Quotes About Strategy

When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men from Tob.

On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.

The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.

And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.

So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.

Hadadezer sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam with Shobach the commander of Hadadezerís army leading them.

When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans arrayed themselves against David and fought against him.

In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”

So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.

Joab sent to David a full account of the battle

and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,

if the kingís anger flares, he may ask you, ëWhy did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?

So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.

The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.

Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ëDo not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.í Encourage him with these words.”

Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.

Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.

Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”

So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.