2 Samuel 12:26-31
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.
27 Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.
28 Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.”
29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.
30 Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts.
31 He also brought out the people who were in it, and put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made others serve at the brick works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Victory Over the Ammonites
Capturing Rabbah
Here, the narrative returns to the battle with the Ammonites. This section is a continuation of the battle mentioned in 11:1. Chronologically, it is highly likely that these events took place before the birth of Solomon. The content of chapter 12 is not recorded in chronological order. (1) General Joab had surrounded the Ammonite capital Rabbah (present-day Amman) and brought it to the verge of collapse. At this point, he sent a request to David, who had remained in Jerusalem, urging him to come out to the battlefield. (2) The reason was that if he led the final victory himself, the honor might be credited to him. Joab was a problematic figure, but he also had this aspect of maintaining loyalty to the king. (3) David responded to the request and went out to capture Rabbah. (4) After taking the city, David returned with the king’s crown (which weighed about 66 lbs or 30 kg) and many spoils of war.
Postwar settlement
Regarding how David treated the Ammonite captives, it is written as follows: “He also brought out the people who were in it, and put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made others serve at the brick works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon.” This verse can also be translated as, “… and put them under saws… and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln” (ASV). In the former interpretation, it means that David subjected the Ammonites to forced labor. In the latter, it implies that David tortured them. Both translations are possible. Though subjecting them to torture may seem cruel, this was an application of the principle of “repaying with the same curse.” In fact, the Ammonites had committed such cruel acts against their enemies (ref. 1 Sam. 11:2 and Amos 1:13). In any case, David’s treatment was exceedingly harsh. It is likely that, lacking peace in his own heart, he dealt severely with others as well. When a person’s heart is filled with God’s love and forgiveness, they are able to show gentleness toward others. Is your heart at rest in Christ Jesus today? Are you treating others with kindness?
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please fill my heart with peace, so that I may show gentleness toward my neighbors. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.