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1 Chronicles 20:3

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Chronicles 20:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut [them] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut [them] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 20:3 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Chronicles 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And it came to pass, at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that Joab led forth the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it.
2And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David`s head: and he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
3And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut [them] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.
5And there was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver`s beam.
6And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six [on each hand], and six [on each foot]; and he also was born unto the giant.
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What do historical commentaries say?

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“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 [Sa2 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.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“And he: Ch1 19:2-5; Psa 21:8, Psa 21:9 and cut: Instead of wyyasar, "and he cut," the parallel passage is wyyasem, "and he put them;" which is also the reading here of seven manuscripts collated by Dr. Kennicott. Sawing asunder, etc., of human beings, have no more place in the text, than they had in David's conduct towards the Ammonites. with saws: Exo 1:14; Jos 9:23; Jdg 8:6, Jdg 8:7, Jdg 8:16, Jdg 8:17; Kg1 9:21 1 Chronicles 20:4”
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Related study paths

Read 1 Chronicles 20 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification