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2 Samuel 12:26-31

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters. Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”

David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city. He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

    Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.

    Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”

    David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

    He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.

    He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

  • KJV King James Version

    And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

    And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

    Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

    And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

    And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

    And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

    And Joab sent messengers to David, and said: 'I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters.

    Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.'

    And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

    And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.

    And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln; and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

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Cross-references (12)

  • 1 Chronicles 20:1-3 (v26) At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army, and wasted the country of the children of…
  • 1 Chronicles 20:2 (v30) David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. It was…
  • 1 Chronicles 20:3 (v31) He brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the…
  • Deuteronomy 3:11 (vv26–27) (For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the…
  • 2 Samuel 8:2 (v31) He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one…
Show all 11 cross-references
  • 2 Samuel 11:1 (v27) At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed…
  • 2 Samuel 11:25 (v26) Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your…
  • Psalms 21:8-9 (v31) Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery furnace in the…
  • Ezekiel 21:20 (v27) You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.
  • Amos 1:3 (v31) Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead…
  • John 7:18 (v28) He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

11 distinct cross-references across this passage (12 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (19 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 30, 31 Or the chief city.

Or the chief city.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv26–31 2Sa 12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv26–31 i.e. That part of the city where was the…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v26 We have here an account of the conquest of…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv26–30 And Joab sent messengers to David,.... To acquaint him…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 30, 31 Royal city - That is, that part of the…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 30, 31 Verse 26. And took the royal city.] How can…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv26, 28, 29, 30, 31 2Sa 12:26-27. Took the royal city — That is,…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv27, 30, 31 The city of waters - The lower town of…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv27, 28, 30, 31 The city of waters. Rabbath, the royal city of…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 30, 31 RABBAH IS TAKEN. (Sa2 12:26-31)
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv26, 28, 29, 30, 31 CONQUEST OF RABBAH, 2Sa_12:26-30.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 30, 31 26. And Joab fought against Rabbah] The narrative returns…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv26, 28, 30, 31 (26) Took the royal city.—The parallel narrative is resumed…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv26, 30, 31 Joab took the royal city. As the siege of…
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v26 2Sa_12:26. The narrative now returns to chapter 2Sa_11:1. “The…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v26 Success Against the Ammonites
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv26, 29, 31 Joab fought ... he captured
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv26, 30, 31 12:26-31 David’s battle with the Ammonites, begun in ch…
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