New International VersionMeanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel.
New Living TranslationMeanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.
English Standard VersionNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
Berean Standard BibleMeanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
King James BibleAnd Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
New King James VersionNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
New American Standard BibleNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.
NASB 1995Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city.
NASB 1977Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.
Legacy Standard BibleThen Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city.
Amplified BibleNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.
Christian Standard BibleJoab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
Holman Christian Standard BibleJoab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
American Standard VersionNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Contemporary English VersionMeanwhile, Joab had been in the country of Ammon, attacking the city of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress
English Revised VersionNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationMeanwhile, Joab fought against the Ammonite city of Rabbah and captured its royal fortress.
Good News TranslationMeanwhile Joab continued his campaign against Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, and was about to capture it.
International Standard VersionMeanwhile, Joab attacked the Ammonite city of Rabbah and captured its stronghold.
NET BibleSo Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.
New Heart English BibleNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleMeanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
World English BibleNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Joab fights against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captures the royal city,
Young's Literal Translation And Joab fighteth against Rabbah of the Bene-Ammon, and captureth the royal city,
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd Joab will fight against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and he will take the city of the kingdom. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and laid close siege to the royal city.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd then Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and he fought outside the royal city.
New American BibleJoab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured that royal city.
New Revised Standard VersionNow Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal city. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd Yuab fought with Rabbath of the sons of Amun and seized the city of the kingdom OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The Capture of Rabbah26Meanwhile, Joabfoughtagainst Rabbahof the Ammonitesand capturedthe royalfortress.27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.…
Cross References 1 Chronicles 20:1-3In 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. / 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. / David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 11:1In 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 5:6-10Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.” / Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David). / On that day he said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites must use the water shaft to reach the lame and blind who are despised by David.” That is why it is said, “The blind and the lame will never enter the palace.” ...
2 Samuel 8:1-2Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines. / David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
1 Kings 11:15-16Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. / Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom.
1 Chronicles 18:11-12and 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. / Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
2 Kings 12:17At that time Hazael king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he decided to attack Jerusalem.
2 Kings 14:7Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
2 Kings 16:5-6Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him. / At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, drove out the men of Judah, and sent the Edomites into Elath, where they live to this day.
2 Kings 18:8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
2 Kings 19:35-37And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
Isaiah 37:36-38Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
Jeremiah 49:2Therefore, 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.
Ezekiel 25:14I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’
Amos 1:13-15This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory. / 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. / Their king will go into exile—he and his princes together,” says the LORD.
Treasury of Scripture And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. Joab 2 Samuel 11:25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. 1 Chronicles 20:1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go outto 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. Rabbah. Jump to Previous AmmonAmmonitesBene-AmmonCapturedCapturethChildrenCitadelCityFightethFightingFoughtJoabJo'abMeanwhileRabbahRoyalJump to Next AmmonAmmonitesBene-AmmonCapturedCapturethChildrenCitadelCityFightethFightingFoughtJoabJo'abMeanwhileRabbahRoyal2 Samuel 12 1.Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge.7.David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned15.David mourns and prays for the child while it lives24.Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah26.David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereofMeanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the AmmonitesJoab, the commander of King David's army, is engaged in battle with the Ammonites, a frequent adversary of Israel. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot and often in conflict with Israel ( Genesis 19:36-38). Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites, is located in present-day Amman, Jordan. This battle is part of a larger campaign that began in 2 Samuel 10, where the Ammonites insulted David's envoys, leading to war. Joab's leadership in this campaign highlights his military prowess and loyalty to David, despite the moral complexities in their relationship, as seen in other parts of 2 Samuel. and captured the royal fortress.
The royal fortress of Rabbah was a significant stronghold, indicating the city's importance and the strategic value of its capture. This victory would have been crucial for Israel's dominance in the region. The capture of such a fortress demonstrates the fulfillment of God's promise to give Israel victory over its enemies (Deuteronomy 20:1-4). The fall of Rabbah also foreshadows the eventual downfall of other nations opposing God's people, aligning with the broader biblical narrative of God's sovereignty over nations. This event sets the stage for David's later involvement in the siege, where he takes the crown of the Ammonite king, symbolizing the transfer of power and God's favor upon Israel. Persons / Places / Events 1. JoabThe commander of King David's army, known for his military prowess and loyalty to David, though sometimes acting independently. 2. RabbahThe capital city of the Ammonites, located east of the Jordan River. It was a significant city due to its strategic and economic importance. 3. The AmmonitesA people often in conflict with Israel, descendants of Lot, and known for their opposition to Israel throughout the Old Testament. 4. The Royal FortressA fortified part of Rabbah, indicating a place of strength and defense, crucial for the control of the city. 5. DavidAlthough not directly mentioned in this verse, King David is the overarching leader whose army is engaged in this battle. Teaching Points The Importance of LeadershipJoab's role in capturing Rabbah highlights the importance of strong and decisive leadership in achieving victory. In our lives, we are called to lead with integrity and courage, following God's guidance. Consequences of SinThe backdrop of this verse is David's sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent fallout. It serves as a reminder that our actions have consequences, and we must seek repentance and restoration. God's Sovereignty in BattlesDespite human actions, God remains sovereign over the outcomes of battles and conflicts. We are encouraged to trust in His ultimate plan and purpose, even in challenging situations. The Role of Community in VictoryJoab's success was not in isolation but as part of a larger community effort. This teaches us the value of working together in unity to achieve common goals. Spiritual WarfareJust as Joab fought a physical battle, we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us to put on the full armor of God to stand firm against spiritual challenges. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from 2 Samuel 12
Who was Nahash the Ammonite in the Bible?
Why do 1 Chronicles 19 and 2 Samuel 10 present slight variations in numbers and details of the battles, and which version is more historically accurate?
How does 2 Samuel 11:1 align with historical or archaeological evidence that kings only went to war in the spring?
In Ezekiel 25:2-7, can any solid historical or archaeological evidence confirm the exact downfall of the Ammonites as predicted?(26) Took the royal city.--The parallel narrative is resumed at this point in 1Chronicles 20:2. Rabbah was situated in the narrow valley of the upper Jabbok, on both sides of the stream, but with its citadel on the cliff on the northern side. The "royal city" of this verse, and "the city of waters" of the next, refer probably to the city proper, while the "city" of 2Samuel 12:28-29 is no doubt the citadel, which was more strongly fortified. Verse 26. - Joab... took the royal city. As the siege of Rabbah would be conducted by the slow process of blockade, it might easily be prolonged into the second year, and so give ample space for David's sin and its punishment by the death of the child. But more probably the narrator, having commenced the history of David's sin, completes the story before returning to his account of the war. Thus the capture of Rabbah would occupy some of the interval between David's adultery and Nathan's visit of rebuke, and would lessen the difficulty, which we cannot help feeling, of David remaining for nine or ten months with the guilt of adultery and murder resting upon him, and no open act of repentance. Some short time, then, after Uriah's death, Joab captured "the city of waters." This is not a poetical name for Rabbah, but means the "water city," that is, the town upon the Jabbok, whence the supply of water was obtained. The citadel, which occupied a high rock on the northwestern side, must, therefore, soon be starved into submission, and the whole of "the royal city," that is, of the metropolis of the Ammonites, be in Joab's power. He therefore urges David to come in person, both that the honour of the conquest may be his, and also because probably the blockading force had been reduced to as small a body of men as was safe, and the presence of a large army was necessary for completing the subjugation of the country, which would follow upon the capture of the capital.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Meanwhile, Joabיוֹאָ֔ב(yō·w·’āḇ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097:Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelitesfoughtוַיִּלָּ֣חֶם(way·yil·lā·ḥem)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3898:To feed on, to consume, to battleagainst Rabbahבְּרַבַּ֖ת(bə·rab·baṯ)Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7237:Rabbah -- two places in Israelof the Ammonitesבְּנֵ֣י(bə·nê)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121:A sonand capturedוַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד(way·yil·kōḏ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3920:To catch, to capture, occupy, to choose, to coherethe royalהַמְּלוּכָֽה׃(ham·mə·lū·ḵāh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4410:Something ruled, a realmfortress.עִ֥יר(‘îr)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5892:Excitement
Links 2 Samuel 12:26 NIV2 Samuel 12:26 NLT2 Samuel 12:26 ESV2 Samuel 12:26 NASB2 Samuel 12:26 KJV
2 Samuel 12:26 BibleApps.com2 Samuel 12:26 Biblia Paralela2 Samuel 12:26 Chinese Bible2 Samuel 12:26 French Bible2 Samuel 12:26 Catholic Bible
OT History: 2 Samuel 12:26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam) |
