_after the year was expired_ R.V. AT THE TIME OF THE RETURN OF THE YEAR, i.e. in the spring, 2Sa 11:1; 1 Kings 20:22. _the power of the army_ The Heb. phrase is quite general in meaning: _the host of war, the military forces_. _Rabbah_ the capital of the Ammonites; Jeremiah 49:2; Ezekiel 21:20 (25... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Chronicles 20:1-3 (2 Samuel 11:1; 2 Samuel 12:26-31). The Subjugation of Ammon The account of the siege of Rabbah is given more shortly in Chron. than in 2 Sam. From the latter we learn that the Ark was in the besiegers" camp (1 Chronicles 11:11), that the city was defended with spirit (1 Chronic... [ Continue Reading ]
_of their king_ So A.V. (rightly). R.V. mg. _of Malcam_(cp. Zephaniah 1:5), i.e. Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:5). LXX. has a double translation of the one Heb. word: _Molchol_(_Molchom) their king_. The name of the god, whether the right form be _Molech_(1 Kings 11:7) or _Mi... [ Continue Reading ]
_and cut_them _with saws_ Read (cp. 2 Samuel 12:31, R.V. mg.) AND PUT THEM WITH SAWS, i.e. put them to work with saws, etc. Cp. 2 Chronicles 2:17-18; Joshua 9:21-23. The implements mentioned here and in the parallel passage of 2 Sam. suggest task-work, not massacre. The Ammonites were reduced to bon... [ Continue Reading ]
_at Gezer_ See 1 Chronicles 6:67, note. In 2 Samuel 5:25 it is said that David smote the Philistines "from Geba until thou come to Gezer." In 2 Sam. _at Gob_, but no place called Gob is known. _Sippai_ In 2 Sam. "Saph." _giant_ Heb. "Rapha"; the same Heb. word in the plu. "Rephaim" is translated ... [ Continue Reading ]
_Elhanan … slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath_ In 2 Samuel 21:19 _Elhanan … the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath_(R.V.). The difference between the two sentences in Heb. is very small, and the Chronicler, or any copyist, might feel that he was making a certain emendation in substituting the brother of Goli... [ Continue Reading ]
_a man of_great _stature_ In 2 Samuel 21:20 (Heb.) _a man of contention_, i.e. a challenger or champion. _giant_ See 1 Chronicles 20:4, note.... [ Continue Reading ]
_defied_ R.V. marg., REPROACHED. _Shimea_ See 1 Chronicles 3:5, note.... [ Continue Reading ]
_These were born unto the giant in Gath_ Again "giant" is the Heb. "Rapha." The meaning is that these belonged to a branch of the Rephaim which was settled in Gath.... [ Continue Reading ]