Key Verse Spotlight
1 Chronicles 20:1 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: King James Version
" And 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. "
1 Chronicles 20:1
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
1 And 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.
2 And 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.
3 And 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.
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The defeat of the Ammonite army and their allies has already been described in the earlier chapters. Here we read about the fall of Rabbah, the main city of their kingdom (1 Chronicles 20:1), the placing of the Ammonite king’s crown on David’s head (1 Chronicles 20:2), and the harsh treatment of the people that followed (1 Chronicles 20:3). A fuller account of this was given in 2 Samuel 11 and 12, and we cannot read it without remembering the sad mark it leaves, that while Joab was besieging Rabbah, David fell into his great sin with Uriah.
It is striking that the rest of the story is repeated here, but that sin is not. Only a brief hint is given in the words in parentheses, “But David stayed at Jerusalem.” If he had gone out with his army, he would have been away from that temptation. Instead, by giving in to ease, he fell into uncleanness. The Bible’s plain account of David’s sin shows the honesty and trustworthiness of the sacred writers.
At the same time, the fact that the sin is not repeated here teaches us something important. Even when there is a proper reason to mention another person’s faults, we should not enjoy repeating them. Talk like that should always feel unpleasant. It may come up when necessary, but it is not something we should choose to linger on, any more than we would want to dig around in filth. If we cannot say anything good about certain people or actions, it is usually best to say nothing at all.
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From This Chapter
1 Chronicles 20:2
"And 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."
1 Chronicles 20:3
"And 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."
1 Chronicles 20:4
"And 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."
1 Chronicles 20:5
"And 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."
1 Chronicles 20:6
"And 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."
1 Chronicles 20:7
"But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him."
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