Capture of the City of Rabbah

26 Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites(A) and captured the royal fortress. 27 Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply. 28 Now therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will be the one to capture the city, and it will be named after me.” 29 So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; he fought against it and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king,[a] and it was placed on David’s head. The crown weighed 75 pounds[b] of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. 31 He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at brickmaking.(B) He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Samuel 12:30 LXX reads of Milcom; some emend to Molech; 1Kg 11:5,33
  2. 2 Samuel 12:30 Lit a talent

Defeat of the Ammonites

26 Meanwhile, Joab fought the Ammonites at Rabbah and captured the royal city. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured the city’s water supply.[a] 28 So gather the rest of the troops, attack the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city myself, and it will be named after me.”

29 So David gathered all the troops, marched to Rabbah, fought against it, and captured it. 30 David took Milcom’s[b] crown off his head. It weighed one kikkar of gold and was set with a valuable stone. It was placed on David’s head. The amount of loot David took from the city was huge. 31 He brought out the people who were in the city and put them to work making bricks. David demolished the city with saws, iron picks, and axes;[c] he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Samuel 12:27 Heb uncertain
  2. 2 Samuel 12:30 LXX; MT their king’s crown
  3. 2 Samuel 12:31 Cf LXXL, OL, Tg, 1 Chron 20:3