1 Chronicles 20:1-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:1-3

How the army of the Ammonites and their allies was routed in the field we read in the foregoing chapters. Here we have the destruction of Rabbah, the metropolis of their kingdom (1 Chron. 20:1), the putting of their king's crown upon David's head (1 Chron. 20:2), and the great severity that was used towards the people, 1 Chron. 20:3. Of this we had a more full account in 2 Sam. 11:1-12:31; and cannot but remember it by this sad token, that while Joab was besieging Rabbah David fell into that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:1-8

See Gill on 1 Chronicles 20:1 , 2 Samuel 11:1 , 1 Chronicles 20:2 , 2 Samuel 12:30 , 2 Samuel 21:15 , and 1 Chronicles 21:1 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:1

After the year was expired , at the time that kings go out to battle - About the spring of the year; see the note on 2 Samuel 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:2

David took the crown of their king - off his head - See 2 Samuel 12:30 . Precious stones in it - The Targum says, "And there was set in it a precious stone, worth a talent of gold; this was that magnetic stone that supported the woven gold in the air." What does he mean? read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:3

He brought out the people - See this transaction particularly explained in the notes on the parallel places, 2 Samuel 12:30-31 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:1

EXPOSITION The contents of this chapter are all to be found in the work of Samuel, but woven in, in very different places. The cause of the first considerable difference of this kind is in connection with the occurrence of what would have seemed a mere casual detail of expression in our first verse, "But David tarried at Jerusalem," at which same statement, however, the writer of Samuel halts, to append all that then happened with David in the disastrous matter of Bathsheba and Uriah,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:2

Found it to weigh a talent of gold . Two difficulties present themselves in this verse, viz. the reported weight of this crown, and the uncertainty as to what head it was from which David took it. Whatever was its weight, if David's head was able to sustain it for a minute or two, the head of the King of the Ammonites might also occasionally have borne it. Yet it would scarcely be likely that the King of the Ammonites would have so ponderous a crown (calculated at a weight of a hundred and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:3

Cut them with saws (so Hebrews 11:37 ). We have here the very doubtful (so far as regards its real signification) Hebrew word וַיָּשַׂר (and he cut) instead of וַיָּשֶׂם (he put). Probably it is nowhere else used in the sense of "cutting," if it is here. Its ordinary sense is to rule or put into subjection. The parallel place ( 2 Samuel 12:31 ) corrects, in the word (Authorized Version) axes , our Hebrew text, which repeats the word for saw, though putting it in the plural,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:1

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. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Chronicles 20:1-8

A.M. 2969. B.C. 1035. A repetition of David’s wars with the Ammonites, and the taking of Rabbah, 1 Chronicles 20:1-3 ; with the giants of the Philistines, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8 . NOTES ON CHAPTER 20. 1 Chronicles 20:1. Joab led forth the army, and wasted, &c. For this verse, see note on 2 Samuel 11:1; for 1 Chronicles 20:2-3, on 2 Samuel 12:30-31; and for the rest of the chapter, on 2 Samuel 21:15, &c. And came and besieged Rabbah It was at this time, while Joab was besieging... read more

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