As I've said, the Chronicler wants to clean up David's image, and there's no doubt about it here. Ch. 20 knits together the beginning of Samuel 11 and the end of Samuel 12. Guess what was in between? The rape of Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Yeah well, that was a minor incident. I guess I should also mention that the crown David steals weighs 75 pounds. I guess he had a strong neck. There's also a bit of torture and slavery in here, which is does not reflect badly on David as he's doing it to conquered people, which is perfectly okay. There are also some giant relatives of Goliath.
20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, Jo′ab led out the army, and ravaged the country of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Jo′ab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it. 2 And David took the crown of their king[a] from his head; he found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 3 And he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them to labor[b] with saws and iron picks and axes;[c] and thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Exploits against the Philistines
4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer; then Sib′becai the Hu′shathite slew Sip′pai, who was one of the descendants of the giants; and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elha′nan the son of Ja′ir slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim′e-a, David’s brother, slew him. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or Milcom See 1 Kings 11.5
- 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Sam 12.31: Heb he sawed
- 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Sam 12.31: Heb saws
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