Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 19:16
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chronicler records the immediate military response after Joab’s forces rout the Ammonite-Aramean coalition, as the surviving Aramean commanders react to their loss.
The words — The Hebrew נִגְּפוּ (ni.ge.Fu) literally means "they had been defeated" or "they were smitten," documenting the tactical shift that prompts the Aramean leadership to order reinforcements.
The thread — The text’s report of Aramean reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates matches the parallel narrative in 2 Samuel 10:16, while the gathering of hostile nations aligns with the broader scriptural motif found in Psalm 2:1 and Zechariah 14:1.
Why it lands — The passage records a historical sequence where defeated forces summon additional troops, requiring the reader to observe how coordinated human opposition consistently precedes the next phase of divine judgment in the biblical record.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
- Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.
- Psalms 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
- Isaiah 8:9 Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
- Micah 4:11 But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”