Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 20:1
In 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler records this as a factual account of military mobilization, noting the seasonal timing of royal warfare. The narrative places Joab in command while David remains stationary in Jerusalem during the spring campaign.
The words — The phrase לְ/עֵת צֵאת הַ/מְּלָכִים (le/'et tse'at ha'melachim) translates literally to "to the time of the going out of the kings." This temporal marker establishes the standard seasonal pattern for ancient Near Eastern military campaigns.
The thread — This seasonal warfare motif and the siege of Rabbah appear in 2 Samuel 11:1 and 2 Samuel 12:26, while the broader context of royal conquests echoes Deuteronomy 3:11. The Chronicler aligns this account with the Samuelic narrative to show continuity in David’s reign.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of the contrast between Joab’s active campaigning and David’s stationary presence in Jerusalem. It requires the reader to observe the factual sequence of events without adding moral commentary beyond the recorded actions.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
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.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 11:1 In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 12:26 Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 (For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- Jeremiah 49:2 Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned. Then Israel will drive out their dispossessors, says the LORD.
- Amos 1:14 So I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabbah to consume its citadels amid war cries on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of tempest.
- 2 Samuel 11:16 So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the strongest enemy soldiers were.
- 2 Samuel 17:27 When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
- 1 Kings 20:22 Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
- 1 Kings 20:26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
- 2 Kings 13:20 And Elisha died and was buried. Now the Moabite raiders used to come into the land every spring.