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War with Philistine Giants

20 (A)Now it happened [a]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the force of the military and brought the land of the sons of Ammon to ruin, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck Rabbah and [b]tore it down. (C)Then David took the crown of [c]their king from his head; and he found it to weigh a [d]talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in a very great amount. He also brought out the people who were in it (D)and [e]made them work with saws and with sharp iron instruments and with axes. And thus David used to do to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

(E)Now it happened afterwards, that war [f]broke out at [g]Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, one among those born of the [h]giants, and they were subdued. And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the (G)shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. Then there was war at Gath again, and there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also had been born to the giants. And he [i]reproached Israel, so Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, 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 Lit at the time of the return of the year
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Lit pulled
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 In Zeph 1:5, Malcam
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Or made them cut with saws, cut them with saws; Heb vowels can indicate causative or simple active
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Lit stood up
  7. 1 Chronicles 20:4 In 2 Sam 21:18, Gob
  8. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Heb Raphah, so in vv 6, 8
  9. 1 Chronicles 20:7 Or defied

The Capture of Rabbah(A)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah(B) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.(C) David took the crown from the head of their king[a]—its weight was found to be a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.(D) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

War With the Philistines(E)

In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.(F) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,(G) and the Philistines were subjugated.

In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(H)

In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or of Milkom, that is, Molek
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms