1 Chronicles 20:1
in 1 Chronicles 20In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And 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 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.
KJV
And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, 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 destroyed it.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
In the spring
on 1 Chronicles 20:1-3
The campaign against Rabbah opens with the words that open 2 Samuel 11:1, “at the time when kings march out to war”. Between “David remained in Jerusalem” and the fall of the city, 2 Samuel 11-12 records Bathsheba, Uriah's death, Nathan's rebuke and Solomon's birth.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
See Gill on 1Ch 20:1, 2Sa 11:1, 1Ch 20:2, 2Sa 12:30, 2Sa 21:15, and 1Ch 21:1.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle - About the spring of the year; see the note on 2Sa 11:1. After this verse the parallel place in Samuel relates the whole story of David and Bath-sheba, and the murder of Uriah, which the compiler of these books passes over as he designedly does almost every thing prejudicial to the character of David. All he states is, but David tarried at Jerusalem; and, while he thus tarried, and Joab conducted the war against the Ammonites, the awful transactions above referred to took place.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This chapter, containing such other warlike exploits belonging to David’s reign as the writer of Chronicles thinks it important to put on record, is to be compared with the passages of Samuel noted in the marginal references.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Now it came to pass at the time of the return of the year when there are grasses in the field to feed the horses.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
[The crown] was placed on David’s head. [Interpreters] ask (e.g., Pseudo-Rashi): How could he have withstood it, when it weighed a talent of gold?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֡י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְעֵת֩ | leet | to [the] time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| תְּשׁוּבַ֨ת | teshuvat | [the] return of | H8666 → | |
| הַשָּׁנָ֜ה | hashanah | the year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| לְעֵ֣ת׀ | leet | to [the] time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| צֵ֣את | tzet | [the] going out of | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הַמְּלָכִ֗ים | hamelakhim | <the> kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיִּנְהַ֣ג | vaiyinhag | and he lead out | H5090 → | |
| יוֹאָב֩ | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֵ֨יל | cheil | [the] army of | H2428 → | 246 times |
| הַצָּבָ֜א | hatzava' | <the> war | H6635 → | 485 times |
| וַיַּשְׁחֵ֣ת׀ | vaiyashchet | and he destroyed | H7843 → | 146 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| עַמּ֗וֹן | amon | Ammon | H5983 → | 106 times |
| וַיָּבֹא֙ | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיָּ֣צַר | vaiyatzar | and he besieged | H6696 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רַבָּ֔ה | rabah | Rabbah | H7237 → | |
| וְדָוִ֖יד | vedavid | and David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֣ב | yoshev | [was] remaining | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַיַּ֥ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| יוֹאָ֛ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רַבָּ֖ה | rabah | Rabbah | H7237 → | |
| וַיֶּֽהֶרְסֶֽהָ׃ | vaiyeherseha | and he overthrew it | H2040 → |
וַיְהִ֡יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
לְעֵת֩to [the] time of
leetH6256 →296 times
תְּשׁוּבַ֨ת[the] return of
teshuvatH8666 →
הַשָּׁנָ֜הthe year
hashanahH8141 →877 times
לְעֵ֣ת׀to [the] time of
leetH6256 →296 times
צֵ֣את[the] going out of
tzetH3318 →1067 times
הַמְּלָכִ֗ים<the> kings
hamelakhimH4428 →2525 times
וַיִּנְהַ֣גand he lead out
vaiyinhagH5090 →
יוֹאָב֩Joab
yoavH3097 →144 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֵ֨יל[the] army of
cheilH2428 →246 times
הַצָּבָ֜א<the> war
hatzava'H6635 →485 times
וַיַּשְׁחֵ֣ת׀and he destroyed
vaiyashchetH7843 →146 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
עַמּ֗וֹןAmmon
amonH5983 →106 times
וַיָּבֹא֙and he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
וַיָּ֣צַרand he besieged
vaiyatzarH6696 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רַבָּ֔הRabbah
rabahH7237 →
וְדָוִ֖ידand David
vedavidH1732 →999 times
יֹשֵׁ֣ב[was] remaining
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
וַיַּ֥ךְand he struck
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
יוֹאָ֛בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רַבָּ֖הRabbah
rabahH7237 →
וַיֶּֽהֶרְסֶֽהָ׃and he overthrew it
vaiyehersehaH2040 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 3:11(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
it leads to
- Jeremiah 49:2
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned.…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 12:26
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 14:5
In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
- Jeremiah 49:2
Through
2 Samuel 11:1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:26
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
- 1 Kings 20:22
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against…
- Ecclesiastes 3:8
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
- 2 Chronicles 36:10
In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah king over Judah and…
- 1 Kings 20:26
Through
Amos 1:14So I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabbah to consume its citadels amid war cries on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of tempest.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- Deuteronomy 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil, The Books of the Chronicles.