Old Testament · History

1 Chronicles 20

Wars Concluded

Final battles with the Philistines. Giants fall. The military chapters close — and David turns his attention to something greater.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV
Read the commentary What this chapter means, the background behind it, and why it still matters

1In 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.

4Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.

5Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

6And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,

7and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

8So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

Commentary

1 Chronicles 20, explained

What 1 Chronicles 20 is saying

Joab captures Rabbah, the Ammonite capital, and David takes the crown. The Chronicler then records victories over Philistine giants at Gezer, including warriors descended from the Rephaim. Notably, the Chronicler omits the entire Bathsheba-Uriah episode that occupies 2 Samuel 11-12.

The background behind it

The omission of the Bathsheba narrative is the Chronicler's most conspicuous editorial choice, reflecting his focus on David as temple-preparer rather than as a flawed individual. The Philistine giant stories parallel 2 Samuel 21:15-22.

Themes running underneath

The Chronicler's selective retelling shapes David's portrait for the post-exilic community's purposes: inspiring faithful worship and temple devotion. The giant-slaying accounts continue to demonstrate God's power through David's warriors against seemingly invincible foes.

Why it still matters

The battles against giants remind us that the challenges that seem most formidable are often overcome not by the most famous leader but by faithful individuals within the community.

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