1 Chronicles 20:1-8

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Chronicles 20:4-8

The Philistines were nearly subdued (1 Chron. 18:1); but, as in the destruction of the Canaanites by Joshua the sons of Anak were last subdued (Josh. 11:21), so here in the conquest of the Philistines the giants of Gath were last brought down. In the conflicts between grace and corruption there are some sins which, like these giants, keep their ground a great while and are not mastered without much difficulty and a long struggle: but judgment will be brought forth unto victory at last.... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:5

Elhanan the son of Jair - See the note on 2 Samuel 21:19 . The Targum says, "David, the son of Jesse, a pious man, who rose at midnight to sing praises to God, slew Lachmi, the brother of Goliath, the same day on which he slew Goliath the Gittite, whose spear-staff was like a weaver's beam." read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:6

Fingers and toes were four and twenty - See the note on 2 Samuel 21:20 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Chronicles 20:8

These were born unto the giant in Gath - "These were born להרפא leharapha , to that Rapha in Gath, or to Arapha." So the Vulgate, Septuagint, and Chaldee. The compiler of these books passes by also the incest of Amnon with his sister Tamar, and the rebellion of Absalom, and the awful consequences of all these. These should have preceded the fourth verse. These facts could not be unknown to him, for they were notorious to all; but he saw that they were already amply... 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

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