20:1 In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, 11 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.
1 tn The Hebrew text reads “their tents,” apparently referring to those of the Hamites mentioned at the end of v. 40. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “the tents of Ham.”
2 tn Heb “and they lived in place of them.”
3 tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, this individual would be 7.5 feet (2.3 m) tall.
4 tn Heb “went down to.”
5 tn Heb “by my hand.”
6 sn The name Baal Perazim means “Lord of outbursts” in Hebrew.
7 tn The name is spelled “Joram” in the parallel text in 2 Sam 8:10.
8 tn Heb “to ask concerning him for peace.”
9 tn Heb “and to bless him because he fought with Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer was a man of battles with Tou.”
10 tn Heb “[along with] all items of gold and silver and bronze.”
9 tn Heb “and it was at the time of the turning of the year, at the time of the going out of kings.”