20And 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. 2And David took the crown of [1]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 forth the spoil of the city, exceeding
Ch. XX. 1—3 (= 2 Sam. xi. 1, xii. 26—31). The Subjugation of Ammon.
The account of the siege of Rabbah is given more shortly in Chron. than in 2 Sam. 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).
1. at the time of the return of the year] i.e. in the spring, 2 Sam. xi. 1; 1 Kin. xx. 22.
the power of the army] The Heb. phrase is quite general in meaning: the host of war, the military forces.
Rabbah] the capital of the Ammonites; Jer. xlix. 2; Ezek. xxi. 20 (25, Heb.). 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 Sam. these words introduce the story of David's adultery with Bath-sheba, which is omitted from Chron.
Joab smote Rabbah] In 2 Sam. 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.
2. of their king] So also A.V., perhaps rightly, but many scholars prefer to treat the word as a proper name, rendering, as mg., of Malcam (cp. Zeph. i. 5), i.e. Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kin. xi. 5). LXX. has a double translation of the one Heb. word: Molchol (Molchom) their king. The name of the god, whether the right form be Molech (1 Kin. 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
- ↑ Or, Malcam See Zeph. i. 5.
