2 Samuel 12:27

Contextual Overview

²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶ Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. ²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶ Joab fought against Rabbah, a royal city of the Ammonites, and he was about to capture it. ²⁶ So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. ²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. ²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. ²⁶ Therfor Joab fauyt ayens Rabath, of the sones of Amon, and he fauyt ayens the `kyngis citee.

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.