1 Chronicles 20:1-3·~1 min

The Capture of Rabbah

Joab besieges and breaks Rabbah, David takes the king’s crown and the city’s plunder, and the conquered people are put to labor. The campaign ends with David and the troops returning to Jerusalem.

I¹n the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it. ²Then David took the crown from the head of their king. It was found to weigh a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. ³David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

Section summaryJoab completes the campaign against Rabbah, and David enters to take the royal crown and the city’s rich plunder. The chapter closes the Ammonite war by showing the city broken and its people set to labor under David’s rule.

Role in the chapterThis section finishes a conflict left hanging earlier and restores the outward movement of conquest. It shows David’s rule extending over Ammon through siege, spoil, and imposed service.