1 Kings 11:15

“For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, etc.] Fighting with the Edomites, and subduing them, and putting garrisons in the land, (<100814>2 Samuel 8:14) and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain: the Israelites that fell in battle, or whom the Edomites afterwards, through stratagem and surprise, fell upon in their garrisons and destroyed, and which caused Joab to go thither to bury them, and take vengeance on the Edomites for it; or these were the Edomites slain by David and Joab; and it has been always reckoned a piece of humanity to bury the dead of an enemy, and is to the honour of the conqueror, (see <263912>Ezekiel 39:12,13) or to suffer the enemy to bury them…”

“The verse gives certain additional particulars of David’s conquest of Edom (marginal references). Joab was left, or sent, to complete the subjugation of the country, with orders to exterminate all the grown male inhabitants. It was not very often that David acted with any extreme severity in his wars; but he may have considered himself justified by policy, as he certainly was by the letter of the Law Deuteronomy 20:13, in adopting this fierce course against Edom. Was in Edom - Or, according to another reading, “smote” Edom. The slain - Probably the Israelites who had fallen in the strnggle. Translate, “when ... Joab was gone up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male,” etc. return to…”

“In Edom - By his army, to war against it. To bury - The Israelites who were slain in the battle, Sa2 8:13-14, whom he honourably interred in some certain place, to which he is said to go up for that end. And this gave Hadad the opportunity of making his escape, whilst Joab and his men were employed in that solemnity. Had smitten - Or, and he smote, as it is in the Hebrew: which is here noted as the cause of Hadad's flight; he understood what Joab had done in part, and intended farther to do, even to kill all the males and therefore fled for his life. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 11:18”

“when David: Sa2 8:14; Ch1 18:12, Ch1 18:13; Psa 60:1 \*title Psa 108:10 after he had: Gen 25:23, Gen 27:40; Num 24:18, Num 24:19; Deu 20:13; Mal 1:2, Mal 1:3 every male: Num 31:17 3 Kings (1 Kings) 11:17”