1 Chronicles
Summary
Following the defeat of the Ammonite coalition, Joab leads the army to besiege and destroy Rabbah while David remains in Jerusalem. David eventually arrives to take the king’s crown and massive amount of spoil. The narrative then chronicles the persistent threat of the Philistines, recounting how David’s warriors struck down several terrifying giants in the region of Gath, including the brother of Goliath.
It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the power of the army and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it.
Then David took the crown of their king from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.
And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Now it happened after this that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant. And they were subdued.
Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.
So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.