1 Chronicles 20:3

1 Chronicles 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Context of 1 Chronicles 20:3

1In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. 2David took the crown from the head of their king and wore it (its weight was a talent of gold and it was set with precious stones). He took a large amount of plunder from the city. He removed the city’s residents and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. This was his policy with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. 4Later there was a battle with the Philistines in Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued. 5There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom.

1 Chronicles 20:3 word by word

וְאֶת־הָעָ֨ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֜הּ הוֹצִ֗יא וַיָּ֨שַׂר בַּמְּגֵרָ֜ה וּבַחֲרִיצֵ֤י הַבַּרְזֶל֙ וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹת וְכֵן֙ יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה דָוִ֔יד לְכֹ֖ל עָרֵ֣י בְנֵי־עַמּ֑וֹן וַיָּ֧שָׁב דָּוִ֛יד וְכָל־הָעָ֖ם יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he brought outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• in it, and cutשׂוּרώûr · to sawH7787
• with sawsמְגֵרָהmegêrâh · sawH4050
• and with harrowsחָרִיץchârîyts chârits · incisionH2757
• of ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
• Even so dealtעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• with all the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Ammonעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
• returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for 1 Chronicles 20:3

• 1 Chronicles 19:2David said, “I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal to me.” So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father’s death. When David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king’s sympathy,
• Psalms 21:8You prevail over all your enemies; your power is too great for those who hate you.
• Exodus 1:14They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.
• Joshua 9:23Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
• Judges 8:6The officials of Succoth said, “You have not yet overpowered Zebah and Zalmunna. So why should we give bread to your army?”
• 1 Kings 9:21Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out completely). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews, and they continue in that role to this very day.

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 20:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He brought out the people - See this transaction particularly explained in the notes on the parallel places, 2 Samuel 12:30-31; (note).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3This war against the Ammonites happened during David's sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2–12:25), which the Chronicler does not mention.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. cut them with saws, &c.--The Hebrew word, "cut them," is, with the difference of the final letter, the same as that rendered "put them," in the parallel passage of Samuel [2Sa 12:31]; and many consider that putting them to saws, axes, and so forth, means nothing more than that David condemned the inhabitants of Rabbah to hard and penal servitude. 1Ch 20:4-8. Three Overthrows of the Philistines and Three Giants Slain.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Chronicles 20:3

• Ammonites
• Captive
• Harrow
• Prisoners
• Rabbah

In the dictionaries

• Ammon
• David
• Jerusalem
• Ammon; Ammonites
• Ammon, Ammonite
• Captive
• Harrow
• Samuel, Books of
• Chronicles, Books of
• Genealogy

Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary