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א וַיְהִי לִתְשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה לְעֵת צֵאת הַמְּלָאכִים וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד אֶת יוֹאָב וְאֶת עֲבָדָיו עִמּוֹ וְאֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּשְׁחִתוּ אֶת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַיָּצֻרוּ עַל רַבָּה ודָוִד יוֹשֵׁב בִּירוּשָׁלִָם
The war between David and the Amonites had not yet concluded. It was at the turn of the year, after a year, at the time when kings go forth
DISCUSSION
At the time when kings go forth
In earlier times, wars in the Middle East were generally not conducted in the winter, but in the summer, if possible before the crops were harvested. This meant that the attacked party would suffer double damage: They would be unable to harvest their crops, and the enemy would plunder the entire harvest for themselves (see Rashi; Ralbag; Abravanel; 23:13, and Abravanel ad loc.; commentary on Isaiah 62:8; Zohar 1:8b).
BACKGROUND
Raba
The capital of Amon, which is mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy (3:11) as the capital of Og king of Bashan. It is also identified with Rabat Amon, known nowadays as Amman, the capital of present-day Jordan, located near the sources of the Yabok Stream and the King’s Highway trade route. Archaeological findings inside and surrounding the city indicate that it was already inhabited in the third millennium BCE.
ב וַיְהִי לְעֵת הָעֶרֶב וַיָּקָם דָּוִד מֵעַל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ עַל גַּג בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּרְא אִשָּׁה רֹחֶצֶת מֵעַל הַגָּג וְהָאִשָּׁה טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה מְאֹד
It was one day at evening time, and David rose from upon his bed, after taking a rest, and he was walking on the roof of the king’s house. Most of the roofs at that time were flat. Among other purposes, they were used for taking a stroll.
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