2 Samuel 10:9

THE GREAT VICTORY WON BY JOAB

"When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the picked men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Syrians; the rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him." So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians; and they fled before him. And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abashai, and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites, and came to Jerusalem."

Joab's strategy here is clearly visible. David's great commander considered that large force of Syrian mercenaries in his rear as the greatest threat to his success; therefore he chose to lead the charge himself against that force of 33,000 men. It should also be noted that Joab chose "picked men" from the whole army for this vital attack. We may be sure that those famed "six hundred hardened veterans" were among those selected. One of them, Joab's brother Abashai, however, was not chosen, because he was assigned the duty of leading the attack against that great force of Ammonites confronting him in front of the gates of Rabbah.

Remember that those Syrians were mercenaries. They had no patriotic interest whatever in defending Rabbah; and it is not hard to understand what happened. When Joab launched his savage all-out attack against the throng of Syrians, his hardened battle-wise veterans destroyed everyone in their path; and the mercenaries, seeing what they were up against, simply turned tail and fled for their lives. The battle was quickly concluded when the Ammonites, successfully held at bay by Abashai and his men, saw that their mercenaries had fled and that the full force of Joab's contingent would then be added to the forces of Abashai, they also retired into the relative safety of the walls of Rabbah. A great victory had indeed been achieved; but the war was not over.

"Let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him" (2 Samuel 10:12). Scott L. Tatum called these words, "One of the most inspiring texts of the Bible."[15] Willis also pointed out the purity of Joab's motivation here. "He was fighting to save God's people and God's cities, and also he was willing to trust the outcome of the battle to the will of God."[16]

Joab did not, at that time, undertake the siege of Rabbah, a task that would be resumed later.