מלכים א, פרק י״א, פסוק ט״ו

To grasp the deep-seated hatred of Hadad the Edomite, who abandoned a royal life in Egypt merely to seek revenge against Israel, the narrative flashes back to a fierce war fought during the reign of King David [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Years later, God would raise up Hadad as an adversary against King Solomon in his old age as a consequence of the nation's idolatrous practices. The roots of this conflict, however, trace back to a military campaign that took place deep within the land of Edom [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

During this campaign, the responsibilities of the war were divided. While Joab, the commander of the army, led the actual combat and defeated the enemy, David took on the task of managing the casualties [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג]. Commentators present different views on the exact timeline of these events. One approach suggests that the historical details are simply not recorded in chronological order, and the killing of the enemy forces naturally preceded the handling of the dead [רד״ק]. Another perspective views the war in two distinct stages, which explains how survivors remained in Edom despite the heavy casualties. Initially, David conquered the land and established military guards. Later, when Joab went up to manage the dead, the Edomites launched a rebellion. In response to this uprising, Joab remained in the area for six months to eliminate every male who had survived or gone into hiding [מלבי״ם].

The exact nature of David's involvement with the casualties is also a subject of discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the literal burial of the fallen Edomites. David performed this act out of mercy and compassion for the vast number of dead [מצודת דוד], as well as to purify the land [רלב״ג]. This pious gesture of respectfully burying enemy soldiers earned David a reputation of honor and fame among the surrounding nations [רש״י, רד״ק]. Conversely, an alternative tradition suggests that the action was not a burial at all. Instead, it refers to the common wartime practice of stripping the fallen soldiers to gather their equipment, weapons, and spoils [רש״י, רד״ק].