^20:1In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars,¹ Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. ^20:2David took the crown from the head of their king² and wore it³ (its weight was a talent⁴ of gold and it was set with precious stones). He took a large amount of plunder from the city. ^20:3He removed the city’s residents and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and axes.⁵ This was his policy⁶ with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Battles with the Philistines

^20:4Later there was a battle⁷ with the Philistines in Gezer.⁸ At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai,⁹ one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and the Philistines¹⁰ were subdued.

^20:5There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,¹¹ whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom.¹²

^20:6In a battle in Gath¹³ there was a large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. ^20:7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea,¹⁴ David’s brother, killed him.

^20:8These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed¹⁵ by the hand of David and his soldiers.¹⁶

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Footnotes

1 Heb “and it was at the time of the turning of the year, at the time of the going out of kings.”
2 The translation follows the , which reads “of their king”; the and read “of Milcom” (cf. 1 Kgs 11:5). Milcom, also known as Molech, was the god of the Ammonites.
3 Heb “and it was on the head of David.”
4 See the note on the word “talents” in .
5 The Hebrew text reads “saws,” but since saws were just mentioned, it is preferable to emend מְגֵרוֹת (mégerot, “saws”) to מַגְזְרוֹת (magzérot, “axes”).
6 Heb “and so he would do.”
7 Heb “battle stood.”
8 The parallel text in 2 Sam 21:18 identifies this site as “Gob.”
9 The parallel text in 2 Sam 21:18 has the variant spelling “Saph.”
10 Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 The Hebrew text reads, “Elchanan son of Jair killed Lachmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite.” But it is likely that the accusative marker in front of לַחְמִי (lakhmiy, “Lachmi”) is a corruption of בֵּית (bet), and that אֶת־לַחְמִי (’et-lakhmiy) should be emended to בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי (bet hallakhmiy, “the Bethlehemite”). See 2 Sam 21:19.
12 See note on the parallel passage in .
13 Heb “and there was another battle, in Gath.”
14 The parallel text in 2 Sam 21:21 has the variant spelling “Shimeah.”
15 Heb “they fell.”
16 Heb “his servants.”