And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
When spring came around, the time when kings usually go out to war, David sent Joab and his officers with all the Israelite army to fight. They destroyed the Ammonites and surrounded their capital city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
The writer is showing that David chose to stay home in comfort while his army went to war, setting up a moment when he would be vulnerable to temptation.
📚 Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, kings like David typically led their armies into battle during the spring when the roads were passable after the rainy season. However, in this verse, David stayed in Jerusalem and sent his general Joab with the troops to fight the Ammonites and besiege their city of Rabbah, which was part of ongoing conflicts with neighboring nations. This unusual decision sets the stage for the moral failures that follow in David's story, highlighting how personal choices can lead to downfall.
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