King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Yo'av fought against Rabbah of the people of 'Amon and took the royal city.
Berean Standard Bible:
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
American Standard Version:
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Joab{H3097} fought{H3898} against Rabbah{H7237} of the children{H1121} of Ammon{H5983}, and took{H3920} the royal{H4410} city{H5892}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Chronicles 20:1
- ¶ 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.
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.
Deuteronomy 3:11
- For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead [was] a bedstead of iron; [is] it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits [was] the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
2 Samuel 11:25
- Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 2 Samuel 12:26
2 Samuel 12:26 is a verse set within the broader context of King David's reign over Israel and his military campaigns against neighboring nations. The verse specifically mentions Joab, who was King David's nephew and the commander of his army. Joab is fighting against Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites, a people with whom the Israelites had a long history of conflict.
The verse itself succinctly states, "And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city." This indicates a significant military victory for the Israelites, as capturing the royal city would have been a strategic and symbolic triumph, effectively breaking the backbone of Ammonite resistance.
The historical context of this verse is rooted in the expansion of Israel's territory and influence under David's rule. The Ammonites had been hostile to Israel, and their king, Hanun, had previously humiliated David's emissaries, leading to a state of war (2 Samuel 10). The capture of Rabbah would have been the culmination of a prolonged siege and military campaign, demonstrating the might of Israel's army under Joab's leadership.
Thematically, this verse reflects the military and political aspects of David's kingship, highlighting the role of divine favor in Israel's success, as well as the consequences of disobedience and sin, since David's own moral failings had recently been exposed by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15). Despite David's personal shortcomings, God's promise to establish his kingdom was being fulfilled, as evidenced by the conquests described in this verse. The victory at Rabbah also sets the stage for later events, including the infamous incident involving Bathsheba and the subsequent downfall of David's household, illustrating the complex interplay between divine promise, human fallibility, and the outworking of God's sovereign will in the historical narrative of the Bible.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3097
There are 124 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹאָב
Transliteration: Yôwʼâb
Pronunciation: yo-awb'
Description: from יְהֹוָה and אָב; Jehovah-fathered; Joab, the name of three Israelites; Joab. - Strong's Number: H3898
There are 171 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָחַם
Transliteration: lâcham
Pronunciation: law-kham'
Description: a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by implication, to battle (as destruction); devour, eat, [idiom] ever, fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring). - Strong's Number: H7237
There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַבָּה
Transliteration: Rabbâh
Pronunciation: rab-baw'
Description: feminine of רַב; great; Rabbah, the name of two places in Palestine, East and West; Rabbah, Rabbath. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H5983
There are 98 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַמּוֹן
Transliteration: ʻAmmôwn
Pronunciation: am-mone'
Description: from עַם; tribal, i.e. inbred; Ammon, a son of Lot; also his posterity and their country; Ammon, Ammonites. - Strong's Number: H3920
There are 112 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָכַד
Transliteration: lâkad
Pronunciation: law-kad'
Description: a primitive root; to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere; [idiom] at all, catch (self), be frozen, be holden, stick together, take. - Strong's Number: H4410
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מְלוּכָה
Transliteration: mᵉlûwkâh
Pronunciation: mel-oo-kaw'
Description: feminine passive participle of מָלַךְ; something ruled, i.e. a realm; kingsom, king's, [idiom] royal. - Strong's Number: H5892
There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עִיר
Transliteration: ʻîyr
Pronunciation: eer
Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.