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Chapter 10 records for us the death of Na-hash, King of Ammon. Previously, Na-hash had shown some kindness toward David probably because He didn't like Saul and Saul didn't like David, so, he liked David. (confusing) So David decided that he would show some kindness toward Na-hash's son, Hanun, because of the kindness shown to him. He sent Ambassadors to Ammon to express his regrets to Hanun over the death of his father, but when the Ambassadors arrived, Hanun had half of their beards shaved off and cut their robes off at the buttocks and sent them home half naked. They got as far as Jericho and David gets word as to what had happened, so he got word to them to remain there until their beards grew out.
When the people of Ammon realized how angry it had made David, they began to assemble an army. They got 20,000 Syrian mercenaries from Rehab and Zobah. These were countries east of Israel along the Euphrates River, the nations that David had conquered in Chapter 8. They also got 1,000men from the King of Maacah, near the headwaters of the Jordan River, (corner of Dan, Nathtalli and Manasseh) and 10,000 men from the Land of Tob.
So the Ammonites had 31,000 men plus their own army. David, when he heard of this, sent Joab and his entire army to fight the Ammonites. The Ammonites posted their army at the gate of the city and the 31,000 were stationed in the fields outside the city. When Joab saw that he was going to have to fight on two fronts, he selected the best of his fighters and put them under his command and took them out to fight in the fields. He put the rest under the command of his brother Abishai and commanded them to attack the city.
When Joab attacked the troops that were in the fields, they began to run away. When the Ammonites saw them running away, they retreated into the city. The Syrians who were in the fields retreated east of the Euphrates River and since there was no longer any threat, the Israeli went home to Jerusalem.
But it would appear that the Syrians were not finished. They re-grouped and were joined by others east of the Euphrates and under the command of Shoback, they went to Helam on the west side of the Jordan and prepared for battle. David led his forces to meet them and soundly defeated them, killing 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 cavalry men. The remainder surrendered to David and became his servants. The Syrians never helped the Ammonites after that.
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