2 Samuel 12 31

2 Samuel 12:31 kjv

And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 12:31 nkjv

And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 12:31 niv

and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 12:31 esv

And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 12:31 nlt

He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 12 verses

2 Samuel 12 31 Meaning

Bible 2 Samuel 12:31 describes King David's treatment of the defeated Ammonite inhabitants of Rabbah and other cities. Following the brutal siege and conquest, David either subjected the people to forced labor using specific construction and agricultural tools (saws, iron picks, iron axes), including strenuous work in brick kilns, or, in a more extreme interpretation, brutally executed or tortured them with these instruments and by forcing them through brick kilns. The context within the broader biblical narrative and parallel accounts strongly suggests the interpretation of harsh, forced labor, rather than extreme torture or burning alive, as consistent with typical ancient Near Eastern practices for conquered populations while avoiding conflict with biblical condemnations of human sacrifice.

2 Samuel 12 31 Context

The events of 2 Samuel chapter 12 follow Nathan the prophet's confrontation with King David regarding his sins with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Chapter 12:1-14 records Nathan's rebuke and David's repentance, along with the Lord's pronouncements of judgment upon David's house, including the death of the child born of David and Bathsheba. Immediately after the child's death (12:18-23), the narrative returns to David's military campaign against the Ammonites (which was the backdrop to David's initial sin in 2 Sam 11:1).

Verse 31 describes the aftermath of the successful siege and capture of Rabbah, the Ammonite capital. Historically and culturally, victorious ancient Near Eastern (ANE) kings frequently imposed severe conditions on defeated peoples, including forced labor, tribute, and sometimes extreme public punishments or executions, particularly for populations that had shown defiance or brutality, as the Ammonites had (cf. Amos 1:13). David's actions, while harsh by modern standards, reflect the brutal realities of ANE warfare.

2 Samuel 12 31 Word analysis

• And he brought out (וַיּוֹצֵא - wayyōṣēʾ): From the Hebrew root יָצָא (yatsa'), meaning "to go out" or, in the causative (Hiphil) form used here, "to bring out, lead out." David personally orchestrated this action or ordered his army to do so.
• the people (הָעָם - hāʿām): Refers to the defeated inhabitants of Rabbah and other Ammonite cities. This implies a large populace, not just a select group of combatants.
• who were in it (אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ - ʾăšer bāh): Referring to the people within Rabbah and implied to be within other Ammonite cities.
• and put them to work with / cut them with (וַיָּשֶׂם בַּמְּגֵרָה - wayyāśem bamməgērāh):
  • וַיָּשֶׂם (wayyāśem): From the root שׂוּם (sum), meaning "to set, place, put, appoint." This verb is central to the interpretive debate.
  • בְּ (bə-): The Hebrew preposition bet, which can mean "in, on, with, by means of, through, to." Its flexibility allows for both interpretations: "placed them in the saw" (meaning cut by) or "placed them to work with the saw" (meaning given saws to work with).
  • מְגֵרָה (məgērāh): A "saw." The bet preposition preceding it creates ambiguity. The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:3 uses the preposition לְ (lĕ-) meaning "to" or "for," which usually translates as "put them to (or for) the saw" – understood as setting them to do forced labor with saws. This crucial parallel favors the labor interpretation for 2 Sam 12:31.
• and iron picks (וּבַחַרְצֵי הַבַּרְזֶל - ūbaḥarṣê habbarzel):
  • חַרְצֵי (ḥarṣê): From חָרִיץ (charits), meaning "a sharp instrument, threshing sledge." A threshing sledge was a heavy tool with sharp stones or iron teeth dragged over grain to separate it from straw, a very grueling task. The translation "picks" or "harrows" implies tools for breaking up earth or agriculture.
  • הַבַּרְזֶל (habbarzel): "the iron," indicating the material of the tools.
• and iron axes (וּבְמַגְזְרֹת הַבַּרְזֶל - ūbmāgẕrōṯ habbarzel):
  • מַגְזְרֹת (magẕərōṯ): From מַגְזֵרָה (magzerah), "an axe" or "felling tool," derived from the root גָּזַר (gazar), "to cut." Used for cutting wood or stone.
  • הַבַּרְזֶל (habbarzel): "the iron."
• and made them toil at the brick kilns / and made them pass through the brick kiln (וַיַּעֲבֵר אוֹתָם בַּמַּלְבֵּן - wayyaʿăbēr ʾōṯām bammalbbēn):
  • וַיַּעֲבֵר (wayyaʿăbēr): From the root עָבַר (ʿābar), "to pass over, through." In the causative (Hiphil) form, it means "to make pass through," "to cause to go through." This verb is sometimes used in the context of pagan child sacrifice, where children were "passed through the fire" (e.g., Deut 18:10). This usage contributes to the "torture/burning" interpretation.
  • אוֹתָם (ʾōṯām): "them," referring to the people.
  • בַּמַּלְבֵּן (bammalbbēn): From מַלְבֵּן (malbbēn), meaning "brick-mould" or "brick-kiln." The prefix bet (bə-) again indicates "in" or "at." The context of "passing through" suggests either a process of literal immolation or the exceedingly arduous and hot labor involved at the kilns. The labor interpretation aligns with ancient Egypt's forced labor making bricks.
• And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon: This phrase confirms that David's severe measures were not isolated to Rabbah but were systematically applied to all conquered Ammonite territories, establishing David's dominion and their subjugation.

Words-group analysis:

The phrase "וַיָּשֶׂם בַּמְּגֵרָה וּבַחַרְצֵי הַבַּרְזֶל וּבְמַגְזְרֹת הַבַּרְזֶל" ("and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes") and "וַיַּעֲבֵר אוֹתָם בַּמַּלְבֵּן" ("and made them toil at the brick kilns") forms the core interpretive challenge. The critical nuance is between direct torture/execution by means of the tools/kiln and forcing subjugated people into exceedingly harsh labor using these tools or at these dangerous locations. The use of the Hebrew preposition בְּ (bə-) "with" or "in" and the verb עָבַר (ʿābar) "to pass through" creates this ambiguity. However, comparison with 1 Chronicles 20:3, which states David "put them to work for the saw" (לַמְּגֵרָה - lamməgērāh, using לְ-le instead of בְּ-bə), strongly supports the interpretation of forced labor rather than gruesome torture or burning alive. This aligns with a theological understanding of David's character, even when flawed, as not engaging in forbidden pagan practices like human sacrifice by fire. The brick kilns signify demanding, back-breaking labor in extremely hot conditions, akin to Israel's servitude in Egypt.

2 Samuel 12 31 Bonus section

The divergent translations of 2 Samuel 12:31 (e.g., KJV/NIV often leaning towards torture, ESV/NASB/NET towards forced labor) highlight the crucial role of interpreting ancient Hebrew nuances. The choice of preposition, as discussed above (bet vs. lamedh), makes a significant difference. Modern scholarship largely argues against the "torture and death" reading for several reasons:

• Theological Coherence: David, despite his grave sins with Bathsheba, is portrayed as a worshiper of Yahweh. The deliberate torture and burning alive of entire populations would place him in direct violation of fundamental biblical laws against child sacrifice (Deut 12:31) and excessive cruelty beyond what was customary even in ancient warfare, and contradicts God's nature.
• Economic Motivation: Subjugating a population to forced labor was economically beneficial for empires. It allowed the conquering power to utilize a new labor force for large-scale building projects (e.g., roads, fortifications) and resource extraction.
• Literary Parallel: The explicit clarification in 1 Chronicles 20:3, written later and often seen as a theological commentary on Samuel-Kings, strongly guides the interpretation towards labor. It implies that the meaning of the action was to put them to the labor of the tools, not to subject them to the tools for mutilation.

2 Samuel 12 31 Commentary

2 Samuel 12:31 recounts David's severe subjugation of the Ammonites following their defeat. This verse presents an interpretive challenge, revolving around whether David brutally tortured and executed the Ammonite people using tools and burning them in brick kilns, or if he subjected them to harsh forced labor. The language used, particularly the prepositions, allows for both interpretations. The Hebrew bet preposition (bə-), translated as "with" or "in," coupled with the verb "to make pass through" (ʿābar), often linked to child sacrifice "through fire," could suggest cruel death.

However, the prevailing scholarly view, strengthened by the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:3, favors the interpretation of forced labor. 1 Chronicles 20:3 states that David "put them to work for (or to) the saw" (using a different Hebrew preposition, lamməgērāh), implying an assignment to a task rather than subjection to execution by the tool itself. This interpretation aligns better with biblical condemnations of human sacrifice (Deut 12:31, Jer 19:5) and David's general character as a king chosen by God, albeit flawed.

Therefore, the verse is best understood as David's implementation of extreme corvée (forced labor) on the conquered Ammonites. They were conscripted into service using saws for timber, iron picks for quarrying or earthwork, and iron axes for cutting, likely involving hard physical labor in construction projects or public works. The reference to "brick kilns" signifies a particularly arduous and hot environment, similar to the forced labor of the Israelites under Pharaoh (Ex 1:14). This demonstrates David's punitive nature and absolute subjugation of his enemies, which, while harsh, was a common practice in the ancient Near East for incorporating conquered populations into the victorious empire's infrastructure and economy.

This action solidifies David's empire, expanding his dominion and demonstrating the consequences for those who opposed Israel. It also highlights a pragmatic, militaristic aspect of David's reign, separate from his spiritual life, yet subject to the broader framework of God's providence and judgment against unrighteous nations like the Ammonites (Amos 1:13).