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英文原文
Here is a repetition of the story of David's wars, I. With the Ammonites, and the taking of Rabbah, 1Ch 20:1-3. II. With the giants of the Philistines, 1Ch 20:4-8.
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The Defeat of the Ammonites (1306 BC)
亚扪人被击败（主前1306年）
¹ 过了一年，到列王出战的时候，约押率领军兵毁坏亚扪人的地，围攻拉巴。大卫仍住在耶路撒冷。约押攻打拉巴，将它毁坏。 ² 大卫夺了他们王头上的金冠冕，其上的金子重一他连得，又嵌着宝石；人将这冠冕戴在大卫头上。大卫又从城里夺了许多财物， ³ 将城里的百姓拉出来，放在锯下，用铁耙、用斧子砍。大卫待亚扪人各城的人都是如此。大卫和众百姓都回耶路撒冷去了。
关于亚扪人及其盟军的军队如何在战场上被击溃，我们在前几章已经读到。此处我们看到他们的京城拉巴被毁（代上20:1），他们王的冠冕被戴在大卫头上（代上20:2），并向百姓行了极大的严厉之事（代上20:3）。这事在撒下11:1-12:31有更详尽的记述；我们读到此处便不能不记起那一个可悲的记号：当约押围攻拉巴之时，大卫正陷入乌利亚那件大事的大罪之中。但值得注意的是，虽然故事其余部分被重述，这事却未被重述：只在一句括号中的话里略作暗示——大卫仍住在耶路撒冷。 他若与军队一同在外，便不会落入那试探之中；但他放纵安逸，便陷于污秽。如今，正如记述大卫所陷入的罪显明圣史家的公正与忠实，此处避免重述此事——虽本有恰当机会再提——也是为要教导我们：虽有时确有必要谈论别人的过犯和失误，但我们不可乐于反复述说。这种事总当看作令人不快的话题，虽然有时避不开，却不愿久留其上，正如我们不爱在粪堆里翻找。对其人其事我们说不出好话的，最好什么也不说。
⁴ 后来，在基色与非利士人打仗；那时户沙人西比该击杀了细派，他是巨人之子；非利士人就被制伏了。 ⁵ 又与非利士人打仗；雅珥的儿子伊勒哈难杀了迦特人歌利亚的兄弟拉哈米；这人的枪杆粗如织布的机轴。 ⁶ 又在迦特打仗；那里有一个身量高大的人，手指脚趾都是二十四，每只手脚各六个指头；他也是巨人之子。 ⁷ 这人向以色列人骂阵的时候，大卫的哥哥示米亚的儿子约拿单杀了他。 ⁸ 这几个人是迦特的巨人生的；他们都死在大卫和他仆人的手下。
非利士人几乎已被制伏（代上18:1）；然而正如约书亚灭迦南人时，亚衲族人最后被制伏（书11:21），此处非利士人之败中，迦特的巨人最后才被除掉。在恩典与肉体之间的争战中，有些罪如同这些巨人，长久把守阵地，非经极大艰难和长期争战不能克服：但审判至终必引至得胜。当观察：一、我们从没有读过以色列人中有巨人，只读到非利士人中有巨人——迦特的巨人，却没有耶路撒冷的巨人。神所栽种之物的长进在于功用，不在于体积。那些想要身量增加一肘的人，并不思想那不过是使他们更笨拙罢了。在圣所的天平里，大卫比歌利亚重得多。二、大卫的仆人虽身材平凡，却在每一次交战中胜过迦特的巨人，因为有神与他们同在——神乐于降卑骄傲的眼目，使地上那些巨人受辱，正如古时借洪水所行的，虽然他们那时是名声显赫的人。教会之友绝不可因教会之敌的权势和骄傲而灰心。我们既有大能的神为我们，就不必惧怕与我们为敌的大人物。在无所不能者面前，多一指或多一趾有何用处？三、这些巨人向以色列人骂阵（代上20:7），于是为他们的狂妄付出代价。再没有人比亵渎神和他以色列的人更明显地被标记为灭亡。神宁可成就大事，也不容仇敌自夸自大（申32:27）。大卫子孙的得胜，正如大卫自己的得胜，是渐渐的。如今我们还不见万物都服他；但不久就要看见：连最后的仇敌——死亡本身，也像这些巨人一样，终必被制伏。
英文原文
The Defeat of the Ammonites (1306 BC)
¹ And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of 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 destroyed it.
² And 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 also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
³ And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
How the army of the Ammonites and their allies was routed in the field we read in the foregoing chapters. Here we have the destruction of Rabbah, the metropolis of their kingdom (1Ch 20:1), the putting of their king's crown upon David's head (1Ch 20:2), and the great severity that was used towards the people, 1Ch 20:3. Of this we had a more full account in 2Sa 11:1-12:31, and cannot but remember it by this sad token, that while Joab was besieging Rabbah David fell into that great sin in the matter of Uriah. But it is observable that, though the rest of the story is repeated, that is not: a hint only is given of it, in those words which lie here in a parenthesis—But David tarried at Jerusalem. If he had been abroad with his army, he would have been out of the way of that temptation; but, indulging his ease, he fell into uncleanness. Now, as the relating of the sin David fell into is an instance of the impartiality and fidelity of the sacred writers, so the avoiding of the repetition of it here, when there was a fair occasion given to speak of it again, is designed to teach us that, though there may be a just occasion to speak of the faults and miscarriages of others, yet we should not take delight in the repetition of them. That should always be looked upon as an unpleasing subject which, though sometimes one cannot help falling upon, yet one would not choose to dwell upon, any more than we should love to rake in a dunghill. The persons, or actions, we can say no good of, we had best say nothing of.
⁴ And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued.
⁵ And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
⁶ And yet again there was 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 the son of the giant.
⁷ But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.
⁸ These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
The Philistines were nearly subdued (1Ch 18:1); but, as in the destruction of the Canaanites by Joshua the sons of Anak were last subdued (Jos 11:21), so here in the conquest of the Philistines the giants of Gath were last brought down. In the conflicts between grace and corruption there are some sins which, like these giants, keep their ground a great while and are not mastered without much difficulty and a long struggle: but judgment will be brought forth unto victory at last. Observe, 1. We never read of giants among the Israelites as we do of the giants among the Philistines-giants of Gath, but not giants of Jerusalem. The growth of God's plants is in usefulness, not in bulk. Those who covet to have cubits added to their stature do not consider that it will but make then more unwieldy. In the balance of the sanctuary David far outweighs Goliath. 2. The servants of David, though men of ordinary stature, were too hard for the giants of Gath in every encounter, because they had God on their side, who takes pleasure in abasing lofty looks, and mortifying the giants that are in the earth, as he did of old by the deluge, though they were men of renown. Never let the church's friends be disheartened by the power and pride of the church's enemies. We need not fear great men against us while we have the great God for us. What will a finger more on each hand do, or a toe more on each foot, in contest with Omnipotence? 3. These giants defied Israel (1Ch 20:7) and were thus made to pay for their insolence. None are more visibly marked for ruin that those who reproach God and his Israel. God will do great things rather than suffer the enemy to behave themselves proudly, De 32:27. The victories of the Son of David, like those of David himself, are gradual. We see not yet all things put under him; but it will be seen shortly: and death itself, the last enemy, like these giants, will be triumphed over.
此处重述了大卫争战的事迹：I. 与亚扪人的战争以及攻取拉巴的经过，代上20:1-3。II. 与非利士巨人的交锋，代上20:4-8。