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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.
Bible Chapter Studies
1A0I CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20
I Chronicles 19 began with David trying to extend a goodwill gesture to an Ammonite king named Hanun, by sending a delegation of ambassadors to him on the occasion of his father’s death. Upon David’s delegation arriving, Hanun’s close advisors falsely told him that, the only reason the King of Israel had sent this delegation was because the King of Israel wanted to know the strength of the Ammonites, to access their city fortifications\strongholds, numbers in strength, etc.. So, based on this misinformation, Hanun mistreated David’s ambassadors by shaving half of each man’s beard off, and cutting their garments off at “buttock height,” exposing their privates.
On their way back home, the delegation came across another Israelite to whom—after seeing their condition\appearance—they had to explain what had happened. He in turn went back to Jerusalem and notified David, who then sent word to his ambassadors to stop over in Jericho and stay there if they wished, until their beards grew back. This rebuke of his ambassadors—rightfully so—enraged David, and caused even the word Ammonite to be a stink in David’s nostrils. He therefore summoned his Commanding General, his nephew Joab, and told him to gather the troops for war in order to avenge not only himself; but, his ambassadors as well.
The Ammonites, realizing they were no match for Israel, sent for and bought hirelings—paid mercenaries—from Syria. War ensued with Joab taking a band of his mighty warriors against the mercenaries, while he sent his older brother Abishai with a larger force against the Ammonites. The Syrian mercenaries, seeing Joab and his mighty warriors coming toward them, quickly decided they really didn’t want to put their lives on the line for the Ammonites; so, they fled the battlefield. Seeing their hirelings flee, the Ammonites also knew they were no match for our forefathers and made a hasty retreat back behind the city gates, where they figured were safe, behind the fortified city walls.
When the mercenaries returned to Syria, King Hadarezer and his Commanding General, Shophach, were none too happy about the lack of show of force by the paid mercenaries. So, they gathered the entire Syrian Army to confront Israel. Word got back to David about what Hadarezer was doing, and he likewise gathered all the Israelite Army to meet Syria head-on. Israel immediately got the upper hand by slaying 47,000 cavalry and foot-soldiers, and Shophach. The defeat was so devastating to the Syrians that, as a nation, they immediately made peace with Israel and started paying tribute to David, they also refused to continue any assistance to the Ammonites. Joab, knowing the Ammonites were safe behind their city walls, brought his troops back to Israel to wait out the winter before beginning his siege of the Ammonite city of Rabbah.
This then, brings us up to speed, and as we open I Chronicles 20 we’ll see in the opening verses, Joab taking up the siege and destroying the Ammonites.
With that introduction being said, let’s go to Father and ask Him for His Blessings on our Study of His Word: “Father, we come to you right now to thank you for inviting us to Your table in order that we might be able to partake of and receive Your Spiritual Meat, and Father, as we prepare to dine on the sustenance which sustains our inner man, we ask that You Oh LORD open our ears and eyes, that we might be able to hear and see your Truths, open our hearts and minds and prepare us in order that we may receive Your Truth. We Pray for Your Understanding of Your Word, we seek Your Knowledge in Your Word, and most importantly Father, we Pray for and desire Your Wisdom from Your Word, in Jesus’ Precious name we Pray, thank You Father, Amen.”
I Chronicles 10:1-
II Chronicles 36:21
HISTORY (UP TO THE
CAPTIVITY.) (Division.)
11:1-II Chronicles 36:21
THE HOUSE OF David
ESTABLISHED. (Division.)
11:1-29:25 EVENTS IN
DETAIL. (Introversion.)
11:1-29:30 DAVID. (Division.)
17:1-22:19 The Temple.
David’s preparation for
it.
17:1-22:19 THE TEMPLE.
DAVID’S PREPARATION
FOR IT. (Introversion.)
19:1-20:8 CONQUESTS.
(Division.)
20:1-3 Seige of Rabbah.
I Chronicles 20:1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab (YHVH-fathered); or, whose father is YHVH) (yo-awbי) led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon (tribal that is, inbred; or, sons of renown, mountaineers) (am-oneי), and came and besieged Rabbah (great; and, great) (rab-bawי). But David (loving; or, well-beloved) (Daw-veedי) tarried at Jerusalem (founded peaceful; or, the habitation of peace) (Yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im). And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. —> Winter is now past, and as all good military strategists know—especially those of times past—during winter, you usually broke off from war fighting because, the conditions for the men were horrendous as, they didn’t have the extreme foul-weather gear that we and our service members enjoy today.
David, being the General and military commander he had been for Saul, knows that it is now time to get on with the siege and the defeating of his enemy, the king who mistreated his ambassadors, the Ammonite king: Hanun and his people, the Ammonites. So, he calls for his Commanding General, his nephew Joab, and tells him to muster the troops and begin the siege. As strong as the Israelite Army was—we learned in I Chronicles 12:25-38 and it was re-iterated in our last Chapter: I Chronicles 19:17, that they were at this time mustering 339,822 soldiers—it didn't take them long to overcome the walls of Rabbah and the Ammonites.
We read in II Samuel 12:26-29, the following accounting of this; so, let’s turn to there and read it: II Samuel 12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. —> The Israeli Army has gotten the upper-hand on the Ammonites and overcome them, and is now in the process of taking their city of Rabbah. [12:27] And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. —> City of waters= Rabbah was a peninsula which was surrounded by the River Jabbok which forked around the city. [12:28] 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.” —>
So, what Joab is saying here is that, he has cut-off the city and also the city’s water supply by capturing all the surrounding towns; the only thing which remains is the actual taking of the city, and he therefore, wants David to get up to Rabbah with the remaining troops as quickly as possible in order that, upon it’s capture, it isn’t named for Joab, the one in charge of the army who conquered it, as was the custom at this time. Joab at this time still had enough respect for his uncle that he wanted to ensure that David was credited with the taking of the Ammonite city of Rabbah. [12:29] And David gathered all the People together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. —> This really wasn’t much of an engagement, it was more of a mop-up exercise as, Joab and the men with him had already defeated the city — he just had not moved them into the city in order that David got the credit, not him.
Joab=Of the 125 verses mentioning him, and the 146 matches for his name and the Strong’s Hebrew word number—H3097—associated with his name, Joab, is the most spoken about of David’s three nephews by his sister Zeruiah; three of those 125 verses and 146 matches—Ezra 2:6; 8:9; and Nehemiah 7:11—are of Joab’s descendants. Joab was Zeruiah’s middle son, with Abishai being the older, and Asahel being the younger. † Some of Joab’s more notable facts are: Before David became king of the entire House of Israel; while Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was king of the divided House of Israel, appointed by Saul’s captain Abner, Joab and a contingency of men met to face off with Abner and his men at the Pool of Gibeon. The men had gathered to conduct mock-war in order to prevent all-out war between the two nations; however, sadly, their simulated war of sending out 12 men from each side to fend against each other in a “winner take all” mock war sport quickly escalated into something more sinister: war, as each man grabbed his foe by the beard and they all thrust each other through with their weapons of war, killing each other. That little war-play intensified and worsened; and, the next thing they all knew, they were engaging in real war, with Joab’s 600 battle-tested warriors overpowering Abner’s men who had just suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Philistines. It was at this little mock-war which quickly turned into true war that Joab’s younger brother Asahel chased down the more experienced Abner, who warned him off three times to no avail, and when Asahel charged; Abner had no choice but to defend himself; and, he slew the younger, less experienced Asahel. Joab considered it murder, and later, he conspired and murdered Abner for it. † Because of his fearless courage and leading the assault on the fortress of Jebus, Joab was promoted to the rank of General as can be read in I Chronicles 11:4-6 and 27:34. † The etymology of the name Joab consists of two elements: The first one being יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHVH, or Yahveh, the sacred and personal name of our Father. This very short abbreviation of YHVH also occurs in the names Jochebed and Jonathan. The second element of the name Joab is אב (ab): The name Joab means Yah Is Father. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Yahveh Is Father. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Lord Father or Whose Father Is The Lord.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3097, - יוֹאָב, - yô'âb, pronounced - yo-awbי, and means: From H3068 and H1; Jehovah-fathered; Joab, the name of three Israelites: - Joab. Total KJV occurrences: 145.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The most remarkable of the three nephews of David, the children of Zeruiah, David’s sister. Joab first appears after David’s accession to the throne at Hebron. Abner slew in battle Asahel, the youngest brother of Joab; and when David afterward received Abner into favor, Joab treacherously murdered him. There was now no rival left in the way of Joab’s advancement, and at the siege of Jebus he was appointed for his prowess commander-in-chief — “captain of the host.” In the wide range of wars which David undertook, Joab was the acting general. He was called by the almost regal title of “lord," ”in II Samuel 11:11 and “the prince of the king’s army” in I Chronicles 27:34. In the entangled relations which grew up in David’s domestic life he bore an important part, successfully reinstating Absalom in David’s favor after the murder of Amnon (II Samuel 14:1-20). When the relations between father and son were reversed by the revolt of Absalom, Joab remained true to the king, taking the rebel prince’s dangerous life in spite of David’s injunction to spare him, and when no one else had courage to act so decisive a part II Samuel 18:2 and 11-15. The king transferred the command to Amasa, which so enraged Joab that he adroitly assassinated Amasa when pretending to welcome him as a friend in II Samuel 20:10. Friendly relations between himself and David seem to have existed afterward (II Samuel 24:2), but at the close of his long life, his loyalty, so long unshaken, at last wavered. “Though he had not turned after Absalom, he turned after Adonijah” (I Kings 2:28). This probably filled up the measure of the king’s long-cherished resentment. The revival of the pretensions of Adonijah after David’s death was sufficient to awaken the suspicions of Solomon. Joab fled to the shelter of the altar at Gibeon, and was here slain by Benaiah.”.
Ammon (Ammonites)=The Ammonites are descended from Ben-ammi who was the son of the incestuous copulating of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his unnamed younger daughter — Genesis 19:37. † It is best to draw a veil over such an incestuous union, testifying as it does to the corrupt influence of Sodom over Lot, his wife—remember, Father turned her into a pillar of salt after she turned to look back on the city and her their abominable lifestyle—which she didn’t want to leave—and his daughters. † Ammon and Moab—Ammon’s half brother by Lot’s unnamed older daughter—and their descendants’ dealings and happenings were very closely related, and covered many of the main places in the territory of Judah. † Our forefathers were commanded to have no dealings with the Ammonites in Deuteronomy 2:19, however, seeings as there are 85 verses with 91 matches for the name\word Ammon in the Strong’s Concordance, they obviously had some dealing, most being wars with\against the Ammonites. Sadly, later in his life, Solomon took an Ammonite woman as a concubine and served and worshiped the Ammonite god of molech. The Ammonites allied themselves with the Chaldeans, Syrians, and others in an attack on Judah and also harassed our forefathers when they attempted to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile. † Their capital city was Rabbah which David and our forefathers overan and defeated. † The Ammonites served and worshiped the false gods: milcom and molech. † The etymology of the name Ammon derives of the assumed root עמם: The ון upon which the name Ammon ends is a common construction to localize or personify the root. For a meaning of the name Ammon, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads A People. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Great People, taking the ון extension as an intensitive. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) doesn’t translate the name Ammon, but refers to the noun עם, meaning kinsman.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5983, - עַמּוֹן, - ‛ammôn, pronounced - am-moneי, and means: From H5971; tribal, that is, inbred, Ammon, a son of Lot; also his posterity and their country: - Ammon, Ammonites. Total KJV occurrences: 105.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(sons of renown, mountaineers), Am’monites, Children of Ammon, A people descended from Ben-ammi, the son of Lot by his younger daughter Genesis 19:38, compare with Psal 83:7,8. The Ammonites are frequently mentioned with the Moabites (descendants of Ben-ammi’s half-brother), and sometimes under the same name, compare with Judges 10:6; II Chronicles 20:1; Zephaniah 2:8, etc. The precise position of the territory of the Ammonites is not ascertainable. In the earliest mention of them Deuteronomy2:20, they are said to have dwelt in their place, Jabbok being their border Numbers 21:24; 2:37, 3:16, (i.e. Land or country is, however, but rarely ascribed to them. Their capital city was Rabbath, called also Rabbath Ammon on the Jabbok. We find everywhere traces of the fierce habits of maranders in their incursions I Samuel 11:2; Amos 1:13,) and a very high degree of crafty cruelty to their toes Jeremiah 41:6,7; Judges 17:11,12. Moab was the settled and civilized half of the nation of Lot, and Ammon formed its predatory and Bedouin section. On the west of Jordan they never obtained a footing. The hatred in which the Ammonites were held by Israel is stated to have arisen partly from their denial of assistance, Deuteronomy23:4, to the Israelites on their approach to Canaan. But whatever its origin the animosity continued in force to the latest date. The tribe was governed by a king, Judges 11:12, etc.; I Samuel 12:12; II Samuel 10:1; Jeremiah 40:14, and by “princes” II Samuel 10:3; I Chronicles 19:3. The divinity of the tribe was Molech [MOLECH], and they were gross idolaters.”.
Rabbah=Rabbah was the capital city of the Ammonites. It stood alone as one of the cities of the Ammonites mentioned in Father’s Word, so we may take it as being their most important city. It is first named in connection with the “bedstead” of Og, king of Bashan, which was said to be found in Rabbah of the children of Ammon, this bedstead was said to have been 9 cubits—roughly between thirteen and a half feet and 18 feet—in length and 4 cubits—roughly between six and a half feet and eight feet—in width — Deuteronomy 3:11. † Rabbah lay East of the territory assigned to the Tribe of Gad, which of course was one of the Tribes who resided on the east side of the Jordan River. — Joshua 13:25. † Rabbah was the site of a seige by our forefathers against the Ammonites whereby two major well known and documented events in David’s life and Father’s Word transpired. It was while the siege of Rabbah was taking place that David happened to find himself sitting on the roof of his palace looking out over his kingdom, when he spotted a young woman on her rooftop bathing and he lusted for her, of course that young woman was Bath-sheba. David sent messengers to her and they brought her to him and they lay with each other. Bath-sheba conceived and David sent for her husband, Uriah the Hittite, to return from the siege under the guise of bringing him news from the front; but, in reality, his motive was to have Uriah lay with his wife in order to try and cover up the fact that she had been unfaithful. When Uriah would not lay with his wife, after several promptings by David, David sent Uriah back to the siege at Rabbah with Orders to his nephew Joab, David’s Commanding General, to have Uriah placed at the hottest part of the battle of the siege, and then for Joab to have Uriah’s fellow soldiers slightly back away in order that Uriah be killed in battle. † The etymology of the name Rabbah comes from the verb רבב (rabab), meaning to be or become many or great: For a meaning of the name Rabbah, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Great, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Great City, and Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary proposes Great or Populous.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H7237, - רַבָּה, - rabbâh, pronounced - rab-bawי, and means: From H7227; great; Rabbah, the name of two places in Palestine, East and West: - Rabbah, Rabbath. Total KJV occurrences: 15.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A very strong place on the east of the Jordan, and the chief city of the Ammonites. In five passages -- Deuteronomy 3:11; II Samuel 12:1; 17:27; Jeremiah 49:2 and Ezekiel 21:20 — it is styled at length Rabbath of the Ammonites, or the children of Ammon; but elsewhere Joshua 13:25; II Samuel 11:1; 12:27,29; I Chronicles 20:1 and Jeremiah 49:3, simply Rabbah. When first named it is mentioned as containing the bed or sarcophagus of the giant Og Deuteronomy 3:11. David sent Joab to besiege Rabbah here in II Samuel 11:1,17 etc. Joab succeeded in capturing a portion of the place --the “city of waters,” that is, the lower town so called from its containing the perennial stream which rises in and still flows through it. The citadel still remained to be taken, but this was secured shortly after David’s arrival II Samuel 12:26-31. Long after, at the date of the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar Jeremiah 49:2-3, it had walls and palaces. It is named in such terms as to imply that it was of equal importance with Jerusalem Ezekiel 21:20. From Ptolemy Philadelphus it received the name of Philadelphia. It was one of the cities of the Decapolis, and became the seat of a Christian bishop. Its ruins, which are considerable are found at Ammon about 22 miles from the Jordan. It lies in a valley which is a branch, or perhaps the main course, of the Wady Zerka usually identified with the Jabbok. The public buildings are said to be Roman, except the citadel, which is described as of large square stones put together without cement, and which is probably more ancient than the rest.”.
David=I could spend days discussing David and his life; literally, an entire Book—II Samuel—covered most of what David accomplished as king of Israel. David was a man after Father’s own heart, and though he made a few mistakes, David always tried to please Father in all that he did; therefore, Father loved David; so much so that, He chose David as the Line to bring forth the Branch, The Bright Morning Star, Immanuel\Emmanuel, God in the Flesh: Jesus. Even though Father chose David, it doesn’t mean that David never sinned as, David indeed did sin. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers; and, then had that soldier murdered by ordering his being put on the front lines of the hottest part of the battle. David was not perfect; however, he was obedient in the end; and, in the end, he left judgment in Father’s hand. All the other kings of Judah and some of the kings of Israel will be judged; or, compared to David; and, the one thing which can always be said of David, is that, not one time had David ever fallen away into idolatry. But, what else can we take away from David? If you sin: repent to Father and then leave the correction and judgment in Father’s hands. † While researching the etymology of the name David we find that most Bible translators and commentator will render the name David as Beloved; but, as always with important names, the etymology of the name David is disputed. However, we can’t help noticing the distinct similarity of this name with the Hebrew root דוד (dwd) that yields דוד (dod), generally meaning beloved. This word is also the Hebrew word for uncle — I Chronicles 27:32, for instance, speaks of דוד־דויד, or “David’s uncle”: The distinct difference between the name דוד (David) and the word דוד (dod) is that in the name David the letter waw counts for a consonant, while in the word dod it counts for a vowel. A consonant and a vowel are completely different entities and they’ll never mean the same, no matter how many times you write them with the same symbol (in this case the waw). If the name was meant to mean Beloved, then it was perhaps given to David after he became king and beloved. In his father’s household he wasn’t much of a hit, after all. But then, if this name was meant to mean Beloved, why hasn’t history given us the tales of King Dod? Harris Archer Waltke (HAW) Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament lists David under dod but admits that “the name is conjectured to come from dod, beloved, but the etymology is uncertain. It has been compared with the Mari term dawidum, Lsquo;leader,’ but this too is unsure.” Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary too lists the name David under the derivations of the root dod, but also makes mention of A.H. Sayce’s note of a sun-god named Dodo — דודה — which was worshipped in East-Jordan Israel. Zion, now known as the city of David, was then apparently known as the city of the god Dod. But where Dod went the way of the dodo, king David is eternally remembered as the beloved king. And this is curious for more than one reason. But whatever the reason, Israel’s identity of a Kingdom is associated with a king whose name is not a regular Hebrew word, but which is spelled identical to the word for Beloved, and pronounced completely different. Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, the name Dod was altered to David to charge it with the tone of the word דוה (dawa), meaning infirmity.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1732, - דּוד, or דּויד, - dâvid, or dâvı̂yd, pronounced - daw-veed’, or daw-veed’ and means: From the same as H1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse: - David. Total KJV occurrences: 1076.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we find that the description of David in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: David.
Jerusalem=Jerusalem, like several other of the cities of our forefathers, is rich in history. When our forefathers moved into the Promised Land, Jerusalem—Jebus as it was known as at the time; though, we can also go back as far as the Book of Joshua; Joshua 10:1, and the Book of Judges; Judges 1:8 and read that it had already been called Jerusalem—was in the hands of the Canaanites, and more specifically, the Jebusites. It stayed that way for hundreds of years before David, as king, mustered the troops to fight against the Jebusites and capture Father’s most favorite place in all His Created Universe. † We find in the entomology of the name Jerusalem that, that without a doubt, the second and dominant part of the name reminded—then and now—of the word שלום (shalom), meaning: peace. The root of this word, שלם (shalem), denotes completeness, wholeness and soundness: In this sense, the name Jerusalem is related to some other famous names from the David saga: Solomon and Absalom. The first part of the name Jerusalem may likely have reminded a Hebrew audience of the verb ירה (yara), throw, cast or shoot; Perhaps the name Jerusalem was never changed, but only Hebraized, because it seems to mean Rain Of Peace. Jerusalem was to be the radiating heart of a world of completeness and wholeness. It seems that history supplied her with a most suiting name. As I said in the opening of the description here; Jerusalem is rich with history, far too much to list here; but, of particular note, or importance is this tidbit: it was the land that our Father took to be His Wife;—Ezekiel 16:3—but, as can be read in Jeremiah 3:8, because of our forefathers being sottish, He issued her a bill of divorcement. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find it is Hebrew word number: H3389, - ירוּשׁלם, or ירוּשׁלים, - Yerûshâlaim, or Yerûshâlayim, pronounced - Yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im, or Yer-oo-shaw-lah'-yim , and means: A dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999, founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine: - Jerusalem.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: The description of Jerusalem in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: Jerusalem.
I Chronicles 20:2 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. —> This was part of the reason I had brought in from II Samuel 12 for, without having done so, it wouldn’t make sense as to how David took the crown from off of Hanun’s head so it could be put it on his head as, he’d have still been in Jerusalem as it states in verse v20:1 above where it reads: “But David tarried at Jerusalem.”.
He took the king’s crown from off his head=This tells us that either Hanun was killed during this war, or he was captured and was now a prisoner of war.
Talent=Methinks, this is an exaggeration as, the weight of a talent was between 110-180 pounds, and there is no way this crown could weigh that much and still be worn on somebody’s head. Heck, not even goliath or Og could wear this crown or helmet without it toppling them over. But, the point being was, that it was a large crown or helmet. I lean more to it being a crown as, as we read, it had precious stones in it.
Much spoil out of the city=All the booty they recovered from Rabbah, David took back to Jerusalem to put into the Treasury which would later be used to make up items which would be put in Father’s Temple.
I Chronicles 20:3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the People returned to Jerusalem. —>
This verse sounds scary and almost as though David was a cruel, evil man; however, don’t let the word “cut,” throw you for a loop as, it doesn’t as we mean it today. Let’s read this from the parallel verse in II Samuel 12:31 which reads: II Samuel 12:31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
—> There are two key words or phrases here which, you’ll note that I have highlighted: the first being: “put,” which means: appoint, and the second is: “made them pass through the brickkiln,” so, what was happening here in this verse was that, after defeating the Ammonites, David was sitting on a brick pavement making the Ammonites pass before him, and as they were, he was appointing or assigning hard manual labor to every one of them, basically using them as slave labor, while utilizing the saws, harrows and axes of iron, as a threat of punishment. The labor they were performing was the building of his kingdom i.e., building buildings and roads and the like.
The remainder of this Chapter is an insert as you’ll note by the use of the parenthesis.
20:4-8 Wars with
Philistines.
I Chronicles 20:4 (And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer (something cut off; or, a precipice) (gheh’-zer) with the Philistines (rolling; that is, migratory; or, immigrants) (pel-ehי-sheth) ; at which time Sibbechai (corpse like; or, a weaver) ( sib-bek-ahי-ee) the Hushathite (haste) (khoo-shaw-thee’) slew Sippai (bason like; or, threshold) (sip-pahי-ee), that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued. —> As I stated prior to this verse, these next few verses are inserts, and they deal with some of the perpetual wars our forefaters had against their principle enemies the Philistines.
The fallen angels came to this Age of Flesh man and mated with flesh women as recorded in Genesis 6. This was the first influx of the nephilim coming to this Age. Father destroyed their offspring — the giants, when He brought about the flood during Noah’s day as recorded in Genesis 7 and Genesis 8. There was a second influx which happened as is first recorded of in Genesis 12:6, when Father told Abram—before Father changed his name to Abraham—that He was going to give him and his offspring the land of Canaan, but first He was going to move him, and then later, his offspring, down to Egypt for 400 years in order that, “the iniquity of the Amorites could be fulfilled” as we read of in Genesis 15:16 — in other words, Father was going to allow this influxual mating between the fallen angels and the Amorites to continue, until He was ready to bring the Israelites up, out of Egypt, and then have them destroy the hybrid offspring with the Sword of Israel. Brethren, there’ll be a third influx of which can be read in Matthew 24:38 and Luke 17:26-27.
Giant=Rapha; or, rephaim, which of course came into being when the fallen angels who refused to be born of woman, but instead, came to this Age and mated with flesh women. This is first recorded in in Father’s Word in Genesis 6 and then many times throughout the Old Testament. Dr. Bullinger in his Companion Bible has a wonderful work on this in two separate Appendices: 23 “THE SONS OF GOD IN Genesis 6:2,4” and 25 “THE NEPHILIM, OR “GIANTS” Of Genesis 6, &c.”.
Gezer=Our forefathers battled against the Canaanites who lived in Gezer as they were moving into the Promised Land. They defeated their army and slew their king: Horam and then put the Canaanites who remained alive to tribute, which they were not to do as, Father had told them to slay every man, woman, and child. After taking possession of the Gezer, Father through Joshua gave it to the Tribe of Ephraim as inheritance, the Ephraimites later gave to the Tribe of Levi who turned into a sanctuary city. Hundreds of years later, according to I Kings 9, it was attacked and overrun by the pharaoh of Egypt who burnt the city to the ground and then gave it as a present to his daughter upon her marriage to king Solomon. The last we read of Gezer in Father’s Word is in I Chronicles 20:4 which reads: I Chronicles 20:4... there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.. † Abarim Publications the Website where I derive the etymology I post in the description, does not list an etymology for the city\name: Gezer. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1507, - גֶּזֶר, - gezer, pronounced - ghehי-zer, and means: The same as H1506; something cut off; a place in Palestine: - Gazer, Gezer. Total KJV occurrences: 15.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “An ancient city of Canaan, whose king, Hiram or Elam, coming to the assistance of Lachish, was killed with all his people by Joshua Joshua 10:33; 12:12. It formed one of the landmarks on the north boundary of Ephraim, between the lower Beth-horon and the Mediterranean Joshua 16:3, the western limit of the tribe I chronicles 7:28. It was allotted with its suburbs to the Kohathite Levites Joshua 21:21; I Chronicles 6:67, but the original inhabitants were not dispossessed Judges 1:29, and even down to the reign of Solomon the Canaanites were still dwelling there, and paying tribute to Israel I Kings 9:16. It was burned by Pharaoh in Solomon’s time I Kings 9:15-17, and given to Solomon’s Egyptian wife, and rebuilt by him.”.
Philistines=The Philistines were adamic peoples as, we read in Genesis 10:14: Genesis 10:14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. It was Noah who begat Ham, who begat Cush, on down to either Casluhim or Caphtorim who then begat Philistim, of whom became the Philistines. † The Philistines were the chief rival and primary enemy of our forefathers. They warred against them, more than any other nation or peoples. Most of those battles our forefathers won; but, there were some battles they also lost. On one such occasion that they lost, the Philistines were able to capture Father’s Ark. Why did He allow this to happen? Because our forefathers had not sought Him before taking His Ark into battle with them. The Philistines, thinking they finally had the upper-hand for capturing Father’s Ark, brought it back to Ashdod and set It in the “house of dagon.” The next morning when the Philistines went to check on their prized possession, they found that their god dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before Father’s Ark. So, they set the image of their idol back upon it’s feet, and the next day when they again came to check on things, this time they found that dagon was again fallen upon his face to the ground before Father’s Ark; and the head of dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of dagon was left to him. This time, the Philistines left things as they were in the “house of dagon” for, they were now afraid. Father wasn’t done with them yet for having His Ark in their possession, He now smote every Philistine in the city where His Ark was, with deep, painful hemorrhoids, and a plague of mice. These hemorrhoids were so bad that, that, everyone asked each other if they too were now afflicted with this ailment? When they discovered that, yes, everybody in the city was afflicted, they quickly removed Father’s Ark from among them, by taking it to another one of the Philistine cities. This city too suffered the affliction of the hemorrhoids and plague of mice, and they too quickly took Father’s Ark to another of the Philistine cities. This happened 3 more times, and finally the Philistines had had enough. So, they called for a meeting of all the Philistine lords to discuss what to do with Father’s Ark. They decided that it would be best to return It back to It’s rightful owner, our forefathers. But, before doing so, they decided that they would return it with a trespass offering. That trespass offering were images of 5 golden hemorrhoids and 5 golden mice, one hemorrhoid and mouse for each of the 5 Philistine cities which were afflicted. † The etymology of name\word Philistine seems to be related to the verb פלש (palash), denoting the expression of intense grief: It’s ultimately unclear whether the Philistines were named for the grief they caused or perhaps for their ability to express their own grief (like a kind of ancient blues). The Philistines were, after all, products of the great people’s movements, and they were driven off Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4) and subsequently out of Egypt. In fact, their history is not all that different from Israel’s, and they may very well have been known as The Mourners, or Causing To Mourning. But then, the name of the Philistines might also reflect the more fundamental or broader Semitic meaning of the verb פלש, that of digging or breaking through. As a nation, the Philistines may have been known as the Steamrollers. For a meaning of the name Palestine, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names goes with the verb mentioned above, focuses on its meaning of to roll around, and forgivingly translates Palestine with The Land Of Wanderers. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List does not translate either name Palestine or Philistine.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H6430, - פּלשׁתּי, - pelishtı̂y, pronounced - pelishtı̂y, and means: Patrial from H6429; rolling; that is, migratory; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth: - Philistine. Total KJV occurrences: 288.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read:—before I get into Dr. Smith’s description of the Philistines, know this brethren: I emphatically disagree with Dr. Smith’s statement, which states: “The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible.”. For, as I mentioned at the beginning of this description of the Philistines, we can read in Genesis 10:14, Father’s Word does indeed expressly state the origin of the Philistines, they are descended from Casluhim, who was descended from Mizraim[Genesis 10:13-14], who was descended from Ham[Genesis 10:6], who was descended from Noah)—“(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but, as the prophets describe them as “the Philistines-from Caphtor” Amos 9:7, and “the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor” Jeremiah 47:4 it is prima facie probable that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor” who expelled the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, (Deuteronomy 2:23) and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim Genesis 10:14. It has been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably identified with the Egyptian Coptos. [CAPHTOR] History. — The Philistines must have settled in the land of Canaan before the time of Abraham; for they are noticed in his day as a pastoral tribe in the neighborhood of Gerur Genesis 21:32,34; 26:1,8. Between the times of Abraham and Joshua the Philistines had changed their quarters, and had advanced northward into the plain of Philistia. The Philistines had at an early period attained proficiency in the arts of peace. Their wealth was abundant Judges 16:5,19, and they appear in all respects to have been a prosperous people. Possessed of such elements of power, they had attained in the time of the judges an important position among eastern nations. About B.C. 1200 we find them engaged in successful war with the Sidonians. Justin xviii. 3. The territory of the Philistines having been once occupied by the Canaanites, formed a portion of the promised land, and was assigned the tribe of Judah Joshua 15:2,12,45-47. No portion of it, however, was conquered in the lifetime of Joshua Joshua 13:2, and even after his death no permanent conquest was effected Judges 3:3, though we are informed that the three cities of Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron were taken Judges 1:18. The Philistines soon recovered these, and commenced an aggressive policy against the Israelites, by which they gained a complete ascendancy over them. Individual heroes were raised up from time to time, such as Shamgar the son of Anath Judges 3:31, and still more Samson, Judges 13-16, but neither of these men succeeded in permanently throwing off the yoke. The Israelites attributed their past weakness to their want, of unity, and they desired a king, with the special object of leading them against the foe I Samuel 8:20. Saul threw off the yoke; and the Philistines were defeated with great slaughter at Geba I Samuel 13:3. They made no attempt to regain their supremacy for about twenty-five years, and the scene of the next contest shows the altered strength of the two parties. It was no longer in the central country, but in a ravine leading down to the Philistine plain, the valley of Elah, the position of which is about 14 miles southwest of Jerusalem. On this occasion the prowess of young David secured success to Israel, and the foe was pursued to the gates of Gath and Ekron I Samuel 17:1. ... The power of the Philistines was, however, still intact on their own territory. The border warfare was continued. The scene of the next conflict was far to the north, in the valley of Esdraelon. The battle on this occasion proved disastrous to the Israelites; Saul himself perished, and the Philistines penetrated across the Jordan and occupied the, forsaken cities I Samuel 31:1-7. On the appointment of David to be king, he twice attacked them, and on each occasion with signal success, in the first case capturing their images, in the second pursuing them “from Geba until thou come to Gazer” II Samuel 5:17-25; I Chronicles 14:8-16. Henceforth the Israelites appear as the aggressors. About seven years after the defeat at Rephaim, David, who had now consolidated his power, attacked them on their own soil end took Gath with its dependencies. The whole of Philistine was included in Solomon's empire. Later when the Philistines, joined by the Syrians and Assyrians, made war on the kingdom of Israel, Hezekiah formed an alliance with the Egyptians, as a counterpoise to the Assyrians, and the possession of Philistia became henceforth the turning-point of the struggle between the two great empires of the East. The Assyrians under Tartan, the general of Sargon, made an expedition against Egypt, and took Ashdod, as the key of that country Isaiah 20:1,4,5. Under Senacherib, Philistia was again the scene of important operations. The Assyrian supremacy was restored by Esarhaddon, and it seems probable that the Assyrians retained their hold on Ashdod until its capture, after a long siege, by Psammetichus. It was about this time that Philistia was traversed by vast Scythian horde on their way to Egypt. The Egyptian ascendancy was not as yet re-established, for we find the next king, Necho, compelled to besiege Gaza on his return from the battle of Megiddo. After the death of Necho the contest was renewed between the Egyptians and the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar, and the result was specially disastrous to the Philistines. The “old hatred” that the Philistines bore to the Jews was exhibited in acts of hostility at the time of the Babylonish captivity Ezekiel 25:15-17, but on the return this was somewhat abated, for some of the Jews married Philistine women, to the great scandal of their rulers Nehemiah 13:23,24. From this time the history of Philistia is absorbed in the struggles of the neighboring kingdoms. The latest notices of the Philistines as a nation occur in 1 Maccabees 3-5. Institutions, religion, etc. — With regard to the institutions of the Philistines our information is very scanty, The five chief cities had, as early as the days of Joshua, constituted themselves into a confederacy, restricted however, in all probability, to matters of offence and defense. Each was under the government of a prince Joshua 13:3; Judges 3:3, etc.; I Samuel 18:30; 29:6 and each possessed its own territory. The Philistines appear to have been deeply imbued with superstition: they carried their idols with them on their campaigns II Samuel 5:21, and proclaimed their victories in their presence I Samuel 31:9. The gods whom they chiefly worshipped were Dagon Judges 16:23; I samuel 5:3-5; I Chronicles 10:10, 1 Maccabees 10:83, Ashtaroth I Samuel 31:10, Herod. 1:105, and Baalzebub II Kings 1:2-6.”.
Sibbechai=Sibbechai was a Hushathite Zarhite—meaning that he was descended from the Tribe of Judah through Zerah—who lived during the time of king David. † He was a valiant man and a great warrior, and as such, David rewarded him by appointing him as one of his guards, and as the Captain of a Division of 24,000 soldiers, whose Course was to serve during the eighth month. † This man was such a fierce warrior that, he took on and killed a giant named Saph — II Samuel 21:18 who was also called Sippai in I Chronicles 20:4. † Abarim Publications from where I derive the etymology I provide in my descriptions, did not list an etymology for the name Sibbechai. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5444, - סִבְּכַי, - sibbekay, pronounced - sib-bek-ahיee, and means: From H5440; corpse like; Sibbecai, an Israelite: - Sibbecai, Sibbechai. Total KJV occurrences: 4.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(a weaver), one of David’s guard, and eighth captain for the eighth month of 24,000 men of the king’s. He belonged to one of the principal families of Judah, the Zarhites or the descendants of Zerah, and is called “the Hushathite,” probably from the place of his birth. Sibbechai’s great exploit, which gave him a place among the mighty men of David’s army, was his single combat with Saph or Sippai, the Philistine giant, in the battle at, Gezer or Gob II Samuel 21:18; I Chronicles 20:4.”.
Hushathite=A Hushathite was somebody who was descended from Hushah, who was descended from Hur, who was the son of Caleb, who was the son of hezron, who was the son of Pharez of the Tribe of Judah. † The etymology of the word Hushathite comes from either of the verbs חוש (hush): For a meaning of the name Hushah, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Haste. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads the same but adds “in being born,” for no discernable reason. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary doesn’t interpret our name but does list it under the חוש root-group, and also confirms that a Hushathite comes from Hushah, who was a “ ‘son’ of Hur = place in Judah”.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H2843, - חֻשָׁתִי, - chûshâthı̂y, pronounced - khoo-shaw-theeי, and means: Patronymic from H2364; haste; a Chushathite or descendant of Chushah: - Hushathite. Total KJV occurrences: 5.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(inhabitant of Hushah), The designation of two of the heroes of David’s guard: SIBBECHAI: II Samuel 21:18; I Chronicles 11:29; 20:4; 27:11, Josephus, however, called him a Hittite; and MEBUNNAI, II Samuel 23:27, a mere corruption of SIBBECHAI.”.
Sippai=Sippai’s claim to fame, if you want to call it that, is that he was slain by an Israelite by the name of Sibbechai during the battle at Gezer I Chronicles 20:4, he was also called Saph in II Samuel 21:18. † The etymology of the name Sippai is the name Saph with a final י (yod), and the name Saph is identical to the noun סף (sap), which denotes the outer extreme of a house, or its door’s threshold: The letter י (yod) at the end of our name turns the noun סף (sap) into an adjective or possessive form: my saph, saph of, or pertaining to saph. The name Sippai most probably expresses an affinity with the outer rim of a protected area, and probably is akin the phrase שמר הסף, or Gatekeeper.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5598, - סִפַּי, - sippay, pronounced - sip-pawיee, and means: From H5592; basn like; Sippai, Compare H5593. Total KJV occurrences: 1.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(threshold), Saph, one of the sons of Rephaim, or “the giants,” slain by Sibbechai at Gezer I Chronicles 20:4.”.
I Chronicles 20:5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan (YAH (is) gracious; or, the grace of YAH) (el-khaw-nawnי) the son of Jair (wooded; or, enlightener) (yaw-oorי) slew Lahmi (foodful; or, warrior) (lakh-meeי) the brother of Goliath (exile; or, splendor) (gol-yathי) the Gittite (winepress; or, belonging to Gath) (ghit-teeי), whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. —>
The events in this verse are identical to its parallel verse: II Samuel 21:19 however, some of the names and locations differ: II Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. —> The first difference we notice is the location; and Biblical scholars cannot agree as to whether this battle actually took place in as is stated: Gob, Nob, or Gath, some even suggest that this battle is a continuation of the battle from the previous verse, v20:4 above, and took place in Gezer.
The next thing we notice is that Elhanan’s father’s name has a slightly different spelling; but more importantly, II Samuel 21:19 adds that he was a Beth-lehemite.
Lastly, we notice that the words “The brother of” are written in italics, meaning that they have been added by the King James’ Translators. Dr. Bullinger in his Companion Notes in his Companion Bible at verse II Samuel 21:19, notes the following with which I disagree: “Omit the Italics, and understand another giant as the same name as Goliath of I Samuel 17.” As I said, I disagree with Dr. Bullinger in this instance as, we read here I Chronicles 20:5, that the brother’s name is given — Lahmi.
Anyway, our forefathers were yet again engaged in war with their principle enemy the Philistines, and one of king David’s valiant men, this one named Elhanan, killed David’s foe, Goilath’s brother, named Lahmi. But, with that being said, notice that there are 3—three—giants in these verses that we’we reading here in I Chronicles 20:4-8—Sippai, Lahmi and one who is unnamed—but in II Samuel 21:16-22 there are 4—four—Ishb-benob, Saph, and two unnamed, one of which we can pretty much assume to be Goliath’s brother: Lahmi.
Whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam=This would make the length of it approximately 26 feet long. This thing had to be longer than most lances that the mounted knights used in their jousting. Notice it doesn’t say how thick this spear’s shaft was; but, my bet is that, since Goliath was as large as he was, it too had to be fairly hefty to fit comfortably in his hand.
Elhanan=Elhanan was a valiant and mighty warrior during king David’s reign and rule over the House of Israel. He took on and slew David’s foe, the giant Goliath’s brother: Lahmi. † The etylomogy of the name Elhanan consists of two elements: The first part of the name refers to אל (EL), the common abbreviation of ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: ELOHIM—the genus God. EL is essentially the Almighty, though the word is never so rendered. EL is ELOHIM in all His strength and power. It is rendered “God” as ELOHIM is, but EL is God the Omnipotent. ELOHIM is God the Creator putting His omnipotence into operation. The second part of our name comes from the verb חנן (hanan), meaning to be gracious: For a meaning of the name Elhanan, both New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary read God Has Been Gracious. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Whom God Graciously Gave.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H445, - אֶלְחָנָן, - 'elchânân, pronounced - el-khaw-nawnי, and means: From H410 and H2603; God (is) gracious; Elchanan, an Israelite: - Elkanan. Total KJV occurrences: 4.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(The grace of God) A distinguished warrior in the time of King David, who performed a memorable exploit against the Philistines II Samuel 21:19; I Chronicles 20:05.”.
Jair=Jair was a Bethlehemite and the father of Elhanan, who was one of the heroes of Israel during the reign and rule of king David. Jair’s son Elhanan took on and slew the giant Lahmi, Goliath’s brother. † The etymology of the name Jair: The version of the name Jair spelled with the letter ayin in stead of the aleph (יעיר) occurs only once in the Bible. According to I Chronicles 20:5 Jair is the father of Elhanan, the slayer of Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. But in the parallel text of II Samuel 21:19, the father of Elhanan is called יערי ארגים (Jaare-oregim), and Elhanan kills the son of Goliath, who is apparently named after his father—I completely disagree with this previous statement by Abarim Publications as, Father’s Word states that Lahmi was Goliath’s brother. This name Jair seems to be presented as a truncated version of the name Jaare-oregim, the first part of which comes the root group יער (yיr): Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) translates the second part of the name Jaare-oregim with Weavers, and looking for a fitting translation for the first part, figures that the core meaning of the combined root יער may have something to do with the many-colored crowns of trees in a forest: a tapestry. For Jair (יעיר), which he figures is the expanded version of Jaare (יער), he proposes a rather curious He Will Embroider. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary, on the other hand, thinks that the first part of the name Jaare-oregim is a scribal error for Jair, and relates the name Jair to the verb עורss(יur), meaning to awake or rouse oneself: BDB doesn’t translate the name Jair, but following this reasoning, it would be an active form of the verb עור, and mean something like He Arouses or Terrorist. However, taking the name Jair from the form עירss(יir) gives it the simultaneous meaning of City Slicker, Acts Like A Wild Ass and Nudist.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H2971, - יָאִיר, - yâ'ı̂yr, pronounced - yaw-ereי, and means: From H215; enlightener; Jair, the name of four Israelites: - Jair. Total KJV occurrences: 9.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “The father of Elhanan, one of the heroes of David’s army I Chronicles 20:6.”.
Lahmi=Lahmi was the brother of the famous giant Goliath whom challenged the entire Israelite army to come out one man at a time to fight him and the army of the winner of their fight would be declared the winner of their battle. None of the Israelite soldiers dared to take Goliath up on that challenge until David arrived on the scene and declared to Goliath that he was challenging the Living God and His army and He would have the victory that day, and then proceeded to slay Goliath. Goliath’s brother Lahmi suffered pretty much the same fate, i.e., he died at the hands of an Israelite, this one named Elhanan, the son of Jair, a Bethlehemite. † The etymology of the name Lahmi comes from either of the two roots לחם (laham), meaning either to eat (bread) or to wage war: The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective (Bellicose or Edible), a possessive form (My Battle or My Food). For a meaning of the name Lahmi, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List sees the yod as the mark of the adjective, turns the name into an ethnonym and frustratingly translates our name as Bethlehemite. This is obviously quite daft since Lahmi was from Gath and the man who killed him was from Bethlehem. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names also goes with the adjective and translates Lahmi as A Warrior or An Eater. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary doesn’t translate our name but does list it under the verb לחם (laham), meaning to eat.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3902, - לַחְמִי, - lachmı̂y, pronounced - lakh-meeי, and means: From H3899; foodful; Lachmi—this author emphatically disagreees with Dr. Strong with the following statement—an Israelite, or rather probably a brief form (or perhaps an erroneous transcription) for H1022: - Lahmi. See also H3433. Total KJV occurrences: 1.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(warrior), the brother of Goliath the Gittite, slain by Elhanan the son of Zair or Zaor I Chronicles 20:5.”.
Goliath=Goliath was the famous giant who challenged the entire Israelite army to come out one man at a time to fight him, whereby, the army of the winner of their fight, would then be declared the winner of the battle between the Israelite and Philistine army’s. None of the Israelite soldiers had the courage to take Goliath up on his challenge until a young boy named David—whose six older brothers were part of the Israelite army—arrived on the scene and declared to Goliath that, he was challenging The Living God and His Army, and He because of The Living God would have the victory that day, and then he proceeded to slay Goliath with his sling-shot and one of those five smooth stones which he had picked up. He slung that stone and scored a direct hit on the center of the forehead of Goliath, the force behind the throw caused the stone to sink an inch into the giant’s forehead. Several years later, Goliath’s brother Lahmi pretty much suffered the same fate, i.e., he died at the hands of an Israelite, this one named Elhanan, the son of Jair, a Bethlehemite. † The etymology of the name Goliath comes from the verb גלה (gala), meaning to uncover, remove or to go into exile: For a meaning of the name Goliath, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names go with the first meaning of the verb and read Exile; Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary goes with the second meaning and reads Conspicuous, but prints a question mark to indicate dubiosity. BDB’s doubt aside, here at Abarim Publications we feel that the context of the character of Goliath veers more towards the meaning of Conspicuous than to Exile. But it is striking that where in our age the name Goliath brings to mind gigantism and formidability, in the Bible it reflects exposure and exile. The form גלית is used as regular word in Ruth 3:4 (‘you uncover’), I Chronicles 17:25 (‘you have revealed’), Isaiah 57:8 (‘you have uncovered’), and Ezekiel 12:3 (‘you remove’). And this suggests that Goliath’s name reflects the giant’s propensity to expose Israel’s weakness and his intention to remove them from the land. And this removal may be a removal of their culture and wisdom tradition, rather than the physical Israelites. The name Goliath does not mean Giant. It means Exposer, and Israel’s occupation with the male foreskin and the mammalian reproductive cycle — with God as the rightful husband of His bridal humanity, see our article on כבד, kabad — certainly stimulates an association of Goliath with a sexual antagonist. The Creator is Israel’s true husband, but every now and then, a not-godly culture imposes its lustful will upon Israel. Goliath’s decapitation clearly parallels the same quest for Philistine circumcision that dominated Israel’s attitude from the time of the judges until the early kingdom years Judges 14:3, 15:18, I Samuel 14:6, 17:26, 18:25-27. By implication, the name Goliath means Philistine National Schlong. Additional note: in I Samuel 21:9 occurs a word play: the sword of Goliath is wrapped in a garment (see the name Lot).. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1555, - גָּלְיַת, - golyath, pronounced - gol-yathי, and means: Perhaps from H1540; exile; Goljath, a Philistine: - Goliath. Total KJV occurrences: 6.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(splendor), a famous giant of Gath, who “morning and evening for forty days” defied the armies of Israel I Samuel 17:1. He was possibly descended from the old Rephaim [GIANTS], of whom a scattered remnant took refuge with the Philistines after their dispersion by the Ammonites 2:20,21; II Samuel 21:22. His height was “six cubits and a span,” which taking the cubit at 21 inches, would make him 10 1/2 feet high. The scene of his combat with David, by whom he was slain, was the “valley of the terebinth,” between Shochoh and Arekah, probably among the western passes of Benjamin. In II Samuel 21:19 we find that another Goliath of Gath—this author emphatically disagrees with Dr. Smith and his statement that there was another giant named goliath as, Father’s word does not say that there was another giant named Goliath who—was slain by Elhanan, also a Bethlehemite.”.
Gittite=A Gittite; or, the Gittites, is\are, nothing more than, an inhabitant of; or, a person from, the city\town of Gath. † The etymology of the name Gittite, as does the name Gath, comes from the root יגן, and is derived from the noun גת (gat), meaning winepress: The name Gittite literally means Winepressish or From The Winepress. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List explains this name as Belonging To Gath, and Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names explains it as being a musical instrument. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary reports that the Targum teaches the Gittite to be a lyre, but also submits the other explanations listed above.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1663, - גִּתִּי, - gittı̂y, pronounced - ghit-tee’, and means: Partial from H1661; a gittite or inhabitant of Gath; - Gittite. Total KJV occurrences: 10.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(belonging to Gath), the 600 men who followed David from Gath, under Ittai the Gittite, II Samuel 15:18,19 and who probably acted as a kind of body-guard. Obed-edom “the Gittite” may have been so named from the town of Gittaim in Benjamin, II Samuel 4:3, Nehemiah 11:33 or from Gath-rimmon.”.
I Chronicles 20:6 And yet again there was war at Gath (a wine press; and, a wine press) (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 the son of the giant. —> What we can see here with this unnamed giant, is a hybrid deformity which was caused by the unnatural mixing and mating of the fallen angels with flesh women, and then also, the mixing of the hybrids themselves, much the same as when incestuous relationships continue for generation to generation.
Gath=Gath was one of the five royal cities—along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Avva—of our forefathers’ enemies: the Philistines. This also made it one of the five cities which received Father’s judgment whereby all the people of the city came down with a bad case of emerods and the plague of mice for their participation of holding onto Father’s Ark when the Philistines had captured It from our forefathers when they took It into battle with them without first seeking Father and asking Him IF they could do so. † Gath was not taken by Joshua when our forefathers moved into the Promised Land, and, although many conflicts took place between our forefathers and the people of Gath, it does not seem to have been captured until the time of David II Samuel 8:1 and it’s parallel Book, Chapter and Verse I Chronicles 18:1. It was considered famous because it was the home of the giant Goliath whom David slew in I Samuel 17:4, and other giants of the same race II Samuel 21:18-22. † The etymology of the name Gath comes from an assumed root יגן and is identical to the noun גת (gat), meaning winepress: For a meaning of the name Gath, all consulted sources read Wine-Press.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1661, - גַּת, - gath, pronounced - Gath, and means: The same as H1660; Gath, a Philistine city: - Gath. Total KJV occurrences: 33.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “One of the five royal cities of the Philistines Joshua 13:3; I Samuel 6:17; and the native place of the giant Goliath I Samuel 17:4,23. It probably stood upon the conspicuous hill now called Tell-es-Safieh, upon the side of the plain of Philistia, at the foot of the mountains of Judah; 10 miles east of Ashdod, and about the same distance south by east of Ekron. It is irregular in form, and about 200 feet high. Gath occupied a strong position II Chronicles 11:8, on the border of Judah and Philistia I Samuel 21:10; I Chronicles 18:1, and from its strength and resources forming the key of both countries, it was the scene of frequent struggles, and was often captured and recaptured II Kings 12:17; II Chronicles 11:8; 26:6; and Amos 6:2. The ravages of war to which Gath was exposed appear to have destroyed it at a comparatively early period, as it is not mentioned among the other royal cities by the later prophets Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5,6. It is familiar to the Bible student as the scene of one of the most romantic incidents in the life of King David I Samuel 21:10-15.”.
I Chronicles 20:7 But when he defied Israel (he will rule as YAH; or, the prince that prevails with YAH) (Yis-raw-aleי) (secondary map), Jonathan (YHVH favored; or, gift or grace of YAH) (yo-khaw-nawnי) the son of Shimea (annunciation; or, fame) (shim-awי) David’s brother slew him. —> This unnamed deformed hybrid giant, thought his “great stature” would be enough for him to defeat any and all challengers, much the way Goliath thought he could as well; until he came up against young David — one who trusted in, and put his faith in — Father. Much like his uncle David, and that is who this Jonathan was, a nephew of David’s, born to his older brother Shimea. We see in this, that, though his older brothers didn’t trust in Father when they faced Goliath, seeing and hearing of David’s great feats, has instilled courage in their sons.
Israel=The kingdom of Israel consists and comprises of both a People, and a territory. The People were and are our Father, our Creator ELOHIM’s Chosen People. Chosen only in the sense that they were the lineage through which He Himself will\would be born in the flesh as His Only Begotten Son: Jesus Christ. That lineage began with Adam, then his son Seth, down to Noah, then his son Shem, down to Abram, then his son Isaac, and the his son Jacob whom Father renamed Israel, on to his two sons Levi—actually, Levi’s son Amram amd his son Aaron and his descendants—and Judah—and his son Pharez, then his son Hezron, then his son Aram, then his Amminadab, then his son Nashon, then his son Salmon, then his son Boaz, then his son Obed, then his son Jesse, then his son David. Both lineages culminated and terminated at Mary—cousin to Elisabeth, wife of Zacharias, whom the Holy Spirit overshadowed while she was yet a virgin, and after Michael the arch angel had told would come to pass. When Father had changed Jacob’s name to Israel and then he had his twelve sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin—who went into captivity to Egypt for those 200 plus years, when Father led them out by the hand of Moses, they became known collectively as, the House of Israel. As for the territory, see the links of the 2 maps in the verse to understand the land mass which comprised the territory of Israel. † As to the etymology of the name Israel, according to Abarim Publications, the meaning of the name Israel is not clear; but, yet, it’s huge. The meaning of Israel is not singular and distinct; but, consists of many nuances and facets and bulges with theological significance. Judging from Genesis 32:28, the form ישראל (Israel) appears to be a compilation of two elements. The first one is the noun אל (EL), the common abbreviation of ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: ELOHIM—the genus God. EL is essentially the Almighty, though the word is never so rendered. EL is ELOHIM in all His strength and power. It is rendered “God” as ELOHIM is, but EL is God the Omnipotent. ELOHIM is God the Creator putting His omnipotence into operation: The second part of our name appears to be related to the verb שרה (sara): However, even though Genesis 32:28 uses the enigmatic verb שרה — which is assumed to mean to struggle but which might something else entirely — it’s by no means certain that this verb is etymologically linked to our name Israel. When we say, “we named him Bob because that seemed like a good idea,” we certainly don’t mean to say that the name Bob means “good idea.” The first part of the name Israel looks a lot like the verb שרה that explains this name; but, this apparent link is possibly a mere case of word-play. In fact, the name Israel may have more to do with the verb ישר (yashar), meaning to be upright. Note that the difference between the letter שׂ (sin) as found in the name ישׂראל (Israel) and the letter שׁ (shin) as found in the verb ישׁר (yashar) didn’t exist in Biblical times and as it was invented more than a thousand years after the Bible was written: For a meaning of the name Israel, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List, Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary and Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) unanimously go with the verb שרה of which the meaning is unsure. Undeterred, NOBSE reads God Strives, and BDB proposes El Persisteth or El Persevereth. Alfred Jones figures that the mysterious verb שרה might very well mean “to be princely,” and assumes that the name Israel consists of a future form of this verb, which hence would mean to become princely. And so Jones interprets the name Israel with He Will Be Prince With God.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3478, - ישׂראל, - Yiśrâ'êl, pronounced - Yis-raw-ale’, and means: From H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity: - Israel. Total KJV occurrences: 2,576.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary: The description of Israel in the Smith’s Bible Dictionary is extensive and too long to post here; so, I’ll instead just post the link to it: Israel.
Jonathan=A nephew of king David’s, born to his older brother Shimea. Singlehandedly took on and slew an unnamed giant who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot II Samuel 21:21 and I Chronicles 20:7. † The etymology of the name Jonathan (= Yo-Nathan) consists of two elements. The first part is יה (YAH) = יהו (YAHU) = יו (YU), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHVH—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: YHVH—or YAHVEH, the sacred and personal name of Father. The second part of the name Jonathan comes from the verb נתן (natan), meaning to give: For the meaning of the name Jonathan, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Yahveh Has Given. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads The Lord Gave or Lord Of Giving.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3083, - יְהוֹנָתָן, - yehônâthân, pronounced - yeh-ho-naw-thawn’, and means: From H3068 and H5414; YHVH-given; Jehonathan, the name of four Israelites: - Jonathan. Compare H3129 Total KJV occurrences: 111.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary where we read: “that is, “the gift of Jehovah,” A nephew of David II Samuel 21:21; I Chronicles 20:7. He engaged in single combat with and slew a gigantic Philistine of Gath II Samuel 21:21; I Chronciles 20:7.”.
Shimea=An older brother to king David, he was their father Jesse’s third son. He was also called by several other closely related names in Father’s Word. † The third son of Jesse is named שמעא (Shimea) in I Chronicles 2:13 but שמעה (Shimeah) in II Samuel 13:3 and 13:32; שמה (Shammah) in I Samuel 16:9, 17:13; and שמעי (Shimay) in II Samuel 21:21, which is spelled the same as the name Shimei but pronounced slightly different. The etymology of Shimea’s name comes from the verb שמע (shamaי), meaning to hear. For a meaning of the name Shimea, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads He (God) Has Heard. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Hearing and Rumor.. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H8092, - שִׁמְעָא, - shim‛â', pronounced - shim-awי, and means: For H8093; annunciation; Shima, the name of four Israelites: - Shimea, Shimei, Shamma. Total KJV occurrences: 6.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “(fame), the brother of David I Chronicles 20:7, elsewhere called Shamma, Shimma and Shimeah.”.
I Chronicles 20:8 These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. —> These giants were born in the Philistine Capital of Gath, the same city Goliath was from.
So, we see there were many more giants than just Goliath, a whole family of them. And these were just the ones born to the giant Rapha. There were others born to the fallen angels too. The giants were deformed as we consider human life, both in physical form, and in moral condition. David and the Israelite Army slew more than one giant, for first he and then they, knew that Father was with them.
The lesson we can take away from this today is, that, if Father is with you, and you use common sense, then you too can overcome many problems and difficulties — i.e., the giants of our day. When you lay back, rest on your laurels and sleep for a moment, the result can bring much trouble your way. However, that would be your fault and not the Father’s. Father expects us to be obedient to His Word, and to also have discipline to our lives.
Nov 2018
This Bible Study was written by Scott Reis and is provided in order to be used as a private Bible Study Tool. Therefore, it may be copied in whole or in part and shared for private Bible Study; however, it may not be reproduced and published as an original work.
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