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

20 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.

And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.

And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.

And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot and he also was the son of the giant.

But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.

These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.