2 Samuel 10:6-9

10:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, ¹  they ²  sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah, ³  in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish-tob. ⁴ 

10:7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. ⁵  10:8 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

10:9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans. ⁶ 

[10:6]  ¹ tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”

[10:6]  ² tn Heb “the Ammonites.”

[10:6]  ³ tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”

[10:6]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish-tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.

[10:7]  ⁵ tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[10:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”