Poole on 2 Samuel 12:26-30: The Campaign against Ammon

Verse 26:[1]  And (1 Chron. 20:1) Joab fought against (Deut. 3:11) Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

[He was storming the royal city, ‎הַמְּלוּכָה]  The city of the Kingdom; that is, which was the seat of the kingdom.  The royal city (which was also called the city of waters, verse 27) was adjacent to Rabbah itself, and was defending it (Vatablus).  Others understand Rabbah itself, or Philadelphia (certain interpreters in Malvenda, Lapide).  They explain, he was taking the city, that is, the part of it where the palace was (Malvenda).  Or, the city is here said to be taken in general terms, but what follows shows the manner of the taking (other interpreters in Malvenda).  Or he was storming, in the place of he was busying himself to storm; or he was heavily assaulting, as in Psalm 129, and so an act begun, not completed, is signified (Lapide).

And took the royal city:  that is, That part of the city where was the king’s palace, where he ordinarily resided; though now it seems he was retired to a strong fort.

Verse 27:[2]  And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

[And the city of waters is to be taken, ‎גַּם־לָכַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־עִ֥יר הַמָּֽיִם׃]  Also I have taken the city of waters (Septuagint, Munster, Pagnine, Tigurinus, Montanus, etc.).  Also I subjugated the royal city (Jonathan, Syriac, Arabic).  One and the same city was called the royal city, verse 26, and the city of waters, verse 27 (Vatablus).  Two cities were conjoined, the lesser of which was called the city of waters; the other, Rabbah, in which the King abiding.  Joab took the first, and the King the second (Munster).  The city of waters, that is, the part of the city in which there was the drawing of water; just as a Greater and Lesser Basel are mentioned, for the greater and lesser part of Basel;[3] the body of remains, for the remaining part of the body (Castalio).   Thus the city of Syracuse[4] was consisting of four parts, Island,[5] Achradina,[6] Tyche,[7] Neapolis[8] (Martyr).  It is called the city of waters, because vast quantity of waters wherewith it was surrounded (Vatablus, similarly Menochius); whence it was most securely protected (Menochius):  because it had great trenches, which were filled with water (Martyr); because the river Jabbok was flowing around it[9] (Lapide out of Serarius):  or from its numerous springs (Malvenda):  because of the many waters that were in it (Munster).  This was the exterior part of the city, past which water was flowing (Piscator, certain interpreters in Malvenda); the other internal part, and the navel of the city, as it were, was not yet taken (certain interpreters in Malvenda).  [Junius and Tremellius thus render the passage, also I have cut off water from the city.  It is a Hypallage[10] (Junius).]  This is supported, both by Josephus (who relates, that with the watercourses cut off, etc., the besieged were troubled with hunger and thirst, etc.[11] [Bonfrerius[12]]), and by Polybius, Histories 5:415, treating of this same city taken by Antiochus,[13] who thus says, Until one of the captives showed a subterranean course to the besiegers, through which the besieged were descending to fetch water:  with this then broken open…and obstructed…they surrendered on account of the scarcity of water (Malvenda).

The city of waters:  The same royal city so called, because it either stood beside the river, or was encompassed with water, both for defence and delight.  Although the words are by some learned men rendered thus, I have taken, or intercepted, or cut off water from the city; which well agrees, both with the words, ‎אֶת/eth[14] being here put for מֵאֵת/meeth/from, which is frequent; as Genesis 4:1;[15] 44:4;[16] Exodus 9:29,[17] etc.; and with the relation of Josephus the Jew, who saith, The conduits of water were cut off, and so the city was taken; and with a relation of Polybius concerning the same city, which was taken afterwards by Antiochus in the same manner, by cutting off water from the city.

Verse 28:[18]  Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it:  lest I take the city, and it be called after my name (Heb. my name be called upon it[19]).

[Gather the remaining part of the people]  Bring a new enlistment of soldiers with thee (Sanchez).

Take it; for having taken one part of the city, he concluded the remaining part of it could not long stand out.

[Lest the victory be ascribed to my name, ‎וְנִקְרָ֥א שְׁמִ֖י עָלֶֽיהָ׃]  And my name be called upon it (Montanus).  It be called by my name (Tigurinus).  My name be proclaimed concerning it (Syriac, Junius and Tremellius).  The victory is attributed to me (Arabic, Junius).  Admire here the fidelity and modesty of Joab (Lapide).  Thus Craterus in the siege of Artacana.[20]  He, with all things prepared, was awaiting the coming of the King, yielding (as it was suitable) the title of the captured city[21] (Grotius).  Joab did this, either because he loved his prince; or so that he might avoid the envy that David had formerly incurred before Saul on account of the praises of the women,[22] etc. (Martyr).

Lest it be called after my name; lest I have the honour of taking it.  Thus he seeks to ingratiate himself with the king, by pretending great care for his honour and interest.

Verse 29:[23]  And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

David, gathered all the people together; either because Joab needed more help for the storming of the city; or, at least, for the prosecution of the victory, and execution of justice upon the whole land; or because he would have them all to partake of the spoil of the city, which was there in great abundances, verse 30; the rather because they were all exposed to the hazard of utter ruin, in case the Ammonites had prevailed against them.

Verse 30:[24]  (1 Chron. 20:2) And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones:  and it was set on David’s head.  And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance (Heb. very great[25]).

[The diadem of their King (thus the Septuagint, Jonathan, Syriac, Arabic, etc.), ‎מַלְכָּם]  Others:  of the idol Molech,[26] or Milcom.[27]  Thus Jerome and Pineda, and Villalpando[28] and others in Salian (Menochius, thus Lapide).

[A talent of gold in weight, ‎וּמִשְׁקָלָ֙הּ כִּכַּ֤ר זָהָב֙]  And the weight of it was a talent of gold (Montanus, Pagnine, etc.).  Now, a talent was containing a hundred (indeed, a hundred and twenty-five [Lapide, Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals]) minas[29] (Sanchez), or three thousand shekels, or half-ounces:  an enormous weight, for the bearing of which the head of David was not suitable (Malvenda).  What is to be said?  Response:  1.  A lesser talent is to be understood here, that is, a tenth of the greater talent (certain interpreters in Malvenda, Mariana).  See what things are on 1 Kings 9:28 (Mariana).  This crown either was worn by him for only a brief time (Kimchi in Munster), or (in a certain ceremony and ritual [Malvenda]) it was suspended above the head of David when he was sitting on the throne (Munster).  3.  Although מִשְׁקָל properly signifies weight, it is sometimes taken for value (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 1:2:58:380).  For, the crown was consisting, not only of gold, but of precious stones, which were not added to the weight of the gold:  Hence שֶׁקֶל/shekel the Greeks sometimes translate τίσιν, τιμᾷν, etc., to repay and to estimate; in Latin also pendere, to pay, impendere, to expend, rependere, to weigh out, compensare, to compensate, dispensare, to dispense, etc:  although they are terms taken from weight, yet they are not rarely referred to the price, value, and estimation of things (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 1:2:58:380).  Thus we say, weight out silver to me, etc., that is, pay back.  It often happens, with the face of things changed an ancient manner of speaking is nevertheless retained.  Thus we call a pound, a thing that does not weigh one ounce, because it is worth as much as that greater weight (Sanchez).  4.  David is said to have made for himself a diadem out of the crown; because a part of the crown he adapted into a diadem, but not the whole.  Just as Gideon is said to have made an Ephod, out of those earrings that were weighing about seventy pounds; not because all that gold was expended upon the Ephod alone (for who could bear a garment of such weight?):  But part was expended upon the Ephod, and part upon other adornments (Lapide on Judges 8:26).

[Having incredibly precious gems, ‎וְאֶ֣בֶן יְקָרָ֔ה]  And a precious stone (Montanus, Pagnine, thus the Septuagint).  A singular in the place of the plural, precious stones; that is, besides the precious stones wherewith it was adorned (Vatablus).  On that was a good stone (Jonathan).  Josephus affirms that it was a sardonyx,[30] I believe, because thus he took מַלְכָּם/malkam; for sardonyx is also called μολοχὰς/molochas, says Epiphanius[31] in his chapter concerning Sardius[32] (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 2:5:7:699).  On which were the best stones (Syriac, Munster, Tigurinu).  With stones (gems [Castalio, Strigelius]) precious (Junius and Tremellius, similarly the Arabic).

[It was placed upon the head of David[33]]  Hebrew:  it was over the head of David; which they interpret, Thus it well agrees with the head of David as if it had been particularly designed for it.  Not only the crown of the conquered King, but all his ornamentation and furniture, were yielded to the victorious King, as the Talmudists note.  Similar was that saying among the Macedonians, with the custom passed on, that they should receive the victor into the tabernacle of the conquered King, in Curtius.[34]  See on The Law of War and Peace 3:6:24; and add 1 Chronicles 20:2 (Grotius).

The weight whereof was a talent of gold, or rather, the price whereof, etc.  For as the Hebrew שֶׁקֶל/shekel signifies both a weight, and a piece of money of a certain price; so also may מִשְׁקָל/mishkal, as proceeding from the same root.  And, in general, the same words both in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin are promiscuously used, to signify either weight or price, as is well known to the learned.  And the addition of precious stones, which are never valued by the weight of gold, makes this signification here most proper and probable.  Moreover, the weight might seem too great, either for the king of Ammon or for David, to wear it upon his head.  Although, if this were meant of the weight, it might be said that this was not a crown to be worn ordinarily, but merely to be put on upon the king’s head at his coronation, or upon solemn occasions, as here where this was done, in token of the translation of this kingdom to David; and, it may be, it was held up or supported by two officers of state, that it might not be too burdensome to him, and after a little while taken off.

[1] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם יוֹאָ֔ב בְּרַבַּ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד אֶת־עִ֥יר הַמְּלוּכָֽה׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח יוֹאָ֛ב מַלְאָכִ֖ים אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַ֙יֹּאמֶר֙ נִלְחַ֣מְתִּי בְרַבָּ֔ה גַּם־לָכַ֖דְתִּי אֶת־עִ֥יר הַמָּֽיִם׃

[3] Basel is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the Rhine.

[4] Syracuse was one of the principal cities of ancient Sicily.

[5] That is, Ortygia.

[6] Achradina was the commercial and administrative district in the southern part of the city on the mainland.

[7] Tyche was the residential district, north of Achradina.

[8] Neapolis contained the theater, amphitheater, and monuments.  It was north of Achradina, and west of Tyche.

[9] The Jabbok River begins near Rabbah, travels northward and then westward, and terminates in the Jordan River, about half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

[10] That is, an interchange of the syntactical relationship of two terms.

[11] Antiquities 7:7:5.

[12] Jacobus Bonfrerius (1573-1642) joined the order of the Jesuits in 1592.  He enjoyed a long tenure as a professor of the Scriptures and Hebrew at Douay, France.

[13] Antiochus IV Epiphanes was King of the Seleucid Empire from 175 to 164 BC.

[14] 2 Samuel 12:27:  “And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city (‎אֶת־עִיר, with ‎אֶת serving as the direct object marker) of waters.”

[15] Genesis 4:1:  “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord (‎אֶת־יְהוָה).”

[16] Genesis 44:4:  “And when they were gone out from the city (‎אֶת־הָעִיר), and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?”

[17] Exodus 9:29:  “And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out from the city (‎אֶת־הָעִיר), I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s.”

[18] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַתָּ֗ה אֱסֹף֙ אֶת־יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם וַחֲנֵ֥ה עַל־הָעִ֖יר וְלָכְדָ֑הּ פֶּן־אֶלְכֹּ֤ד אֲנִי֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וְנִקְרָ֥א שְׁמִ֖י עָלֶֽיהָ׃

[19] Hebrew:  ‎וְנִקְרָ֥א שְׁמִ֖י עָלֶֽיהָ׃.

[20] Craterus (c. 370-c. 321 BC) was a Macedonian General under Alexander the Great.  Artacana was the name of the capital of Aria, an eastern satrapy of the Persian Empire.

[21] Quintus Curtius Rufus’ History of Alexander 6:6.  Quintus Curtius Rufus (died 53) was a Roman and a historian.  History of Alexander the Great is his only surviving work.

[22] 1 Samuel 18:7, 8.

[23] Hebrew:  ‎וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֖ם וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ רַבָּ֑תָה וַיִּלָּ֥חֶם בָּ֖הּ וַֽיִּלְכְּדָֽהּ׃

[24] Hebrew: וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־עֲטֶֽרֶת־מַלְכָּם֩ מֵעַ֙ל רֹאשׁ֜וֹ וּמִשְׁקָלָ֙הּ כִּכַּ֤ר זָהָב֙ וְאֶ֣בֶן יְקָרָ֔ה וַתְּהִ֖י עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ דָּוִ֑ד וּשְׁלַ֥ל הָעִ֛יר הוֹצִ֖יא הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

[25] Hebrew:  ‎הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃.

[26] See Leviticus 20:1-5; 1 Kings 11:7.

[27] See 1 Kings 11:5, 33; 2 Kings 23:13.

[28] John Baptist Villalpando (1552-1608) was a Spanish Jesuit.  He is noteworthy for his interest in architecture and fascination with Ezekiel’s Temple vision.

[29] The Greek mina was fifteen ounces, just short of a pound.

[30] Sardonyx is a gemstone, red and white zebra-striped.

[31] The profound erudition of Epiphanius (c. 310-403) led to his installation as Bishop of Salamis.  He was something of a heresy hunter, combating Apollinaris, the disciples of Origen, and even at one point Chrysostom.

[32] From Concerning Gems.

[33] Hebrew:  ‎וַתְּהִ֖י עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ דָּוִ֑ד.

[34] History of Alexander the Great 3:11:16.