Add parallel Print Page Options

Siege and Capture of Rabbah

20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army, ravaged the country of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and overthrew it.(A) David took the crown of Milcom[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. He also brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.(B) He brought out the people who were in it and set them to work[b] with saws and iron picks and axes.[c] Thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.(C)

Exploits against the Philistines

After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued.(D) Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.(E) Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great size who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he also was descended from the giants.[d](F) When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. These were descended from the giants[e] in Gath; they fell by the hand of David and his servants.

Footnotes

  1. 20.2 Gk Vg: Heb of their king
  2. 20.3 Heb and he sawed
  3. 20.3 Heb saws
  4. 20.6 Gk: Heb from the Raphah
  5. 20.8 Gk: Heb from the Raphah

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”