1 Chronicles Chapter 20 — Victories Over Ammon and the Giants
Joab leads Israel to victory over the Ammonites at Rabbah, and David's warriors defeat several Philistine giants in battle.
1At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and overthrew it.
2David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold,*A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces and there were precious stones in it. It was set on David’s head, and he brought very much plunder out of the city.
3He brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.
5Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.
7When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
8These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
1 Chronicles 20:1
“At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah.”
This verse sets the stage for the military campaigns and highlights Joab's leadership in the field.
1 Chronicles 20:8
“These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.”
It serves as a concluding summary of the defeat of the Philistine giants by Israel's forces.
Chapter Summary
This chapter chronicles Israel's significant military successes against two major enemies: the Ammonites and the Philistines. While David remains in Jerusalem, Joab leads the army to besiege and overthrow the city of Rabbah. David later joins the forces to claim the king’s crown, which weighed a talent of gold, and take significant plunder from the city. The narrative then shifts to three specific battles against the Philistines. In these encounters, David’s warriors face formidable giants. Sibbecai kills Sippai, Elhanan kills Lahmi (the brother of Goliath), and Jonathan, David’s nephew, defeats a man of great stature with twenty-four fingers and toes. These accounts emphasize the strength and bravery of David's men as they systematically eliminate the remaining descendants of the giants in Gath. The chapter concludes by noting that these giants fell by the hand of David and his servants, securing Israel's borders and demonstrating the nation's military dominance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The city of Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, was besieged and overthrown by Joab. David eventually took the king's crown and brought back a large amount of plunder to Jerusalem.
Lahmi was the brother of Goliath the Gittite. He was killed by Elhanan the son of Jair during one of the wars with the Philistines.
Jonathan, the son of Shimea and David’s nephew, killed this giant at Gath after the man had defied Israel. The text describes him as a man of great stature who was also born to the giant.
Study Note
This chapter omits the personal narrative of David and Bathsheba found in 2 Samuel, focusing instead on the broader military triumphs of the nation of Israel.
Related Chapters
2 Samuel 11
2 Samuel 11 provides the parallel account of the siege of Rabbah, which includes the narrative of David and Bathsheba.
1 Samuel 17
This chapter provides the background for the conflict with the giants, specifically David's famous battle with Goliath.
1 Chronicles 19
The previous chapter explains the initial provocation that led to the war with the Ammonites.
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