1 Chronicles 20 · Verse 3

1 Chronicles 20:3

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.
1 Chronicles 20:3, King James Version

1 Chronicles 20:3 in other translations

BSBDavid brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
WEBHe brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTand the people who are in it he hath brought out, and setteth to the saw, and to cutting instruments of iron, and to axes; and thus doth David to all cities of the sons of Ammon, and David turneth back, and all the people, to Jerusalem.
DARBYAnd he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with the saw, and with harrows of iron, and with saws. And so David did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
BBEAnd he took the people out of the town and put them to work with wood-cutting instruments, and iron grain-crushers, and axes. And this he did to all the towns of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people went back to Jerusalem.
WebsterAnd he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so David dealt with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

What does 1 Chronicles 20:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. 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 [2Sa 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. 1Ch 20:4-8. Three Overthrows of the Philistines and Three Giants Slain.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 He brought out the people - See this transaction particularly explained in the notes on the parallel places, 2Sam 12:30-31 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

1 Chronicles 20:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הָעָ֨םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
בָּ֜הּbah[was] in it
הוֹצִ֗יאho.Tzi'he brought outH3318
וַיָּ֨שַׂרvai.Ya.sarand he sawedH7787
בַּמְּגֵרָ֜הba.me.ge.Rahwith <the> sawH4050
וּבַחֲרִיצֵ֤יu.va.cha.ri.Tzeiand with [the] sharp instruments ofH2757
הַבַּרְזֶל֙ha.bar.Zel<the> ironH1270
וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹתu.va.me.ge.Rotand with <the> sawsH4050
וְכֵן֙ve.Khenand thusH3651
יַעֲשֶׂ֣הya.'a.Sehhe didH6213
דָוִ֔ידda.VidDavidH1732
לְכֹ֖לle.Kholto allH3605
עָרֵ֣י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[the] people ofH1121
עַמּ֑וֹןa.MonAmmonH5983
וַיָּ֧שָׁבvai.Ya.shovand he returnedH7725
דָּוִ֛ידda.VidDavidH1732
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם\׃\ \פye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Chronicles 20:3

  • 1 Chronicles 19:2-5

    And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

  • 1 Kings 9:21

    Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.

  • Judges 8:6-7

    And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

  • Psalms 21:8-9

    Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

  • Exodus 1:14

    And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

  • 2 Samuel 12:31

    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 brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

  • Joshua 9:23

    Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

  • Judges 8:16-17

    And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And he.
19:2-5; Ps 21:8,9
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 MSS. 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.
Ex 1:14; Jos 9:23; Jud 8:6,7,16,17; 1Ki 9:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Chronicles 20:2

    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.

  • 1 Chronicles 20:3

    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.

  • 1 Chronicles 20:4

    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.

Read all of 1 Chronicles 20

1 Chronicles 20:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Sacó también al pueblo que estaba en ella, y cortólos con sierras, y con trillos de hierro, y segures. Lo mismo hizo David á todas las ciudades de los hijos de Ammón. Y volvióse David con todo el pueblo á Jerusalem.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il fit sortir le peuple qui s’y trouvait, et les scia avec la scie, et avec des herses de fer, et avec des scies: et David fit ainsi à toutes les villes des fils d’Ammon. Et David et tout le peuple s’en retournèrent à Jérusalem.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und das Volk, das darin war, führte er hinaus und zerschnitt sie mit der Säge und mit eisernen Dreschwagen und mit Sägen. Und also tat David allen Städten der Kinder Ammon. Und David und das ganze Volk kehrten nach Jerusalem zurück.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
populum autem, qui erat in ea, eduxit, et fecit super eos tribulas, et trahas, et ferrata carpenta transire, ita ut dissecarentur et contererentur. Sic fecit David cunctis urbibus filiorum Ammon: et reversus est cum omni populo suo in Jerusalem.