The Noose Tightens

Reflections on 2 Samuel 8:13-14

Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites about 40 miles east of Jerusalem, was so well defended that it was seldom besieged (George M. Landes, "The Material Civilization of the Ammonites," The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2, p. 76). Not wanting to besiege Rabbah as long as allies could come to its aid, David decided to cut the city off from the Edomites, who could assist it from the south.

THE ENEMY. The Hebrew text, followed by the KJV and NASB, says that David struck down Arameans in the Valley of Salt, but the LXX and the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 18:12, followed by the NIV, say that he struck down Edomites there. The title to Psalm 60 also mentions a slaughter of Edomites in the Valley of Salt after Joab returned from fighting in Aram-Zobah. Although the exact location of the Valley of Salt is not known, it was undoubtedly south of Jerusalem near the Edomite homelands, so David's enemy here appears to be the Edomites. The difference in writing Aram and Edom are the characters R and D, which look very much alike in Hebrew and could easily be misread by a copyist.

THE SLAUGHTER. Apparently, while Joab was fighting against Aram, Abishai went out and defeated the Edomites (1 Chronicles 18:12). When Joab returned from Aram (Psalm 60, title), he joined forces with Abishai, and stayed in Edom for about six months for clean-up operations (1 Kings 11:15-16). Although a great number of Edomites were killed at this time, Israel never occupied Edom because God had given that country to Isaac's son Esau/Edom (Deuteronomy 2:5). Nevertheless, David did place garrisons there, as he had in Damascus, and the Edomites were subject to him (see Genesis 25:23).

THE KING'S HIGHWAY. The King's Highway was a major trade route which came from Aram, passed south through Rabbah in Ammon, and continued south through Moab and Edom. The Ammonites had sought help from Aram to the north, but David defeated them and set up garrisons in Aram taking control of the King's Highway to the north. Then David's victory over Edom took control of the King's Highway to the south. (He had already defeated Moab.) Not only did David's victories in Aram and Edom strangle Ammon economically, they also cut off the routes over which military assistance might come to Ammon. An impassable desert was east of Ammon, and David's armies were to the west.

For perhaps three years after insulting David's emissaries, Ammon's capital, Rabbah, had escaped the wrath of David. However, during that time, David cut Rabbah off from all economic and military aid. Ammon was isolated, and the noose began to tighten around Ammon's neck.