שמואל ב, פרק כ״ב, פסוק מ״ה

The overwhelming presence of a victorious leader casts such a deep shadow of fear that distant nations submit without a single battle. This surrender is not born of loyalty or love, but of a paralyzing terror that forces enemies to hide their true nature. The primary approach among commentators is that this fear compels foreign enemies to flatter the king and lie to him. Concealing their actual intentions, they completely deny their past hostilities, falsely claiming that they never committed any crimes against him [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה].

In contrast, a redemptive approach suggests that the lies of the foreign nations will center on their very identity. In the future Messianic era, terrified nations will face the threat of destruction. To survive, they will deny their true origins and falsely claim to be descendants of Abraham's concubines. Because those specific descendants were historically sworn not to fight Israel and were promised survival in order to serve them, the foreign nations will pretend to share this protected lineage to save themselves [אלשיך].

Beyond their deceit, the sheer power of the leader's deterrence is absolute. There is no need for the king to physically appear or use actual force on the battlefield. His fame and reputation alone precede him [רד״ק]. The mere rumor of his immense strength is enough to make foreign enemies accept his authority and obey his every command before they ever see him face to face [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Looking again toward a redemptive future, this absolute obedience takes on a profound spiritual meaning. Ultimately, the foreign nations will not merely submit out of physical fear. Instead, they will step forward to listen to the teachings of God directly from the people of Israel, actively seeking to learn His ways [אלשיך].