The Meaning of 2 Samuel 10:6 Explained

2 Samuel 10:6

KJV: And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

YLT: And the Bene-Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the Bene-Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and Ish-Tob with twelve thousand men;

Darby: And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

ASV: And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the children  of Ammon  saw  that they stank  before David,  the children  of Ammon  sent  and hired  the Syrians  of Bethrehob,  and the Syrians  of Zoba,  twenty  thousand  footmen,  and of king  Maacah  a thousand  men,  and of Ishtob  twelve  thousand  men. 

What does 2 Samuel 10:6 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 10:1-19 - The Penalty Of Rejecting Kindness
A Jewish tradition tells us that Nahash, Hanun's father, had shown kindness to David by sheltering one of his brothers, when the king of Moab treacherously massacred the rest of the family. Civility is the daughter of Piety. The son had inherited his father's throne but not his spirit. He was misled by foolish advisers to offer a gross insult, not only to the ambassadors, but to the king and nation whom they represented.
Let us, however, contrast our Lord's dealings with those who ill-treated Him in the person of His disciples. When they had been refused by a certain village of the Samaritans, they appealed for fire from heaven; but Jesus reminded them that the dispensation in which Elijah had lived was past. The disciples were the children of a new age, and the only fire with which they could deal was that of love, Luke 9:54, etc. Yes, and afterward the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given to Samaria, perhaps to those very villages, Acts 8:1-40. It used to be said that the best way to secure the tenderest kindness of the great and saintly Archbishop Leighton was to show him a discourtesy. He had not followed his great Master in vain. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 10

1  David's messengers, sent to comfort Hanun are villainously treated
6  The Ammonites, strengthened by the Syrians, overcome by Joab and Abishai
15  Shobuch, making a new supply of the Syrains at Helam, is slain by David

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 10:6 mean?

And when saw the sons of Ammon that they had made themselves repulsive to David and sent the sons of Ammon and hired - Aramean in Beth Rehob and Syrian Zoba twenty thousand foot soldiers and from the king of Maacah a thousand men and men From Tob two [and] ten men thousand
וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ עַמּ֡וֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת־ אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־ רְח֜וֹב וְאֶת־ אֲרַ֣ם צוֹבָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת־ מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ ט֔וֹב שְׁנֵים־ עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ

וַיִּרְאוּ֙  And  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֔וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ  they  had  made  themselves  repulsive 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּאַשׁ  
Sense: to have a bad smell, stink, smell bad.
בְּדָוִ֑ד  to  David 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ  and  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֡וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩  and  hired 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָכַר  
Sense: to hire.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲרַ֨ם  Aramean 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
רְח֜וֹב  Beth  Rehob 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־רְחֹוב  
Sense: a place in Dan on road to Hamath.
אֲרַ֣ם  Syrian 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
צוֹבָ֗א  Zoba 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: צֹובָא 
Sense: the name of a portion of Syria which formed a separate kingdom in the times of Saul, David, and Solomon; located northeast of Damascus.
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים  twenty 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשְׂרִים  
Sense: twenty, twentieth.
אֶ֙לֶף֙  thousand 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
רַגְלִ֔י  foot  soldiers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: רַגְלִי  
Sense: on foot.
מֶ֤לֶךְ  from  the  king 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מַֽעֲכָה֙  of  Maacah 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲכָה 
Sense: father of Achish, king of Gath at the beginning of Solomon’s reign.
אֶ֣לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אִ֔ישׁ  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְאִ֣ישׁ  and  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
ט֔וֹב  From  Tob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֹוב 
Sense: a region east of the Jordan, north or northeast of Gilead, probably Aramean, location uncertain.
שְׁנֵים־  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֥ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
אֶ֖לֶף  men 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִֽישׁ  thousand 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.