would enable them to resist his power, and establish their independence. They determined to adopt the latter course, and accordingly exerted themselves to the uttermost of their power to form a confederacy which it would be impossible for the Hebrews to resist. To effect this purpose they associated together all the various bodies of Syrians, including among these the king of Mesopotamia, who sent his general Shobach, a most distinguished warrior, to command the allied army. When David heard of this new alliance of his foes, he thought the movement so important, that he collected. all the host of Israel, and, placing himself at their head, crossed the Jordan, and marched to Helam, near the west bank of the Euphrates, where Shobach had encamped his army, determined to draw the Hebrews as far from their own country as possible.

On the arrival of the Hebrew army after their long march, the Syrians who had been waiting their approach immediately attacked them, and a very desperate battle ensued. But Providence again favoured the arms of Israel, and David obtained a great and decisive victory. The Syrians had the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand other soldiers, with Shobach their general, slain in the battle. This total defeat completely broke up the new Syrian confederacy. All the kings that had formerly been in subjection to Hadarezer, when they were so severely smitten by David, made peace with the king of Israel, and served him. The inspired writer accordingly closes his account of this momentous campaign with the significant note, "So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more." (2 Sam. x. 19.)

Returning from this war crowned with victory, wealth, and honour, David did not forget the fountain