What Does 2 Samuel 10:6 Mean?
And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves a stench to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand men on foot, and from the king of Maacah a thousand men, and from Ish-tob twelve thousand men.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish-tob twelve thousand men.THE KEY
The moment they see themselves as odious before the beloved, they answer the rupture by sending out hired force.
THE MEANING
They see that they have become repellent before David, the beloved, and respond by hiring an army. A damaged relationship becomes force sent outward, widening the conflict.
THE ROOT
נִבְאֲשׁוּ
nibʾăšû
GROWS FROM
בָּאַשׁ
baʾash
To stink, become foul, or be odious.
“made themselves a stench” in this verse is nibʾăšû. The verb says they have become foul or odious before David, not simply that they smell bad. The root gives their damaged standing the force of repulsion, and that perception immediately precedes their decision to hire an army.
ALSO GROWS
nibʾash: Become foul or odious.
נִבְאַשׁ
This form echoes the verse’s description of their standing before David.
hibʾîsh: Cause to stink; make odious.
הִבְאִישׁ
The same root can describe not only becoming odious but causing that foulness to spread.
וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ
vayyishleḥu
GROWS FROM
שָׁלַח
shalach
To send forth, release, or let go.
“sent” in this verse is vayyishleḥu. Here, shalach sends hired strength outward. Its wider sense also includes release, so the same root can describe either dispatch or letting go.
ALSO GROWS
shaluaḥ: A sent one; an emissary.
שָׁלוּחַ
The sent one carries an action outward, as the Ammonites send for outside support.
Shiloach: Sent; the name associated with a water channel or pool.
שִׁלֹחַ
The root also names water sent forth, a different kind of movement from the hired force sent here.
דָּוִד
dāwīd
GROWS FROM
דּוֹד
dod
Beloved; dear one.
David’s name carries the root sense of beloved. The phrase “before David” therefore places the offense before the beloved, giving the verse’s relational rupture another layer.
ALSO GROWS
dod: Beloved; dear one.
דּוֹד
This root sense is carried in the name David.
dodim: Love; affection.
דּוֹדִים
The related word keeps the name’s connection to love and endearment audible.
THE PATTERN
When a perceived rupture is answered with force, the conflict spreads into further force.
And Cain said to Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.And David said to his men, Gird on your swords, each man his sword. And they girded on each man his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed by the vessels.Then Jesus said to him, Turn your sword back to its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.THE THREAD
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told the Great House, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may dance a feast to me in the wilderness.The root שָׁלַח (shalach, send or release) appears here as וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ (vayyishleḥu, they sent), sending hired strength outward. In Exodus the same root carries the command to release the people, showing how one movement can dispatch force or loosen bondage.
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