1 And it came to pass, that after H6256 the year H8141 was expired, H8666 at the time H6256 that kings H4428 go out H3318 to battle, Joab H3097 led forth H5090 the power H2428 of the army, H6635 and wasted H7843 the country H776 of the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and came H935 and besieged H6696 Rabbah. H7237 But David H1732 tarried H3427 at Jerusalem. H3389 And Joab H3097 smote H5221 Rabbah, H7237 and destroyed H2040 it.
2 And David H1732 took H3947 the crown H5850 of their king H4428 from off his head, H7218 and found H4672 it to weigh H4948 a talent H3603 of gold, H2091 and there were precious H3368 stones H68 in it; and it was set upon David's H1732 head: H7218 and he brought H3318 also exceeding H3966 much H7235 spoil H7998 out of the city. H5892
3 And he brought out H3318 the people H5971 that were in it, and cut H7787 them with saws, H4050 and with harrows H2757 of iron, H1270 and with axes. H4050 Even so dealt H6213 David H1732 with all the cities H5892 of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983 And David H1732 and all the people H5971 returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389
4 And it came to pass after this, H310 that there arose H5975 war H4421 at Gezer H1507 with the Philistines; H6430 at which time H227 Sibbechai H5444 the Hushathite H2843 slew H5221 Sippai, H5598 that was of the children H3211 of the giant: H7497 and they were subdued. H3665
5 And there was war H4421 again with the Philistines; H6430 and Elhanan H445 the son H1121 of Jair H3265 slew H5221 Lahmi H3902 the brother H251 of Goliath H1555 the Gittite, H1663 whose spear H2595 staff H6086 was like a weaver's H707 beam. H4500
6 And yet again there was war H4421 at Gath, H1661 where was a man H376 of great stature, H4060 whose fingers H676 and toes H676 were four H702 and twenty, H6242 six H8337 on each hand, and six H8337 on each foot: and he also was the son H3205 of the giant. H7497
7 But when he defied H2778 Israel, H3478 Jonathan H3083 the son H1121 of Shimea H8092 David's H1732 brother H251 slew H5221 him.
8 These H411 were born H3205 unto the giant H7497 in Gath; H1661 and they fell H5307 by the hand H3027 of David, H1732 and by the hand H3027 of his servants. H5650
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Chronicles 20
Commentary on 1 Chronicles 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
1Ch 20:1-3. Rabbah Besieged by Joab, Spoiled by David, and the People Tortured.
1. at the time when kings go out to battle—in spring, the usual season in ancient times for entering on a campaign; that is, a year subsequent to the Syrian war.
Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country … of Ammon—The former campaign had been disastrous, owing chiefly to the hired auxiliaries of the Ammonites; and as it was necessary, as well as just, that they should be severely chastised for their wanton outrage on the Hebrew ambassadors, Joab ravaged their country and invested their capital, Rabbah. After a protracted siege, Joab took one part of it, the lower town or "city of waters," insulated by the winding course of the Jabbok. Knowing that the fort called "the royal city" would soon fall, he invited the king to come in person, and have the honor of storming it. The knowledge of this fact (mentioned in 2Sa 12:26) enables us to reconcile the two statements—"David tarried at Jerusalem" (1Ch 20:1), and "David and all the people returned to Jerusalem" (1Ch 20:3).
2. David took the crown of their king …, and found it to weigh a talent of gold—equal to one hundred twenty-five pounds. Some think that Malcom, rendered in our version "their king," should be taken as a proper name, Milcom or Molech, the Ammonite idol, which, of course, might bear a heavy weight. But, like many other state crowns of Eastern kings, the crown got at Rabbah was not worn on the head, but suspended by chains of gold above the throne.
precious stones—Hebrew, a "stone," or cluster of precious stones, which was set on David's head.
3. cut them with saws, &c.—The Hebrew word, "cut them," is, with the difference of the final letter, the same as that rendered "put them," in the parallel passage of Samuel [2Sa 12:31]; and many consider that putting them to saws, axes, and so forth, means nothing more than that David condemned the inhabitants of Rabbah to hard and penal servitude.
1Ch 20:4-8. Three Overthrows of the Philistines and Three Giants Slain.
4. war at Gezer—or Gob (see 2Sa 21:18-22).