The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
Here we have, I. The preparation which the Ammonites made for war, Sa2 10:6. They saw they had made themselves very odious to David and obnoxious to his just displeasure. This they might easily have foreseen when they abused his ambassadors, which was no other than a challenge to war, and a bold defiance of him.
Commenting on 2 Samuel 10:6-14
And the children of Ammon came out,.... Either out of Rabbah their metropolis, as Josephus (u); or rather out of Medeba, as it seems from Ch1 19:7; a city that lay on the borders of their country, and was a frontier town, see Num 21:30; and put the battle in array, at the entering in of the gate; of the city of Medeba; they were...
And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, [were] by themselves in the field. (d) These were various parts of the country of Syria, by which it appears that the Syrians served where they might have entertainment, as now the Sweitzers do.