Easy Bible・1 Chronicles 19

The Victory over the Ammonites and Arameans

Key Passages

About this Chapter

In this chapter, we see the story of David and his army's victory over the Ammonites and Arameans. It all started when the Ammonite king died, and David wanted to show kindness to his son, Hanun. However, Hanun's advisors convinced him that David's intention was to spy on their land and gather information for an attack. As a result, they humiliated David's messengers, shaving off half of their beards and cutting off their garments. This act of disrespect angered David, and he prepared his army to fight against the Ammonites and Arameans. The Ammonites hired mercenaries from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah to strengthen their forces. When David heard about this, he divided his army into two groups. He appointed Joab to lead the first group to face the Ammonites, while he led the second group against the Arameans. The battle was intense, but with God's help, David and his army were victorious. They killed twenty thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans, and they also defeated the Ammonite army. After their defeat, the Arameans made peace with Israel and became subject to David. As for the Ammonites, they realized that they had become a threat to themselves, so they hired even more mercenaries. David, however, did not back down. He gathered his entire army and once again defeated the Ammonites. From this chapter, we can learn about the importance of trusting in God's strength and not underestimating the power of our enemies.