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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

Siege and Capture of Rabbah

20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, Jo′ab led out the army, and ravaged the country of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Jo′ab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it. And David took the crown of their king[a] from his head; he found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. And he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them to labor[b] with saws and iron picks and axes;[c] and thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Exploits against the Philistines

And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer; then Sib′becai the Hu′shathite slew Sip′pai, who was one of the descendants of the giants; and the Philistines were subdued. And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elha′nan the son of Ja′ir slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim′e-a, David’s brother, slew him. These were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or Milcom See 1 Kings 11.5
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Sam 12.31: Heb he sawed
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Sam 12.31: Heb saws