---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  1 Chronicles 20"
description: "CHAPTER 20   :-. RABBAH
BESIEGED BY JOAB,
SPOILED BY DAVID,
AND THE PEOPLE
TORTURED. 1. at the time when kings go out to
battle—in spring, the usual seaso"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/1-chronicles/20"
---

CHAPTER 20

. RABBAH
BESIEGED BY JOAB,
SPOILED BY DAVID,
AND THE PEOPLE
TORTURED.

**1. at the time when kings go out to
battle**—in spring, the usual season in ancient times for
entering on a *campaign;* that is, a year subsequent to the
Syrian war.
**Joab led forth the power of
the army, and wasted the country . . . of Ammon**—The former
campaign had been disastrous, owing chiefly to the hired auxiliaries
of the Ammonites; and as it was necessary, as well as just, that they
should be severely chastised for their wanton outrage on the Hebrew
ambassadors, Joab ravaged their country and invested their capital,
Rabbah. After a protracted siege, Joab took one part of it, the lower
town or "city of waters," insulated by the winding course
of the Jabbok. Knowing that the fort called "the royal city"
would soon fall, he invited the king to come in person, and have the
honor of storming it. The knowledge of this fact (mentioned in ) enables us to reconcile the two statements—"David
tarried at Jerusalem" (), and "David and all the people returned to Jerusalem"
([1 Chronicles 20:3](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/20/3)).

**2. David took the crown of their
king . . ., and found it to weigh a talent of gold**—equal to one
hundred twenty-five pounds. Some think that *Malcom,* rendered
in our version "their king," should be taken as a proper
name, Milcom or Molech, the Ammonite idol, which, of course, might
bear a heavy weight. But, like many other state crowns of Eastern
kings, the crown got at Rabbah was not worn on the head, but
suspended by chains of gold above the throne.
**precious stones**—*Hebrew,*
a "stone," or cluster of precious stones, which was set on
David's head.

**3. cut them with saws,** c.—The
*Hebrew* word, "cut them," is, with the difference of
the final letter, the same as that rendered "put them," in
the parallel passage of Samuel [] and many consider that putting them to saws, axes, and so
forth, means nothing more than that David condemned the inhabitants
of Rabbah to hard and penal servitude.
. THREE
OVERTHROWS OF THE
PHILISTINES AND THREE
GIANTS SLAIN.

**4. war at Gezer**—or Gob (see
[2 Samuel 21:18-22](../../../kjv/2-samuel/21/18-22)).

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