War with Philistine Giants

20 (A)Then it happened [a]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. (C)David took the crown of [b]their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a [c]talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoils of the city, a very great amount. He brought out the people who were in it, (D)and [d]put them to work at saws, iron picks, and axes. And David did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

(E)Now it came about after this, that war [e]broke out at [f]Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite [g]killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the [h]giants, and they were subdued. And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair [i]killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the (G)shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. Again there was war at Gath, where 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 was descended from the giants. When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, [j]killed 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 20:1 Lit at the return of the year
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Another reading is Malcam from, a variant of the Ammonite god Milcom
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:3 So 2 Sam 12:31; MT sawed them apart with
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Lit stood up
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:4 In 2 Sam 21:18, Gob
  7. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Lit struck
  8. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Heb Raphah, and so in vv 6, 8
  9. 1 Chronicles 20:5 Lit struck
  10. 1 Chronicles 20:7 Lit struck

Capture of the City of Rabbah

20 In the spring[a] when kings march out to war,(A) Joab led the army and destroyed the Ammonites’ land. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem.(B) Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it. Then David took the crown from the head of their king,[b][c](C) and it was placed on David’s head. He found that the crown weighed 75 pounds[d] of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. He brought out the people who were in it and put them to work with saws,[e] iron picks, and axes.[f](D) David did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

The Philistine Giants

After this,(E) a war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the giants,[g] and the Philistines were subdued.

Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.(F)

There was still another battle at Gath where there was a man of extraordinary stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—24 in all. He, too, was descended from the giant.[h] When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

These were the descendants of the giant[i] in Gath killed by David and his soldiers.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Lit At the time of the return of the year
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 LXX, Vg read of Milcom
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 = Molech; 1Kg 11:5,7
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Lit a talent
  5. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Text emended; MT reads and sawed them with the saw; 2Sm 12:31
  6. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Text emended; MT reads saws; 2Sm 12:31
  7. 1 Chronicles 20:4 Or the Rephaites
  8. 1 Chronicles 20:6 Or Raphah
  9. 1 Chronicles 20:8 Or Raphah