And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.
Ver. 15. And anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them.] This was to "break off their iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that there might be a lengthening of their tranquillity." Dan 4:27 Clementia plus potest quam violentia. a Courtesy can do no more than cruelty, said Antigonus. Julius Caesar, Vespasian, Aurelian, and our Queen Elizabeth, are famous in history for showing mercy to their enemies.
a Plut.