Bible Strands
1 Chronicles 20:2
Then 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text records David’s actions following Joab’s siege and the demolition of Rabbah. It describes the removal of royal regalia and the seizure of material wealth from the conquered Ammonite capital.
The words — The Hebrew וַ/יִּקַּ֣ח (va/i.yi.Kach) means "and he took," marking the active seizure of the crown. עֲטֶֽרֶת\־ ('a.te.ret-) denotes the specific royal headpiece removed from the defeated king.
The thread — This account parallels the seizure of the same crown in 2 Samuel 12:30 and aligns with the spoils dedication pattern in 2 Samuel 8:11 and 1 Chronicles 18:11. The narrative thread tracks the transfer of conquered royal wealth to David.
Why it lands — The passage documents the concrete transfer of power and material wealth following military conquest. It requires the reader to observe how defeated royal authority is physically dismantled and transferred to the victor.
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 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.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 8:11 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—
- 2 Samuel 12:30 Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed 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.
- 1 Chronicles 18:11 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all these nations—from Edom and Moab, and from the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites.