歷代志上 19-20 章 1 Chronicles 19-20

各位平安，這一講，我們來分享歷代志上第十九和二十章的故事。這段記載講的是大衛與亞捫人之間的一場戰爭，其實在撒母耳記下第十章也有類似的內容，文字幾乎一模一樣，顯示作者很可能是從那邊整理過來的。

故事的背景是這樣的：亞捫人的王拿轄去世了，他的兒子哈嫩接續王位。這個拿轄過去曾經對大衛有恩，也許是在大衛還是逃亡者、被掃羅追殺的時候，拿轄曾經給過他庇護或幫助。大衛是一個念舊、重情義的人，記得這份恩情，所以他特別派人去向哈嫩致哀，表達善意。

大衛是一位非常顧念舊情的人。即使當年掃羅窮追猛打，他也從來沒有趁機報復——明明有兩次機會可以動手殺掉掃羅，他都選擇放過他。後來對好友約拿單的兒子，他也格外照顧。可見大衛的內心其實非常善良，做王之後也沒有變得心硬或報復心重。他不記仇，反而牢牢記得別人對他的好，這一點真的很不簡單。

只是可惜，這次他的善意卻沒有被哈嫩接受。哈嫩的臣僕懷疑大衛另有企圖，對他說：「大衛派人來致哀，會不會是假藉慰問之名，其實是來探查我們的軍情？」哈嫩聽信了這些話，做出非常羞辱人的舉動——他把大衛使者的鬍鬚剃掉一半，又割掉他們下半身的衣服，使下體裸露。

這在當時的文化裡，是對男人極大的羞辱。鬍鬚象徵尊嚴，衣服則是基本的禮儀與體面。這樣的羞辱行為，當然讓大衛非常憤怒。但他沒有馬上報復，反而體諒使者的處境，要他們暫時留在耶利哥，等鬍鬚長回來再回京，以免他們在路上繼續受人恥笑。

第六節其實更耐人尋味。這裡說亞捫人「知道大衛憎惡他們」，但事實上大衛並沒有憎惡他們，他的出發點完全是善意的。這其實也反映出一種心理狀態——當一個人內心對對方有敵意時，常常會把這份敵意投射到對方身上。你可能也有這樣的經驗：如果你心裡不喜歡某人，可能就會覺得對方也在討厭你；但如果你覺得某人很好，也會傾向相信對方對你也不錯。這就是心理學裡說的「投射」。

結果呢，亞捫人就乾脆直接備戰了。他們不僅自己準備開戰，還從亞蘭、瑪迦、瑣巴等地調來了大批戰車和馬兵。這可不是簡單的防備，而是擺明了要來與大衛一戰。

大衛聽見這事，只好派出約押帶領全軍出征。亞捫人也出城列陣，其他從外地召來的聯軍則在郊野列陣，這場戰爭一觸即發。

特別提一下這些亞蘭人，其實跟以色列人之間早就是世仇。他們原本就在今天敘利亞一帶居住，和以色列人之間不只是軍事上的衝突，也有宗教與領土上的爭執。他們過去打過的帳，不只是政治帳，也是信仰上的衝突。這次被亞捫人一招手，他們自然樂得加入戰局，覺得終於有機會新仇舊恨一起算，一起對抗以色列。

面對這樣的局勢，約押帶兵出征，發現敵軍其實分成了兩路：亞捫人從城裡出來，擺陣在城門前；而那些被雇來的亞蘭人，則在郊外列陣。他一下就意識到，自己是被夾在兩軍之間了，正面是亞捫人，背面是亞蘭聯軍，情況非常危急。

這時候，約押做了一個非常聰明的部署——他把以色列軍隊分成兩部分，一部分由他親自帶領，去對付亞蘭人；另一部分則交給他的弟弟亞比篩，去對抗亞捫人。然後他們彼此約定：「如果哪一邊戰況不利，另一邊就要過來支援。」

這不只是戰術的安排，其實也是一種兄弟之間的信任，以及軍隊內部的團結。接著，約押說了一句非常振奮人心的話：「你要剛強，我們要為我們的百姓和我們神的城邑作大丈夫。願耶和華憑他的旨意而行。」這句話非常關鍵，不只是軍事層面的鼓舞，更是一種信仰的宣告——我們盡力去打仗，但結果交給神。

然後戰事一開始，亞蘭人看到約押迎面而來，居然立刻敗退。這讓城裡的亞捫人看到形勢不對，也嚇得逃回城裡去。於是，以色列人就從兩線都獲勝，這場本來看起來不利的戰役，居然快速地逆轉了。

但事情並沒有就此結束。亞蘭人雖然退兵了，卻不甘心失敗，他們再次集結軍隊，這次還出動更大的兵力。哈大底謝從大河那邊調來援軍，又在北方哈蘭地區集結，這次是正面要與以色列一決勝負。

當大衛得知這消息，他親自出兵，率領以色列軍與這些亞蘭聯軍在希蘭對戰。結果再次擊潰他們，這場戰爭非常慘烈。根據記載，亞蘭人大敗，損失慘重 —— 光是戰車上的士兵就死了七千人，還有四萬步兵喪命，連他們的大將朔法也戰死沙場。這場仗真的是屍橫遍野，血流成河，成為當時近東地區赫赫有名的一場大戰。

而這場勝利，也讓大衛的威名遠播。那些原本與亞蘭結盟、想來對付以色列的諸王，看到大衛這麼能打，心裡都清楚——這樣的王國惹不得。於是他們紛紛選擇講和，向大衛稱臣。從此以後，亞蘭人也不敢再來跟亞捫人一起挑釁以色列，整個區域的局勢就此改變。

接下來到了歷代志上第二十章，戰事還沒結束。這一章繼續記載大衛軍隊的征戰，不過我們注意到一個轉變：這次出戰的，是約押帶領的兵丁，大衛本人並沒有親自上陣。他留在耶路撒冷，沒有御駕親征。

儘管如此，戰果依然輝煌。他們攻打亞捫人，拿下了拉巴城，擄獲了大量的財物，甚至將城裡的王冠奪來，安在大衛的頭上。這一場戰役，也象徵著亞捫的完全臣服。

第三節提到，大衛將城裡的人拉出來「放在鋸下、鐵耙下、鐵斧下」——中文這裡容易讓人誤會，好像是用這些工具來處決他們。但其實英文版本更清楚地表達了原意：這些人是被派去做苦工，用這些工具從事勞役工作。換句話說，大衛並不是要亞捫人死光光，而是讓他們成為以色列的奴僕，是一種實質的降伏與控制，而非屠殺。

接著經文轉到與非利士人的戰爭，這也是以色列長年以來的世仇。這裡再次出現了巨人族的後裔，包括哥利亞的兄弟們——但這次，不再是少年大衛單挑巨人，而是他的勇士們輪番上場，把這些巨人一一打敗。這也再次顯示大衛不只是自己能打，更是帶出一批能征善戰的精兵。

可以說，這個階段的大衛，已經完成了馬上打天下的階段——四圍的敵人基本上都被打服，以色列成為當時區域內一個實力強大的軍事強國。

不過，歷代志上的作者在這裡做了一個很有意思的取捨。我們注意到：以前的大衛是親自出征的，為什麼到第二十章就不再出現在戰場上了呢？如果你去看撒母耳記下第十一章，就知道這個時候，發生了一件關鍵的事——拔示巴事件。

大衛沒有出征，結果在宮中閒著沒事，卻犯下了一連串錯誤，不但與拔示巴犯姦淫，還間接害死了她的丈夫——就是大衛忠心的勇士烏利亞。這是大衛一生中最大的污點，也是他最悔過的事情，但也造就了下一代的君王所羅門。上帝誠然是信實的，就算我們失敗和犯罪，只要有過誠心悔改的過程，上帝的約不被我們的失敗廢棄，依然可以被祂使用。

歷代志上的作者選擇跳過了這段故事。並不是因為這段歷史不重要，而是因為那段故事已經深入人心，不需要再重提。更可能的原因是，歷代志作者的寫作目的本來就偏向正面建造，他希望強調大衛作為理想國王的形象，而不是一再揭開他的過錯。

到這裡，大衛的爭戰簡史就告一段落了。但接下來我們要看到的是，歷代志的作者並不是完全粉飾大衛的過錯。他特別保留了一段記載，在第二十一章中，要強調一件關鍵的事情——那就是「上帝的旨意才是最高的準則」。

當大衛犯錯、接受上帝的懲罰時，他悔改得非常快，也非常誠懇地認自己的罪。這一點，成為他作為合神心意的人的另一個重要面向。我們下一講會繼續來分享歷代志上第二十一章的故事，一起來看大衛如何面對自己的軟弱，又如何從錯誤中回轉。

感謝各位的聆聽，願上帝祝福各位！

Peace to you all. In this session, we’ll be sharing from 1 Chronicles chapters 19 and 20. These chapters record a war between David and the Ammonites. Interestingly, similar content is found in 2 Samuel chapter 10—the wording is nearly identical—suggesting that the Chronicler likely drew from that account.

Here’s the background: The king of the Ammonites, Nahash, passed away, and his son Hanun succeeded him. Nahash had previously shown kindness to David, possibly during David’s time as a fugitive, when he was being hunted by Saul. David, being someone who remembered kindness and valued old friendships, wanted to return that kindness. So he sent messengers to Hanun to express condolences and goodwill.

David was deeply loyal to past friendships. Even when Saul relentlessly pursued him, David never sought revenge—he had two opportunities to kill Saul but chose not to. Later on, he also took special care of Jonathan’s son. This reveals the goodness of David’s heart; even after becoming king, he remained compassionate and didn’t seek vengeance. Instead, he held tightly to those who had shown him kindness—a rare trait.

Unfortunately, this time his goodwill was not received well. Hanun’s advisors suspected David of ulterior motives, saying, “Do you really think David is sending comforters? Isn’t he rather sending spies to scout our land?” Hanun believed them and humiliated David’s envoys—he shaved off half their beards and cut their garments to expose their lower bodies.

In that culture, this was a profound humiliation. Beards symbolized honor, and exposing a man’s lower body was shameful. Naturally, David was furious. Yet instead of retaliating immediately, he showed compassion for his envoys and instructed them to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back—to avoid further shame.

Verse 6 is quite thought-provoking. It says the Ammonites “knew David had become odious to them,” but in truth, David bore them no hatred. His original intent was goodwill. This reveals a psychological dynamic—when we harbor resentment toward someone, we often project that onto them, assuming they dislike us too. You’ve probably felt this: if you dislike someone, you might think they dislike you too. But if you think highly of someone, you tend to assume they view you positively as well. That’s what psychology calls projection.

As a result, the Ammonites prepared for war. Not only did they ready themselves, they also hired chariots and horsemen from Aram, Maacah, Zobah, and other regions. This was no longer just defense—it was clear hostility toward David.

When David heard this, he sent Joab with the entire army. The Ammonites came out and formed a line near their city gates, while the Aramean mercenaries assembled in the fields. War was imminent.

A special note here: the Arameans had long been enemies of Israel. They lived in what is now Syria, and their conflict with Israel wasn’t just military—it involved religion and land disputes. They had fought political and theological battles with Israel for years. So when the Ammonites called on them, the Arameans gladly joined, seeing an opportunity to settle old scores.

Faced with this situation, Joab made a wise tactical move—he split the Israelite army into two divisions. He led one group against the Arameans and put his brother Abishai in charge of the other, to face the Ammonites. They agreed: “If either side is overwhelmed, the other will come help.”

This wasn’t just strategy—it was also a sign of trust and unity between brothers and among soldiers. Then Joab said something powerful: “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” That declaration wasn’t just military motivation—it was a statement of faith. We fight with all we’ve got, but the outcome belongs to God.

When the battle began, the Arameans fled before Joab. Seeing this, the Ammonites lost heart and retreated into their city. Israel won on both fronts. What looked like a dangerous situation was swiftly turned into victory.

But it didn’t end there. Though the Arameans had retreated, they weren’t finished. They regrouped and summoned even more troops. Hadadezer brought reinforcements from across the river and gathered them in the north.

When David heard about this, he led Israel out himself. They met the Aramean forces at Helam and defeated them again. This was a brutal battle. According to the account, 7,000 chariot fighters and 40,000 foot soldiers were killed. Even their commander, Shophach, was struck down. The battlefield was littered with bodies—blood ran like rivers. It was one of the most infamous wars in the ancient Near East.

This decisive victory brought David great renown. The kings who had once allied with Aram to fight Israel now sought peace. They submitted to David, and from that point on, the Arameans no longer dared to support the Ammonites.

Moving on to chapter 20, the wars continued. But we notice a change—this time, it was Joab who led the troops. David remained in Jerusalem. He no longer rode out to battle himself.

Even so, the campaign was successful. They captured Rabbah, seized vast amounts of treasure, and took the crown from its king and placed it on David’s head. This symbolized the total subjugation of the Ammonites.

Verse 3 mentions that David put the people “under saws, iron picks, and axes.” In Chinese, this phrase might be misunderstood to imply execution. But English translations clarify that they were conscripted for hard labor—using these tools as workers, not as weapons of execution. David did not massacre the Ammonites; rather, he subdued them and turned them into servants under Israel’s rule.

The chapter then shifts to the Philistines—another long-time enemy of Israel. Here, descendants of giants appear again, including Goliath’s brothers. But this time, it wasn’t David himself fighting them. His warriors rose up and defeated these giants, one by one. This shows that David not only fought well himself, but also raised up a formidable army of brave fighters.

At this stage, David had essentially completed his conquest-by-horseback era. All surrounding enemies had been subdued. Israel had become a strong military power in the region.

Yet the Chronicler makes an interesting editorial choice here. We see David no longer going out to battle in chapter 20. Why? If you look at 2 Samuel 11, you’ll find the answer—this was when the infamous Bathsheba incident occurred.

While David stayed home from battle, he fell into temptation. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrated the death of her husband—his loyal warrior, Uriah. It was the darkest stain on David’s life, and one of his most profound moments of repentance. Yet from this failure, Solomon—the next great king—was born. God remained faithful. Even when we fail, if we truly repent, God’s covenant is not voided. He can still use us.

The Chronicler chose to omit this story—not because it was unimportant, but because it was already widely known. More importantly, the author’s intent was to build up Israel’s national memory, focusing on David’s role as the ideal king rather than revisiting his sins.

So this brings us to the end of David’s war chronicle. But next time, we’ll see that the Chronicler didn’t whitewash everything. In chapter 21, he includes one important story—one that emphasizes a key truth: God’s will is the highest authority.

When David sinned and was punished by God, he repented quickly and sincerely. That moment became another defining feature of David as a man after God’s own heart.

In the next episode, we’ll dive into 1 Chronicles chapter 21 and see how David faced his weakness and turned back from his mistakes.

Thanks for listening. May God bless you all!