And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
1 CHRONICLES 19:15KJVWhat does 1 Chronicles 19:15 mean?
1 Chronicles 19:15 describes how, when the people of Ammon saw that their allies, the Syrians, had run away from the battle, they also ran away from Abishai and retreated into their city. After this, Joab, the commander of Israel’s army, returned to Jerusalem.
This scene takes place during a battle between Israel and a coalition of Ammonites and Syrians. The verse highlights the turning point in the fight: once the Syrians lost their courage and fled, the Ammonites lost heart as well and followed suit. Joab’s return to Jerusalem signals the end of this particular conflict and a pause in the fighting.
The Hebrew behind 1 Chronicles 19:15
- "children" (בְּנֵי, bənê): This word means "sons" or "descendants," and here it refers specifically to the people of Ammon, emphasizing their identity as a group.
- "fled" (נָס, nas): This word is used twice in the verse, first for the Syrians and then for the Ammonites, underlining the panic and disorder that spread through both armies.
- "entered" (בּוֹא, bo): This verb means "to go in" or "to enter," showing the Ammonites’ retreat into the safety of their city walls rather than continuing to fight.
Why 1 Chronicles 19:15 matters
- This verse clarifies that the Ammonites’ courage was closely tied to the presence and strength of their Syrian allies; once the Syrians fled, the Ammonites quickly followed.
- The verse helps explain the flow of the battle and why the Israelites were able to gain the upper hand without a prolonged fight.
- The mention of Joab returning to Jerusalem shows that the immediate threat was over, setting up the next stage in the ongoing conflict between Israel and its neighbors.