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 19:15KJV
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1 Chronicles 19:15 (KJV)

What 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.

Where else these words appear

“Abishai” Hebrew H52 · used in 24 verses

  • 1 Samuel 26:6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
  • 2 Samuel 10:10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
  • 2 Samuel 20:6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

“Ammon” Hebrew H5983 · used in 98 verses

  • Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
  • Judges 11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

“Syrians” Hebrew H758 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • 1 Kings 22:35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
  • 1 Chronicles 1:17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.

“Joab” Hebrew H3097 · used in 124 verses

  • 1 Samuel 26:6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
  • 2 Samuel 14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
  • 2 Samuel 24:3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?