19:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, 1 Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents 2 of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah. 3
1 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
2 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the Ammonites hired chariots and charioteers for about 33.7 tons (30,600 kg) of silver.
3 tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 10:6 has “Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah.”