The Fall of Rabbah
Study note
In the spring, when kings typically went to war, Joab led the Israelite army against the Ammonites and laid siege to their capital city, Rabbah. David stayed behind in Jerusalem during this campaign. Joab conquered Rabbah and destroyed it. David took the crown from the Ammonite king's head. It weighed about 75 pounds of gold and was set with precious stones. David also took large amounts of plunder from the city. The people of the city were put to hard labor with saws, iron tools, and axes.
1 In the spring, when kings normally go to war, Joab led the Israelite army to attack the land of Ammon. He besieged the city of Rabbah while David stayed back in Jerusalem. Joab captured Rabbah and left it in ruins. 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.
2 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 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.
3 David brought out the people of the city and put them to work with saws, iron tools, and axes. He did the same in all the other Ammonite cities. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem. 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.
Battles Against the Philistine Giants
Study note
The Philistines still had warriors who were descendants of the giants, unusually large and powerful men. In three separate battles, David's warriors killed these giants. Sibbecai killed Sippai at Gezer. Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of the famous Goliath, whose spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. Jonathan, David's nephew, killed a giant from Gath who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, 24 fingers and toes in all. These victories showed that Israel's warriors were stronger through God's help.
4 Later, fighting broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. During that battle, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the ancient giants. The Philistines were defeated. 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.
5 In another battle against the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, who was the brother of Goliath of Gath. The shaft of Lahmi's spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. 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.
6 Yet another battle took place at Gath, where there was an enormous man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot -- twenty-four fingers and toes in all. He was also a descendant of the ancient giants. 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.
7 When this giant taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, stepped up and killed him. But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.
8 All these giants were descendants of the ancient giants of Gath. David and his warriors killed every one of them. These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.