History · Chapter 20 of 29

1 Chronicles 20

Joab captures the Ammonite capital Rabbah while David remains in Jerusalem, and David takes the enemy king's heavy gold crown and great spoil. The chapter then records a series of battles against Philistine giants, descendants of the giant in Gath, including one with six fingers and six toes on each hand and foot. Each giant who defied Israel falls by the hand of David and his servants.

What happens in 1 Chronicles 20

When spring returns, the season kings go to war, Joab leads the army, ravages Ammon, and besieges and destroys Rabbah while David stays in Jerusalem. David comes to take the enemy king's crown, weighing a talent of gold and set with precious stones, and places it on his own head, carrying off much spoil. He puts the city's people to forced labor with saws, iron implements, and axes, and does the same to other Ammonite cities before returning to Jerusalem.

Afterward war breaks out with the Philistines at Gezer, where Sibbecai kills Sippai, a descendant of the giant, and the Philistines are subdued. In another battle Elhanan kills Lahmi, brother of Goliath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam. At Gath a man of great stature with twenty-four fingers and toes defies Israel and is killed by Jonathan, David's nephew. These giants, born to the giant in Gath, all fall by David and his servants.

1 Chronicles 20 in context

The Chronicler notably omits the story of David and Bathsheba that fills this same period in 2 Samuel, keeping his focus on David's public role in securing the kingdom rather than his private sin. His interest is in the fall of Israel's ancient enemies, especially the Philistine giants who had long terrorized the nation.

For readers who remembered Goliath, these victories signaled that the giants who once seemed invincible could be conquered by God's people.

Main themes of 1 Chronicles 20

1 Chronicles 20 (KJV)

1And 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. 2And 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. 3And 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. 4And 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. 5And 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. 6And 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. 7But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him. 8These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

Verses to carry from 1 Chronicles 20

“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 20:4

“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 20:5

“These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”1 Chronicles 20:8

Reflection

The giants that once made a whole army tremble fell one by one when God's people faced them in his strength. What looms in your life as an unbeatable giant, fear, an addiction, a long-standing enemy? Remember that in Christ the strong man is already bound, and step forward not in your own power but in his.

A prayer from 1 Chronicles 20