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20 When springtime arrived, the time when kings go out to war, Joab led out the army, ravaged the land of the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and pulled it down.

David took the gold crown of their king[a] from his head. It weighed seventy-five pounds[b] and had a precious stone in it. It was placed on[c] David’s head. He brought out large amounts of plunder from the city. He brought out the people who were in the city. He put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes.[d] David did the same to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines

After this, war arose at Gezer[e] with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai,[f] one of the descendants of Rapha the giant,[g] and the Philistines were subdued.

There was another battle with the Philistines. Elhanan, the son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.

There was another battle, this time at Gath. There was a very tall man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four digits in all. He also was descended from Rapha the giant.[h] He taunted Israel, but Jonathan, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him. These were descended from the giant in Gath. They fell by the hand of David and the men who served him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or their god, Milcom
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or a talent (estimates for a talent vary from 68 to 130 pounds)
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or over. The weight of the crown seems too heavy for a person to wear, at least for any length of time.
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:3 The reading of the main Hebrew text is he sawed with a saw, with iron picks and with saws. This could mean that he cut up the city or the people. This verse is translated in harmony with the parallel text in 2 Samuel 12:31.
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:4 In 2 Samuel 21:18 this battle is located at Gob.
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Also called Saph in 2 Samuel 21:18
  7. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Literally the Rephaim. Rapha was the ancestor of a group of very tall men who lived among the Philistines. They are called the Rephaim, and the valley where some of these battles were fought was named after them.
  8. 1 Chronicles 20:6 Literally the Rapha, which serves as the name of the patriarch of this clan of giants, also in verse 8

The Capture of Rabbah

20 And it happened that in the spring time of year,[a] the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led the troops of the army and destroyed the land of the Ammonites.[b] And he came and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and destroyed it. And David took the crown of their king from his head and found it to weigh a talent of gold. And in it was a precious stone. Then it was placed upon the head of David. And he brought out the booty of the city, a large amount. And the people who were in it he brought out, and he set them to work with saws and iron implements and axes.[c] Thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites.[d] Then David returned, and all the nation went with him.

The Philistine Giants Slain

And after this there arose a war in Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim. And they were subdued. And again there was war with the Philistines. And Elhanan son of Jair struck down Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. And again there was war in Gath. And there was a very tall[e] man there, and he had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all.[f] He himself was also a descendant of the Rephaim. And he taunted Israel, but Jehonathan son of Shimea, brother of David, struck him down. These were born to the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Literally “at the time of the returning of the year”
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Literally “sons of Ammon”
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 The translation comes from 2 Samuel 12:31 since the Hebrew text here is uncertain
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Literally “sons of Ammon”
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:6 Literally “measured”
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:6 Literally “and his fingers, six and six, twenty-four”