2 Samuel 12:26

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

12:26 ¹ So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

2 Samuel 23:20

23:20 Benaiah son of Jehoida was a brave warrior ²  from Kabzeel who performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. ³  He also went down and killed a lion in a cistern on a snowy day.

[12:26]  ¹ sn Here the narrative resumes the battle story that began in 11:1 (see 11:25). The author has interrupted that story to give the related account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He now returns to the earlier story and brings it to a conclusion.

[23:20]  ² tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading חַיִל (khayil, “valor”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, חַי (khay, “life”).

[23:20]  ³ tc Heb “the two of Ariel, Moab.” The precise meaning of אריאל is uncertain; some read “warrior.” The present translation assumes that the word is a proper name and that בני, “sons of,” has accidentally dropped from the text by homoioarcton (note the preceding שׁני).