1 Chronicles 20King James Version
Joab takes the royal city of Rabbah. The crown of its king, weighing a talent of gold, is set on David's head. Then a brief note about Philistine giants killed in later battles, including a man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. Chronicles omits the Bathsheba story entirely.
The Ammonite war concludes with the capture of Rabbah and the removal of its king's crown. Then three brief accounts of Philistine wars describe giants killed by David's champions. One giant had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. The chapter is short but marks the end of major campaigns.
Even the most intimidating opponents, literal giants, fell before Israel's warriors when they fought in David's name and under God's covenant protection.
20:8, These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants., The summary line is matter-of-fact: the extraordinary enemies of Israel fell to ordinary faithful men.
The king takes a crown weighing a talent of gold, decorated with precious stones, and places it on his own head. Then the chapter moves efficiently through three giant-killings. The scribe is cataloging completion: the wars that secured David's kingdom are done. The stage is set for the temple to be planned.
Joab, who captures Rabbah while David stays behind; David, who takes the Ammonite crown; Sibbechai, who kills Sippai the giant; Elhanan, who kills the brother of Goliath; Jonathan son of Shimea, who kills the six-fingered giant.
The Chronicler notably omits the Bathsheba episode that occurs in Samuel during this Ammonite war. His focus is David the military leader securing the peace for the temple project, not David the sinner. The giant-killing episodes remind readers that the threats to Israel were not merely political; they were imposing, and Israel's warriors overcame them.
For when what you are facing seems too large for ordinary effort. The giants in this chapter fell to named men, ordinary soldiers who showed up.
1And 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.
2And 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; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
3And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.
5And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
6And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant.
7But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.
8These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.