Chapter XVIII.
1–17 (= 2 Samuel viii. 1–18).
A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars.
David’s Officials.
This chapter like the last is taken from 2 Samuel with a few omissions and variations. The Chronicler paraphrases (verses 1, 17), omits (verse 2), has a different reading (verses 4, 8, 10, 12). In some cases the better reading is in Chronicles.
The campaigns (except perhaps that against Moab) seem to be narrated in chronological order. David first makes sure of his most pressing enemy the Philistines (verse 1); then feeling safe towards the south-west he turns towards the north-east secure on the Euphrates (but see note verse 3) a station (valuable for trade) held by the Syrians of Zobah (verse 3); the Syrians of Damascus fearing to be excluded from the River by David’s success come to the help of their kinsmen (verse 5); lastly the Edomites, urged perhaps by the Syrians to make a diversion in their favour and thinking it safe to attack Judah during the absence of David, join in the war, but are signally defeated by a detachment under Joab and Abishai (verse 12).
The war with Moab (verse 2) is surprising, if it took place at an early date in David’s reign, for he seems to have been on specially friendly terms with the king of Moab during his exile; compare 1 Samuel xxii. 3, 4 and Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel viii. 2.
1–13 (= 2 Samuel viii. 1–14).
A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars.
¹And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.
1. after this] The phrase is adopted from 2 Samuel viii. 1 and probably came originally from a still earlier book of annals, in which the context may have been different. We cannot therefore say at what period of David’s reign the conquest of Gath took place.
took Gath and her towns] It is impossible to say for certain whether this is the original text or only an interpretation of the obscure reading in 2 Samuel viii. 1, took the bridle of the mother city (Revised Version).
²And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.
2. smote Moab] The Chronicler at this point omits, as he often omits, some difficult words of Samuel. 2 Samuel viii. 2 seems to say that David put two-thirds of the Moabites (presumably the warriors) to death, but the meaning of the verse is uncertain.
brought presents] i.e. tribute, in acknowledgment of David’s superiority. The same Hebrew phrase (translated “bring an offering”) is used Psalms xcvi. 8 of sacrificing to Jehovah.
³And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto¹ Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.
3. Hadarezer] So spelt in 2 Samuel x. 16–19, but in 2 Samuel viii. 3–12, Hadadezer, the right form (as inscriptions show).
Zobah unto Hamath] Render as margin Zobah by Hamath, the position of Zobah being fixed by the note that it was near Hamath.
Hamath] The modern Hama on the Orontes, midway between Antioch and Damascus, but somewhat further to the east than either. See below verse 9; also xiii. 5 and 2 Chronicles viii. 3.
as he went to stablish his dominion] He may refer to Hadarezer or to David; the latter, probably, is the Chronicler’s intention. The reading in 2 Samuel viii. 3 (“to recover his dominion”—Revised Version) should be emended to the text in Chronicles.
by the river Euphrates] The utter improbability that David exercised any authority in regions so far north throws no doubt upon the reading, for the Chronicler and the author of Samuel may easily have believed that he did so.
⁴And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.
4. a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen] Samuel a thousand and seven hundred horsemen (so Hebrew but LXX. of Samuel agrees with Chronicles). Houghed = “hamstrung.”
⁵And when the Syrians¹ of Damascus² came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians¹ two and twenty thousand men.
5. Damascus] The name is variously written in Hebrew, Darmesek (Chronicles), Dammesek (Genesis, 1 Kings), Dummesek (2 Kings xvi. 10). See G. A. Smith, Damascus in Encyclopedia Biblia.
came to succour] By interposing between David and his own land and so threatening his rear.
⁶Then David put garrisons in Syria¹ of Damascus²; and the Syrians¹ became servants to David, and brought presents. And the Lord gave victory³ to David whithersoever he went.
6. put garrisons in Syria of Damascus] margin in Aram of Darmesek, i.e. in the Aramean kingdom of which Damascus was the capital. David’s purpose of course was to secure his rear in any future operations towards Hamath or towards the Euphrates.
⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
7. shields of gold] “shields” = Hebrew shĕlātim. The meaning of the Hebrew word is doubtful; most probably it does not mean “shield,” for (1) a shield would not be described as “upon” the person to whom it belonged, (2) the early authorities, i.e. the LXX. translators, the Targum, and the Peshitṭa (on 2 Samuel viii. 7; 2 Kings xi. 10; Jeremiah li. 11; Ezekiel xxvii. 11) never give “shield,” but either leave the word untranslated or give various conjectural renderings. A later authority (Targum on 1 Chronicles xviii. 7; 2 Chronicles xxiii. 9) gives “shield,” while LXX. gives “collars” (κλοιούς) here, and “arms” or “shields” (τὰ ὅπλα) in 2 Chronicles.
The most probable rendering of the word is “suits of armour” (see Barnes, Expository Times, x. 43 ff.).
and brought them to Jerusalem] So Hebrew LXX. Targum, but the Peshitṭa (all important MSS.) omits the words, and they may be a gloss introduced from 2 Samuel viii. 7.
⁸And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.
8. Tibhath] compare Tebah, the name of an Aramean family, Genesis xxii. 24. Nothing is known certainly of the position of the city. In 2 Samuel viii. 8 Betah (= Tebah).
Cun] 2 Samuel viii. 8, “Berothai.” Nothing is certainly known of a city of either name; but “Berothai” may be the same as “Berothah” (Ezekiel xlvii. 16).
very much brass] Compare xxi. 14, xxix. 2.
brass] Not the metal generally so called. Revised Version (margin note to Genesis iv. 22) gives copper as an alternative rendering. The “brass” of the ancients (χαλκός, LXX.) corresponds rather to bronze.
the brasen sea, etc.] Compare 2 Chronicles iv. 11–18.
⁹And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah,
9. Tou] In 2 Samuel viii. 9 “Toi” (so Hebrew, but LXX. “Tou”).
Hamath] see above verse 3. Hamath is sometimes referred to as the northern boundary of Israel, compare 1 Kings viii. 65; 2 Kings xiv. 25, 28.
¹⁰he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him; for Hadarezer had wars with Tou; and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
10. Hadoram] In 2 Samuel viii. 10, “Joram.” Both these forms are probably Hebrew adaptations of the real name.
he had with him all manner of vessels] Such informal tribute was an acknowledgment of David’s suzerainty made in order to claim David’s protection in war. Compare the action of Asa (1 Kings xv. 18, 19) and of Ahaz (2 Kings xvi. 7, 8). In all three cases the policy was the same, i.e. to acknowledge a distant suzerain and so gain the benefit of a valuable alliance while losing the minimum of independence.
¹¹These also did king David dedicate unto the Lord, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
11. from Amalek] So 2 Samuel viii. 12, but we have no record of any war of David with Amalek except the account in 1 Samuel xxx.
¹²Moreover Abishai¹ the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand. ¹³And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord gave victory² to David whithersoever he went.
12. Abishai the son of Zeruiah] In 2 Samuel viii. 13 David, and in Psalms lx. (title) Joab, receives the credit of this victory. Abishai might have commanded in the battle, while Joab (compare 1 Kings xi. 16) completed the conquest of the country; but it is highly probable that the reading Abishai the son of Zeruiah has arisen here through a copyist’s mistake and that the true reading is And when he (David) returned he smote Edom, etc.
of the Edomites] Literally “of Edom,” so Psalms lx. (title), but in 2 Samuel “of the Syrians,” literally “Aram.” The two words “Edom” and “Aram” when written in Hebrew are very much alike and are easily confused. The reading “Edom” is right here.
the Valley of Salt] Probably the marshy flat (Bädeker, Palestine⁵, p. 174) at the south end of the Dead Sea. This valley is dominated by the Jebel Usdum, a hill consisting “almost entirely of pure crystallised salt” (Bädeker, Palestine⁵, p. 174).
eighteen thousand] Psalms lx. (title), “twelve thousand,” not an important variation.
14–17 (= 2 Samuel viii. 15–18; compare 2 Samuel xx. 23–26).
David’s Officials.
¹⁴And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed judgement and justice unto all his people.
14. unto all his people] David was his own chief justice, but probably the work was too much for one man; compare 2 Samuel xv. 2–4.
¹⁵And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder¹.
15. recorder] margin, chronicler; LXX., ὑπομνηματογράφος. His business was probably to remind the king of his various duties of state.
¹⁶And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe¹;
16. Abimelech the son of Abiathar] In 2 Samuel viii. 17, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, but read Abiathar son of Ahimelech in both passages. Compare xv. 11, xxiv. 3, notes; and Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel viii. 17.
Shavsha] 2 Samuel viii. 17, Seraiah; 2 Samuel xx. 25, Sheva; and 1 Kings iv. 3 (perhaps), Shisha. Shisha and Shavsha probably represent two different attempts to pronounce a foreign name, perhaps Shamsha; Seraiah and Sheva are mere errors of transcription. Foreigners were admitted to posts of authority in the empire of David and Solomon; Ittai the Gittite and Uriah the Hittite are instances.
scribe] margin, secretary. See 2 Kings xii. 10, xviii. 18, xxii. 3; compare 2 Kings xxv. 19, a passage which suggests that there was a second scribe with military duties. The first, the king’s scribe, would formulate the king’s orders and conduct his correspondence with foreign powers. Shavsha’s sons held the office in the reign of Solomon, 1 Kings iv. 3.
¹⁷and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.
17. Benaiah] Compare xi. 22–25.
the Cherethites and the Pelethites] David’s bodyguard. The Cherethites were almost certainly Philistines (1 Samuel xxx. 14; Ezekiel xxv. 16; Zephaniah ii. 5), the Pelethites were probably also Philistines (2 Samuel xv. 18). Foreign bodyguards are well-known in history.
chief about the king] Literally, the chief at the kings hand, i.e. formed the executive to carry out his commands; compare Nehemiah xi. 24. In 2 Samuel viii. 18 (Revised Version) David’s sons are described as priests, a statement which is in all probability correct, but which the Chronicler, following the later theory of the priesthood, could not accept (see Introduction, pp. xli. f.).
Chapter XIX.
1–19 (= 2 Samuel x. 1–19).
War with the Ammonites and their
Aramean Allies.
Chronicles here omits the story of David’s kindness in seeking out and befriending Mephibosheth (Merib-baal) the son of Jonathan (2 Samuel ix.), because he has ignored the story of David’s relations with Saul. Further the Court History of David which occupies an important place in 2 Samuel is passed over altogether in Chronicles Consequently the shameful episode of Bath-sheba, and the rebellion of Absalom vanish from the account of David. It is obvious how greatly the presentation of David’s life and character is affected by these omissions. Yet from his point of view the Chronicler is right in passing these matters by in silence. He was concerned to present David essentially as the founder of the religious life of Israel as a kingdom and of the Temple as an institution of religion.
There are several variations in text between 2 Samuel x. and 1 Chronicles xix., e.g. verses 6, 7 (addition in Chronicles), 16 (omission from Chronicles), 18 (variation in reckoning).
¹And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
1. after this] The war with Ammon has already been referred to by anticipation in xviii. 11.
Nahash] Probably the Nahash mentioned in 1 Samuel xi. 1.
Ammon] The Ammonites were a kindred race to the Hebrews, being descended according to tradition from Lot, the nephew of Abraham; compare Deuteronomy ii. 19. The two Ammonite names here given are pure Hebrew, Nahash (= “Serpent”) and Hanun (= “Favoured, Fortunatus”); the Ammonite language, like the Moabite, was doubtless very similar to Hebrew.
²And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
2. sent messengers to comfort him] A customary act of international courtesy; compare 2 Kings xx. 12. Its breach was resented. Thus in the Tell el-Amarna letters (x. 16) the king of Kardunias writes, “Should not my brother (i.e. the king of Egypt) have heard that I am sick? Why has he not comforted me? Why has he not sent his messenger, not looked into it?” (editor H. Winckler, p. 23).
³But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
3. the land] 2 Samuel x. 3, the city, i.e. Rabbah (see xx. 1).
⁴So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
4. shaved them] 2 Samuel x. 4, shaved off the one half of their beards. Of course a great insult; compare Isaiah l. 6.
cut off their garments] Jewish ambassadors are represented on the Black Obelisk (a monument of Shalmaneser II, king of Assyria, now preserved in the British Museum) as wearing robes reaching to the feet; Hanun reduced ambassadors to the level of captives; compare Isaiah xx. 4.
⁵Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
5. Tarry at Jericho] Thus (1) the feelings of the ambassadors would be spared, (2) the insult would be less widely known until it had been avenged.
⁶And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah.
6. a thousand talents of silver] A very large sum; for a hundred talents Amaziah hired a hundred thousand men (2 Chronicles xxv. 6).
chariots and horsemen] The Israelite armies on the contrary consisted chiefly of infantry, the country being for the most part unsuitable for horses.
Mesopotamia] Hebrew “Aram (Syria) of the two rivers” (compare Genesis xxiv. 10, Revised Version margin), i.e. probably the land between the Euphrates and the Chaboras. The Greeks used the term Mesopotamia of a wider district, i.e. of the country between the Euphrates and the Tigris. This mention of Mesopotamia is probably premature, for in verse 16 the summons of Syrians from beyond the Euphrates is spoken of as a new thing. The corresponding expression in 2 Samuel x. 6 is Beth-rehob, a district which has not yet been identified.
Aram-maacah] compare vii. 15, note; Deuteronomy iii. 14; Joshua xii. 5, xiii. 11.
Zobah]. compare xviii. 3, note.
⁷So they hired them thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
7. thirty and two thousand chariots] Compare 2 Samuel x. 6, which reckons the army (including Maacah) at 33,000, of whom 20,000 are expressly described as footmen. The word “chariots” may have slipped in from verse 6 instead of “men” or may be an intentional alteration, magnifying the war.
Medeba] In the territory of Reuben; Joshua xiii. 26. The country round is a table-land suited for the manœuvres of chariots. The place of the rendezvous of the allies is not mentioned in 2 Samuel x., some words having probably fallen out of the text.
⁸And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. ⁹And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.
8. David ... sent Joab] Why in such a crisis did he not go himself? Perhaps because he could watch the gathering of the more serious storm described in verses 16–19 better from Jerusalem.
¹⁰Now when Joab saw that the battle¹ was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put ¹¹them in array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai² his brother, and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. ¹²And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
10. he chose of all the choice men] The Syrians were the more formidable because of the chariots they had; Joab therefore opposed to them the flower of his army.
¹³Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.
13. the cities of our God] The cities which our God has given us and in which He is worshipped. If these were captured by the enemy, false gods would be worshipped in them. Religious feeling often supplies the place of patriotism in the East.
¹⁴So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
14. drew nigh before the Syrians] Without fear for their own rear advanced against the Syrian front.
¹⁵And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
15. Joab came to Jerusalem] Probably because he was wanted for the new danger gathering in the North.
16–19.
The End of the Aramean War.
Three stages are apparent in the war with Zobah as related in Chronicles, (a) that in which David secured a position on the Euphrates, xviii. 3–8, (b) the stage during which troops from Zobah acted as auxiliaries to the Ammonites, xix. 6–15, (c) the final stage which ended in the conclusion of a formal peace, xix. 16–19. The actual facts of David’s activities against the Arameans are by no means easy to ascertain, as may be seen in the commentaries on the more complex account which is given in Samuel.
¹⁶And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head.
16. the Syrians that were beyond the River] i.e. the Syrians of “Mesopotamia”; compare verse 6, note. 2 Samuel x. 16 adds, and they came to Helam; the position of Helam however is unknown.
Shophach] In 2 Samuel x. 16 called “Shobach.” The whole allied army was united under one general.
¹⁷And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
17. came upon them] or possibly read, as 2 Samuel x. 17, came to Helam. According to 2 Samuel x. the Syrian army assembled at Helam, and was there attacked by David.
¹⁸And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
18. seven thousand] 2 Samuel x. 18, seven hundred: an intentional change made by the Chronicler to enhance the achievement of David.
forty thousand footmen] 2 Samuel x. 18, forty thousand horsemen. Swarms of horsemen have usually formed the strength of armies raised on the eastern bank of the Euphrates; but the reading in Chronicles may well be correct.
¹⁹And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
19. the servants] i.e. his vassals and tributaries; in 2 Samuel “all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer.” We are not told what course Hadarezer himself took; possibly, being deserted by his allies, he ceased from hostilities without making any treaty with David.
Chapter XX.
1–3 (= 2 Samuel xi. 1, xii. 26–31).
The Subjugation of Ammon.
The account of the siege of Rabbah is given more shortly in Chronicles than in 2 Samuel From the latter we learn that the Ark was in the besiegers’ camp (xi. 11), that the city was defended with spirit (xi. 17), and finally taken piecemeal (xii. 26–29).
¹And it came to pass, at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that 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 overthrew it.
1. at the time of the return of the year] i.e. in the spring, 2 Samuel xi. 1; 1 Kings xx. 22.
the power of the army] The Hebrew phrase is quite general in meaning: the host of war, the military forces.
Rabbah] the capital of the Ammonites; Jeremiah xlix. 2; Ezekiel xxi. 20 (25, Hebrew). Its site, now called ‘Ammān, is covered with important ruins of the Roman and Byzantine periods. The town lies in a fertile basin, its citadel on a hill on the north side.
David tarried at Jerusalem] In 2 Samuel these words introduce the story of David’s adultery with Bath-sheba, which is omitted from Chronicles.
Joab smote Rabbah] In 2 Samuel xii. 27 Joab reports to David the capture of the city of waters (i.e. the lower city), and invites him to come and complete the conquest (presumably by capturing the citadel) in person. Probably the citadel was dependent for water on the river which flows through the town.
²And David took the crown of their king¹ 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 forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
2. of their king] So also Authorized Version, perhaps rightly, but many scholars prefer to treat the word as a proper name, rendering, as margin, of Malcam (compare Zephaniah i. 5), i.e. Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kings xi. 5). LXX. has a double translation of the one Hebrew word: Molchol (Molchom) their king. The name of the god, whether the right form be Molech (1 Kings xi. 7) or more probably Milcom or Malcam, means either “king” or, less probably, “counsellor.” In the former case his image would in all probability wear a crown.
it was set upon David’s head] A symbolic action implying that David completely annexed the Ammonite territory; other conquered nations retained a partial independence on condition of the payment of tribute.
he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much] doubtless a triumphal procession of captives and spoil, such as an Assyrian relief in the British Museum represents passing before Sennacherib at the capture of Lachish.
³And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
3. and cut them with saws] Read probably (compare 2 Samuel xii. 31, Revised Version margin) and put them with saws, i.e. put them to work with saws, etc. Compare 2 Chronicles ii. 17, 18; Joshua ix. 21–23. The implements mentioned here and in the parallel passage of 2 Samuel suggest task-work, not massacre. The Ammonites were reduced to bondage like that of Israel in Egypt. The exceptionally harsh treatment of the Ammonites was doubtless due to the exceptional insults which David’s ambassadors had received from them. A very different spirit towards Ammon is shown in Deuteronomy ii. 19.
4–8 (= 2 Samuel xxi. 18–22).
Philistine champions slain.
This section is the last in which the Chronicler notices David’s wars. It is taken from 2 Samuel xxi., where, however, it is preceded by an account (verses 15–17) of David’s narrow escape in an encounter with a Philistine.
Between the two sections of this chapter the Chronicler omits the account of the rebellions of Absalom and of Sheba, and the story of the Gibeonite vengeance on the house of Saul (2 Samuel xiii. i–xxi. 14).
⁴And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer¹ with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant²: and they were subdued.
4. at Gezer] See vi. 67, note. In 2 Samuel at Gob, but no place called Gob is known. In 2 Samuel v. 25 it is said that David smote the Philistines “from Geba until thou come to Gezer.”
Sippai] In 2 Samuel “Saph.”
giant] Hebrew “Rapha”; the same Hebrew word in the plural “Rephaim” is translated “giants” in Deuteronomy ii. 11, Authorized Version These “Rephaim” dwelt east of Jordan.
⁵And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
5. Elhanan ... slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath] In 2 Samuel xxi. 19, Elhanan ... the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath (Revised Version). The difference between the two sentences in Hebrew is very small, and is due, no doubt, to the Chronicler, or a copyist, who felt that he was making a certain emendation in substituting the brother of Goliath for Goliath himself, since, according to 1 Samuel xvii., Goliath was slain by David before he became king.
slew Lahmi] read the Beth-lehemite slew, etc.
⁶And there was again 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 born unto the giant¹.
6. a man of great stature] In 2 Samuel xxi. 20 (Hebrew) a man of contention, i.e. a challenger or champion.
⁷And when he defied⁴ Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
7. Shimea] See iii. 5, note.
⁸These were born unto the giant¹ in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
8. These were born unto the giant in Gath] Again “giant” is the Hebrew “Rapha” as in verses 4, 6. The meaning is that these belonged to a branch of the Rephaim which was settled in Gath.