And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
When David heard about this, he gathered all of Israel's army together, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Helam. The Syrians organized their troops in battle formation against David and fought with him.
David mobilized all of Israel's forces and met the Syrian army in battle at Helam after crossing the Jordan River.
📚 Historical Context
This battle occurred during David's reign when the Ammonites had hired Syrian mercenaries to fight against Israel after David's messengers were humiliated. The Syrians had initially been defeated by Joab, but they regrouped with additional forces from beyond the Euphrates River, prompting David to personally lead the entire Israelite army into battle.
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