And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.
When the Ammonites realized they had made David their enemy, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and cavalry from Mesopotamia, Syria-maachah, and Zobah.
The Ammonites knew they had angered King David, so they spent a huge amount of money hiring foreign armies to help them fight against Israel.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Chronicles, this verse occurs during King David's reign over Israel, around 1000 BC, when he sent messengers to Hanun, the new king of Ammon, to offer condolences after his father's death. However, Hanun mistakenly viewed the messengers as spies and humiliated them by shaving their beards and cutting their garments, which deeply offended David and led the Ammonites to realize they had provoked a powerful enemy. As a result, the Ammonites sought to bolster their military by hiring chariots and horsemen from allied regions like Mesopotamia, Maacah, and Zobah, reflecting the common ancient Near Eastern practice of forming coalitions for warfare.
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