The Campaign against Rabbah (Ammon)
1 Chronicles 20:1-3
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1 C.20.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תשובת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- השנה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צאת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- המלכים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וינהג: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- יואב: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הצבא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישחת: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- עמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויצר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- רבה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- ודויד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- יואב: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- רבה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- ויהרסה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:1 (verbal): Shares the identical opening clause (“At the time when kings go out to battle”) and the narrative motif of David remaining in Jerusalem while Joab leads the army against the Ammonites.
- 2 Samuel 12:26-31 (thematic): Gives the fuller account of the capture and taking of Rabbah (including David’s actions after the city’s fall); Chronicles compresses this material but describes Joab’s destruction of Rabbah in the same campaign.
- 1 Chronicles 19:1-19 (structural): The immediately preceding chapter in Chronicles narrates the war with the Ammonites and Joab’s campaigns; 20:1 functions as a summary/continuation of that same episode.
- 2 Samuel 10:7-19 (allusion): Earlier Deuteronomistic account of Israel’s conflict with the Ammonites and their Syrian allies and Joab’s victories; Chronicles retells the same military sequence with overlapping details and outcomes.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass at the return of the year, when kings go out to war, that Joab led the host; and he devastated the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. David remained in Jerusalem, and Joab struck Rabbah and destroyed it.
- And it came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that Joab led forth the army; he ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon and came and besieged Rabbah. David remained in Jerusalem, but Joab struck Rabbah and razed it.
1 C.20.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- עטרת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- מלכם: NOUN,m,sg,construct+PRON:3,pl
- מעל: PREP
- ראשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- וימצאה: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- משקל: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ככר: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובה: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- אבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יקרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ותהי: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- על: PREP
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושלל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הוציא: VERB,hif,perf,3,ms,sg
- הרבה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 12:30 (quotation): Nearly identical report in Samuel: David removes the crown from the defeated king’s head (found to weigh a talent of gold) and places it on his own head, bringing away great spoil.
- 2 Samuel 8:10–11 (thematic): Context of David’s victories over neighboring kings (Hadadezer/Aram): acquisition of royal treasures and shields as spoils, reflecting the same motif of taking valuable regalia after military triumph.
- Judges 8:24–26 (thematic): Gideon’s collection of gold ornaments from defeated foes (specific weight given and later use): a parallel motif of victory spoils, precious metal jewelry, and their appropriation by Israelite leaders.
- 1 Chronicles 18:11 (structural): Another Chronicler passage recounting the aftermath of David’s victories and the receipt of precious items/tribute (a parallel structural treatment of royal spoils and diplomatic gifts in the Chronicler’s presentation of David’s reign).
Alternative generated candidates
- And David took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and there was a costly stone in it; and it was set upon David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.
- David took the crown of their king from his head; it weighed a talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. He set it upon David’s head, and he carried off the spoil of the city in great abundance.
1 C.20.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- הוציא: VERB,hif,perf,3,ms,sg
- וישר: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- במגרה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובחריצי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,constr
- הברזל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ובמגרות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- וכן: ADV
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- ערי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- עמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דויד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 12:31 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel in Samuel describing David putting the people of Rabbah to work with saws, iron picks and axes and then returning to Jerusalem.
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 (structural): Immediate narrative context in Chronicles: the preceding verse continues the same campaign against the Ammonites and sets up the forced labor and city treatment recorded in v.3.
- 1 Kings 5:13-18 (thematic): Solomon's use of conscripted/foreign labor and heavy timber work for major building projects echoes the motif of defeated peoples being set to large-scale construction labor.
- Exodus 1:11 (thematic): Egyptian imposition of taskmasters to force the Israelites into brickmaking and hard labor parallels the theme of conquered or subjugated populations being put to arduous, skilled work.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to labor with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. Thus David dealt with all the cities of the sons of Ammon; and David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
- And he brought out the people who were in it and put them to forced labor with saws, with iron picks, and with iron shovels; so David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
And it came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go out, that Joab led the host and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon; and he came and besieged Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah and razed it. And David took the crown of their king from his head; and behold, its weight was a talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. It was set upon David's head. And he carried off the spoil of the city—a very great amount. And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon; and David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.