2 Samuel 12:27

King James Version

And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured its water supply.

Hebrew Names Version
Yo'av sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.

Lexham English Bible
Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, "We have fought against Rabbah, and we captured the city of the waters.

English Standard Version
And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters.

New Century Version
Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured its water supply.

New English Translation
Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.

Amplified Bible
Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; I have even taken the city of waters.

New American Standard Bible
Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, saying, I haue fought against Rabbah, and haue taken the citie of waters.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

Contemporary English Version
and sent a messenger to tell David: I have attacked Rabbah and captured the fortress guarding the city water supply.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yo'av sent people to David with this message: "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.

Darby Translation
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

Easy-to-Read Version
Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured its water supply.

George Lamsa Translation
And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbath and I have also taken the royal city.

Good News Translation
He sent messengers to David to report: "I have attacked Rabbah and have captured its water supply.

Literal Translation
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and I have captured the city of waters.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& sent messaugers vnto Dauid, & caused to saye vnto him: I haue foughte against Rabba, and haue wonne the water cite also.

American Standard Version
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yea, I have taken the city of waters.

Bible in Basic English
And Joab sent men to David, saying, I have made war against Rabbah and have taken the water-town.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, saying: I haue fought against Rabba, and haue taken the citie of waters.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said: 'I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters.

King James Version (1611)
And Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, and said, I haue fought against Rabbah, and haue taken the citie of waters.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbath, and taken the city of waters.

English Revised Version
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, yea, I have taken the city of waters.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, "I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Joab sente messangeris to Dauid, and seide, Y fauyte ayens Rabath, and the citee of watris schal be takun.

Young's Literal Translation
and Joab sendeth messengers unto David, and saith, `I have fought against Rabbah -- also I have captured the city of waters;

Update Bible Version
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

World English Bible
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.

New King James Version
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city's water supply.

New Living Translation
Joab sent messengers to tell David, "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.

New Life Bible
Joab sent men to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah. I have taken the city of waters.

New Revised Standard
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then Joab sent messengers unto David, - and said - I have fought against Rabbah, I have also captured the city of the waters.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: I have fought against Rabbath, and the city of waters is about to be taken.

Revised Standard Version
And Jo'ab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

Contextual Overview

²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁷ And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. ²⁸ Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name. ²⁹ And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. ³⁰ And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. 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 brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Rabbah: 2 Samuel 11:1, Deuteronomy 3:11, Ezekiel 21:20

the city of waters: Probably that part of the city situated near the pond, from which the rest received their water.

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 49:2 - her daughters

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Joab sent messengers to David,.... To acquaint him how he had proceeded, and what success he had had:

and said, I have fought against Rabbah; laid siege to it, and skirmished with parties that sallied out upon them:

and have taken the city of waters; the same with the royal city, and so the Targum here renders it; so called because situated by the waterside; Adrichomius says x the river Jabbok flowed round about it: or it abounded with fountains of water, from whence the other part of the city, or what was properly the city Rabbah, was supplied with water; and which communication being cut off, it could not hold out long, which Joab being sensible of, therefore sent for David. Junius and Tremellius render the words, "I have intercepted the water from the city"; with which the account of Josephus y agrees, who says, that he cut off the water from them, and precluded other supplies, so that they were in great distress for want of food and drink; and in like manner it was taken by Antiochus some hundreds of years later; for that; historian says z the siege by him lasted long, and they could not prevail, because of the multitude of men it, until one of the prisoners showed them a subterraneous passage, through which they came and fetched water; which they stopped up with stones and such like things, and then through want of water yielded.

x Theatrum T. S. p. 34. y Antiqu. l. 7. c. 7. sect. 5. z Polyb. Hist. l. 5. p. 414.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The city of waters - The lower town of Rabbah (the modern Ammam), so called from a stream which rises within it and flows through it. The upper town with the citadel lay on a hill to the north of the stream, and was probably not tenable for any length of time after the supply of water was cut off.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:27. And have taken the city of waters. — The city where the tank or reservoir was that supplied the city and suburbs with water. Some think that the original, לכדתי את עיר המים lachadti eth ir hammayim, should be translated I have intercepted, or cut off, the waters of the city: and Houbigant translates the place, et aquas ab urbe jam derivavi; "And I have already drawn off the waters from the city." This perfectly agrees with the account in Josephus, who says ων τε ὑδατων αυτους αποτεμνομενος, having cut off their waters, Antiq., lib. vii., cap. 7. This was the reason why David should come speedily, as the citadel, deprived of water, could not long hold out.