שמואל ב, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ח

The battle concludes with a devastating defeat for the Aramean forces, as David dismantles a massive enemy army and eliminates its highest-ranking officer. When reviewing the historical records of this clash, differing casualty counts emerge between the Book of Samuel and the parallel account in the Book of Chronicles.

Regarding the fallen chariots, the Book of Samuel records seven hundred destroyed, while Chronicles lists seven thousand. To resolve this difference, [רד"ק] explains that the lower number reflects only the elite chariot units, whereas the higher number accounts for every chariot deployed in the battle. Alternatively, [מלבי"ם] notes that the count of seven hundred aligns with earlier military records detailed within the Book of Samuel itself.

A similar difference appears regarding the fallen soldiers. The account in Samuel notes the deaths of forty thousand horsemen, yet Chronicles reports the loss of forty thousand foot soldiers. [רד"ק] clarifies that each record simply focuses on a different branch of the military; Samuel tallies only the cavalry while omitting the infantry, and Chronicles counts the infantry without mentioning the cavalry. Offering a different perspective, [מלבי"ם] maintains that the figure of forty thousand is a consistent continuation of the troop numbers presented earlier in the narrative.

Beyond the severe blow dealt to the general military forces, David also strikes down Shobach. He was a highly respected senior officer who served as the chief commander of the army of Hadadezer, the King of Aram [רד"ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].