1 Kings 11:15

For it came to pass, when David was in Edom [ 2 Samuel 8:14 . But the text is peculiar. Instead of "in Edom" we have "with Edom," את־אדם , unless we take את to be the mark of the accusative, which, however, there is no verb to govern. Keil interprets, "When David had to do with Edom." Bähr refers to 1 Chronicles 20:5 , and Genesis 19:4 , but they are not strictly parallel, and it is possible that the text is slightly corrupt, as the LXX ; Syr; and Arab. must have had בהכות instead of בהיות before them "when David smote Edom." The LXX ; e . g ; reads ἐν τῷ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι κ . τ . λ . It was only vicariously, however, that David smote Edom, or was in Edom. According to 1 Chronicles 18:12 , Abishai slew 18,000 Edomites, while Psalms 60:1-12 . (title) represents Joab as having slain 12,000 at the same time and place. The two brothers were both in high command, or Abishal may have been detailed by Joab to this service], and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain [The commentators generally are agreed that these are the Israelites slain by the Edomites during an invasion of Israel, and not either the Edomites or Israelites slain in the valley of Salt], after he had smitten [rather, that he smote . This is the apodosis] every male in Edom. [This is, of course, hyperbolical (cf. "all Israel" below). It is clear that the whole Edomite nation did not perish. The words point to a terrible slaughter (cf. 1 Chronicles 18:13 ) among the men of war. Possibly the cruelties of the Edomites (compare Psalms 137:7 ; Obadiah 1:10-14 ) had provoked this act of retribution, as to which see Deuteronomy 20:13 .]