Chapter XX
1–3 (= 2 Samuel xi. 1, xii. 26–31).
The Subjugation of Ammon.
The account of the siege of Rabbah is given more shortly in Chronicles than in 2 Samuel From the latter we learn that the Ark was in the besiegers’ camp (xi. 11), that the city was defended with spirit (xi. 17), and finally taken piecemeal (xii. 26–29).
¹And it came to pass, at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that 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 overthrew it.
1. at the time of the return of the year] i.e. in the spring, 2 Samuel xi. 1; 1 Kings xx. 22.
the power of the army] The Hebrew phrase is quite general in meaning: the host of war, the military forces.
Rabbah] the capital of the Ammonites; Jeremiah xlix. 2; Ezekiel xxi. 20 (25, Hebrew). Its site, now called ‘Ammān, is covered with important ruins of the Roman and Byzantine periods. The town lies in a fertile basin, its citadel on a hill on the north side.
David tarried at Jerusalem] In 2 Samuel these words introduce the story of David’s adultery with Bath-sheba, which is omitted from Chronicles.
Joab smote Rabbah] In 2 Samuel xii. 27 Joab reports to David the capture of the city of waters (i.e. the lower city), and invites him to come and complete the conquest (presumably by capturing the citadel) in person. Probably the citadel was dependent for water on the river which flows through the town.
²And David took the crown of their king¹ 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 forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
¹ Or, Malcam See Zephaniah i. 5.
2. of their king] So also Authorized Version, perhaps rightly, but many scholars prefer to treat the word as a proper name, rendering, as margin, of Malcam (compare Zephaniah i. 5), i.e. Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kings xi. 5). LXX. has a double translation of the one Hebrew word: Molchol (Molchom) their king. The name of the god, whether the right form be Molech (1 Kings xi. 7) or more probably Milcom or Malcam, means either “king” or, less probably, “counsellor.” In the former case his image would in all probability wear a crown.
it was set upon David’s head] A symbolic action implying that David completely annexed the Ammonite territory; other conquered nations retained a partial independence on condition of the payment of tribute.
he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much] doubtless a triumphal procession of captives and spoil, such as an Assyrian relief in the British Museum represents passing before Sennacherib at the capture of Lachish.
³And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
3. and cut them with saws] Read probably (compare 2 Samuel xii. 31, Revised Version margin) and put them with saws, i.e. put them to work with saws, etc. Compare 2 Chronicles ii. 17, 18; Joshua ix. 21–23. The implements mentioned here and in the parallel passage of 2 Samuel suggest task-work, not massacre. The Ammonites were reduced to bondage like that of Israel in Egypt. The exceptionally harsh treatment of the Ammonites was doubtless due to the exceptional insults which David’s ambassadors had received from them. A very different spirit towards Ammon is shown in Deuteronomy ii. 19.
4–8 (= 2 Samuel xxi. 18–22).
Philistine champions slain.
This section is the last in which the Chronicler notices David’s wars. It is taken from 2 Samuel xxi., where, however, it is preceded by an account (verses 15–17) of David’s narrow escape in an encounter with a Philistine.
Between the two sections of this chapter the Chronicler omits the account of the rebellions of Absalom and of Sheba, and the story of the Gibeonite vengeance on the house of Saul (2 Samuel xiii. i–xxi. 14).
⁴And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer¹ with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant²: and they were subdued.
¹ In 2 Samuel xxi. 18, Gob.
² Hebrew Rapha. According to another reading, giants; Hebrew Rephaim.
4. at Gezer] See vi. 67, note. In 2 Samuel at Gob, but no place called Gob is known. In 2 Samuel v. 25 it is said that David smote the Philistines “from Geba until thou come to Gezer.”
Sippai] In 2 Samuel “Saph.”
giant] Hebrew “Rapha”; the same Hebrew word in the plural “Rephaim” is translated “giants” in Deuteronomy ii. 11, Authorized Version These “Rephaim” dwelt east of Jordan.
⁵And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
5. Elhanan... slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath] In 2 Samuel xxi. 19, Elhanan... the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath (Revised Version). The difference between the two sentences in Hebrew is very small, and is due, no doubt, to the Chronicler, or a copyist, who felt that he was making a certain emendation in substituting the brother of Goliath for Goliath himself, since, according to 1 Samuel xvii., Goliath was slain by David before he became king.
slew Lahmi] read the Beth-lehemite slew, etc.
⁶And there was again 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 born unto the giant¹.
¹ Hebrew Rapha.
6. a man of great stature] In 2 Samuel xxi. 20 (Hebrew) a man of contention, i.e. a challenger or champion.
⁷And when he defied⁴ Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
⁴ Or, reproached.
7. Shimea] See iii. 5, note.
⁸These were born unto the giant¹ in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
¹ Hebrew Rapha.
8. These were born unto the giant in Gath] Again “giant” is the Hebrew “Rapha” as in verses 4, 6. The meaning is that these belonged to a branch of the Rephaim which was settled in Gath.