2 Samuel 10:6

“And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, etc.] Or had made themselves odious to him, as it is rendered in (<131906>1 Chronicles 19:6); were abominable to him, that he was incensed against them, and enraged at them, and was determined to be avenged on them for the affront given, of which they had certain information: but instead of seeking to appease him, and give him satisfaction for the affront, the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob; a place near Hamath, (<041321>Numbers 13:21); there was a city of this name in the tribe of Asher, out of which the Canaanites could not be driven, and perhaps now inhabited by Syrians, or by a people so called,…”

“THE AMMONITES OVERCOME. (Sa2 10:6-14) when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David--To chastise those insolent and inhospitable Ammonites, who had violated the common law of nations, David sent a large army under the command of Joab, while they, informed of the impending attack, made energetic preparations to repel it by engaging the services of an immense number of Syrian mercenaries. Beth-rehob--the capital of the low-lying region between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. Zoba--(see on Sa2 8:3). of king Maacah--His territories lay on the other side of Jordan, near Gilead (Deu 3:14). Ish-tob--that is, "the men of Tob"--the place of Jephthah's marauding adventures (see also Ch1 19:6;…”

“Stank ... - A strong figure for to be odious or detested. Compare the marginal references The Syrians of Beth-rehob - If identical with the Mesopotamians of 1 Chronicles 19:6, Beth-rehob is the same as Rehoboth by the river Genesis 36:37. Others think Beth-rehob (Rehob, 2 Samuel 10:8) the same as the Rehob and Beth-rehob of Numbers 13:21, near Hamath (perhaps the modern ruin of Hunin). If so, Beth-rehob, as well as Tob, must have been a colony of Aram Naharaim (compare the numbers in 1 Chronicles 19:7 and here). Syrians of Zoba - Compare 1 Samuel 14:47 note. King Maacah - Read the “King of Maacah” 1 Chronicles 19:6-7. For the position of Maacah, see Deuteronomy 3:14; Joshua 12:5. It appears…”

“10:6 Aramean foot soldiers: See 8:5-6. • Beth-rehob and Zobah: See 8:3, 12. • the land of Tob (literally the man of Tob) possibly refers to a vassal king and region under Hadadezer’s sovereignty.”

“stank: Gen 34:30; Exo 5:21; Sa1 13:4, Sa1 27:12; Ch1 19:6, Ch1 19:7 Syrians of Bethrehob: Sa2 8:3, Sa2 8:5, Sa2 8:12, Zobah, Pro 25:8; Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10 Maacah: Jos 13:11-13 Ishtob: or, the men of Tob, Jdg 11:3, Jdg 11:5 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 10:7”

“When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves stinking before David, and therefore that David would avenge the insult offered to the people of Israel in the persons of their ambassadors, they looked round for help among the powerful kings of Syria. They hired as auxiliaries (with a thousand talents of silver, i.e., nearly half a million of pounds sterling, according to Ch1 19:6) twenty thousand foot from Aram-Beth-Rehob and Aram-Zoba, and one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand troops from the men of Tob. Aram-Beth-Rehob was the Aramaean kingdom, the capital of which was Beth-rehob. This Beth-rehob, which is simply called Rehob in v. 8, is in all probability the…”