2 Samuel 12:26 kjv
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
2 Samuel 12:26 nkjv
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
2 Samuel 12:26 niv
Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel.
2 Samuel 12:26 esv
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
2 Samuel 12:26 nlt
Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.
2 Samuel 12 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 19:38 | "...the mother of the sons of Ammon, who is the father of the Ammonites..." | Origin of the Ammonite people. |
| Deut 23:3 | "No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord..." | Law forbidding Ammonites due to past hostility. |
| Jdg 3:12-13 | "...Eglon king of Moab, who gathered to himself the Ammonites and Amalekites..." | Ammonites as past adversaries of Israel. |
| Jdg 10:6-9 | "...sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites... oppressed them..." | Ammonites oppressing Israel during Judges period. |
| 1 Sam 11:1-2 | "Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead... will gouge out all your right eyes." | Ammonite cruelty against Israel, defeated by Saul. |
| 2 Sam 10:1-5 | "...Hanun shaved off half the beard of David’s envoys... provoked David to send Joab." | Direct cause of the Ammonite war. |
| 2 Sam 11:1 | "In the spring of the year, when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab... But David remained at Jerusalem." | Contrast: David at home, Joab fighting at Rabbah. |
| 2 Sam 12:27-28 | "Joab sent messengers to David... lest I take the city myself, and it be called by my name." | Joab's loyalty and strategic foresight to David. |
| 2 Sam 8:7-8 | "David took the shields of gold that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer... also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze." | General conquests showing expansion of David's kingdom. |
| Josh 10:28 | "On that day Joshua took Makkedah... destroyed everyone in it." | Examples of Israel's conquest under God's leadership. |
| Jdg 1:8 | "And Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it..." | Capture of cities in ancient Israel. |
| 1 Kgs 11:5 | "Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites." | Ammonite deity (Molech/Milcom) Israel turned to. |
| Amos 1:13 | "Thus says the Lord: 'For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment... for they ripped open pregnant women in Gilead.'" | God's judgment against Ammonite cruelty. |
| Isa 11:14 | "But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. Edom and Moab shall be subject to them, and the Ammonites shall obey them." | Prophetic subjugation of Ammon. |
| Jer 49:1-6 | "Concerning the Ammonites. Thus says the Lord... ‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will cause the battle cry to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites’" | Prophecy of Rabbah's destruction. |
| Eze 21:20 | "Mark a road for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah in Jerusalem, the fortified city." | Prophetic mention of Rabbah for judgment. |
| Ps 60:6-8 | "God has spoken... Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine... Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?" | Reflects God granting Israel victory over neighboring nations. |
| Ps 83:4-8 | "They have conspired together with one accord... The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek..." | Ammonites as part of nations hostile to God's people. |
| Neh 4:7-8 | "When Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward... they were very angry. And they all conspired together..." | Ammonite opposition to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. |
| Prov 24:16 | "For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again..." | Indirectly points to God's continued faithfulness despite David's sin and moral fall. |
| 1 Kgs 15:5 | "Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite." | Acknowledges David's significant moral failure but also his general faithfulness. |
2 Samuel 12 verses
2 Samuel 12 26 Meaning
This verse states that Joab, King David's military commander, successfully besieged and captured Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites. The phrase "royal city" indicates it was the administrative and primary urban center of their kingdom. This capture marks a decisive turning point in David's war against the Ammonites, signaling the imminent, complete victory for Israel.
2 Samuel 12 26 Context
This verse appears immediately after Nathan the prophet confronts King David regarding his grievous sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah the Hittite. Following Nathan's condemnation, David confesses his sin and receives pronouncements of severe judgment upon his household. Verse 26, however, abruptly shifts the narrative back to the ongoing Ammonite war, a conflict that began when David's ambassadors were publicly disgraced (2 Sam 10). The historical context reveals the long-standing animosity between Israel and Ammon, a ruthless nation repeatedly at odds with God's people. Crucially, the campaign against Rabbah began when "kings go out to battle" (2 Sam 11:1), but David stayed home, leading directly to his downfall. This verse therefore contrasts David's recent personal failure with the continued, God-granted success of his kingdom's military endeavors through his loyal commander, Joab.
2 Samuel 12 26 Word analysis
- Now: Marks a transition in the narrative, moving from the private spiritual drama of David's sin and repentance back to the external affairs of his kingdom. It re-establishes the ongoing plot of the war.
- Joab: David's experienced and often ruthless commander-in-chief. His character is marked by military effectiveness and loyalty to David's throne, even when David is absent or compromised. His presence here highlights the contrast with David's dereliction of duty in 2 Sam 11:1.
- fought against: Indicates active and sustained military engagement, a siege operation against a fortified city. This was a long, arduous process, not a swift battle.
- Rabbah (רַבָּה - Rabbah): The capital city of the Ammonites. Its name likely means "great" or "populous." Located in modern-day Amman, Jordan. Its capture was crucial for breaking the power of the Ammonites. The campaign against Rabbah had been ongoing, and its fall signified the culmination of David's Ammonite war.
- of the people of Ammon: Identifies the specific nation against whom this battle was fought. The Ammonites were notorious for their cruelty and historical enmity towards Israel, rooted in their origins (Gen 19:38) and manifest in repeated conflicts (Jdg 10, 1 Sam 11, Amos 1:13).
- and took: (וַיִּלְכֹּד - vayyilkod - "he captured" or "conquered"). A direct statement of military success. It signifies a decisive victory and control over the city. This implies penetration of the city's outer defenses.
- the royal city: (הַמְּלוּכָה עִיר - 'ir hammelûkhâ - "city of the kingdom" or "capital city"). This phrase emphasizes that it was the seat of the Ammonite king's power and administration, the political heart of their nation. Its capture implied the collapse of their central authority. Joab knew the inner citadel, the "city of waters" (2 Sam 12:27), was next, which would complete the conquest.
- Joab fought against Rabbah: Emphasizes Joab's consistent performance of his duty and his strategic capabilities as David's commander, contrasting sharply with David's idleness during the "time when kings go out to battle." While David was embroiled in personal sin, Joab diligently served the kingdom's interests on the battlefield. This highlights God's grace in maintaining Israel's success despite the king's moral failure.
- took the royal city: Signifies not just a skirmish, but a decisive victory over the political and strategic heart of the Ammonite kingdom. This was the final step before total subjugation, paving the way for Joab's message to David to come and personally complete the conquest to ensure the glory of the victory belonged to the king (2 Sam 12:27-28).
2 Samuel 12 26 Bonus section
The immediate outcome of taking the "royal city" by Joab, as described in 2 Sam 12:26, is clarified by Joab's subsequent message to David in 2 Sam 12:27-28. Joab explains that he has taken the "city of waters" – likely referring to a critical part of Rabbah's water supply or the lower, less fortified section of the city – making the capture of the inner citadel, where the king resided, inevitable. This implies that 2 Sam 12:26 speaks of the decisive capture of the main, strategic part of Rabbah, enabling the final assault on the core of the city. Joab's prudent call for David to come and complete the siege shows his strategic and political wisdom, ensuring David received the credit for the complete victory over the Ammonite capital. This highlights the practical application of leadership: even in times of personal struggle, delegating to loyal and competent individuals can still achieve kingdom objectives. The fall of Rabbah symbolized the crushing of Ammonite power, and in time, their national deity Milcom, also known as Molech, was exposed as powerless against the God of Israel.
2 Samuel 12 26 Commentary
2 Samuel 12:26 provides a stark narrative pivot. After the intimate, painful confession and consequences of David's sin, the scene abruptly shifts back to the Ammonite war. This abrupt return highlights an uncomfortable reality: while David wrestled with the personal fallout of his moral failures at home, his loyal commander, Joab, was diligently carrying out the kingdom's military agenda. Joab's capture of "the royal city" of Rabbah signifies a major victory, a strategic masterpiece against a formidable enemy, yet it also underscores David's dereliction of duty, as he "remained at Jerusalem" when "kings go out to battle" (2 Sam 11:1). The victory at Rabbah, despite David's personal failure, illustrates God's ongoing grace and faithfulness to His covenant with David (2 Sam 7). Even amidst the severe judgments pronounced, the kingdom's progress continues. It is a reminder that God can work through imperfect vessels and maintain His plans, sometimes through the unwavering dedication of others, even when the primary leader is morally compromised. This successful campaign secured Israel's eastern border and brought another enemy kingdom under David's dominion.