- Rabbah
Rabbah - (Rab'bath, "great".)
(1.) "Rabbath of the children of Ammon," thechief city of the Ammonites, among the eastern hills, some 20miles east of the Jordan, on the southern of the two streamswhich united with the
Jabbok . Here the bedstead ofOg waspreserved (Deut. 3:11), perhaps as a trophy of some victorygained by the Ammonites over the king ofBashan . AfterDavid hadsubdued all their allies in a great war, he sentJoab with astrong force to take their city. For two years it held outagainst its assailants. It was while his army was engaged inthis protracted siege that David was guilty of that deed ofshame which left a blot on his character and cast a gloom overthe rest of his life. At length, having taken the "royal city"(or the "city of waters," 2 Sam. 12:27, i.e., the lower city onthe river, as distinguished from the citadel), Joab sent forDavid to direct the final assault (11:1; 12:26-31). The city wasgiven up to plunder, and the people were put todeath, and "thus did he with all the cities of the children ofAmmon." The destruction of Rabbath was the last of David'sconquests. The crown of the king of Rabbah became David's crown.His kingdom now reached its farthest limits (2 Sam.8:1-15; 1 Chr. 18:1-15). The capture of this city is referred toin Amos (1:14), Jeremiah (49:2, 3), andEzekiel (21:20; 25:5).(2.) A city in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:60),possibly the ruin Rubba, six miles north-east of Beit-Jibrin.
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Rabba Clark's Commentary and newer translations show that the text should say "made them slaves" and not that David killed them all.
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