2 Samuel 12:30

Contextual Overview

²⁶ Yo'av fought against Rabbah of the people of ‘Amon and took the royal city. ²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶ Rabbah was the capital city of the Ammonites. Joab fought against Rabbah and captured it. ²⁶ Now Yo'av 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. ²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. ²⁶ Now Joab was fighting against Rabbah, in the land of the children of Ammon, and he took the water-town. ²⁶ Then Ioab fought against Rabba of the children of Ammon, and toke the citie of the kingdome. ²⁶ Then Ioab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and tooke the citie of the kingdome. ²⁶ And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took: 1 Chronicles 20:2

the weight: If this talent was only seven pounds, as Whiston says, David might have carried it on his head with little difficulty; but this weight, according to common computation, would amount to nearly 114 pounds! Some, therefore, think, that mishkelah should be taken for its value, not weight; which renders it perfectly plain, as the worth of the crown will be about 5,074, 15s, 7d sterling. The ancients mention several such large crowns, made more for sight than use. Atheneus describes a crown of gold that was 24 feet in circumference; and mentions others that were two, some four, and others five feet deep. Pliny takes notice of some that were no less than eight pounds weight. Besides the crown usually worn, it was customary for kings, in some nations, to have such large ones as described, either hung or supported over the throne, where they sat at their coronation or other solemn occasions.

in great abundance: Heb. very great

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 1:10 - crown 2 Samuel 17:27 - the son of Nahash 2 Kings 11:12 - put the crown Psalms 21:3 - settest

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took their king's crown from off his head,.... The crown of Hanun the king of the Ammonites, who now fell into his hands, and whom he stripped of his ensigns of royalty, who had so shamefully abused his ambassadors, 2 Samuel 10:4:

(the weight whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones): or, "and a precious stone"; there might be more, as our version suggests, but there was one in it remarkably large and valuable; Josephus b says it had in it a very precious stone, a sardonyx; and this, according to the Talmud c was of the value of a talent of gold. A talent was equal to three thousand shekels, as appears from

Exodus 38:25; and was in value, according to Brerewood d of our money, 4500 pounds; but according to Bishop Cumberland e 5067 pounds, three shillings and ten pence. This crown was of the same value with the golden candlestick in the tabernacle, Exodus 25:39; and some think that value here is meant, and not the weight, a talent of gold being very heavy; according to Bishop Cumberland f, ninety three and three quarter pounds; some say an hundred thirteen pounds ten ounces, and more; too great a weight to be borne on the head by Hanun or David; but, what with the gold and precious stones about it, it might be equal in value to a talent of gold; but weight is expressly mentioned, and the crowns of the eastern princes were of great bulk and weight, as well as value: Athenaeus g makes mention of one made of ten thousand pieces of gold, placed on the throne of King Ptolemy, and of some of two cubits, of six, yea, of sixteen cubits. Some h are of opinion that this crown was not the crown of the king of Ammon, but of Milcom or Molech, their idol, and that the proper name should be retained in the version, and that David had a crown made of it he could bear; but if, as others i, the Syriac talent is meant, which was but the fourth part of an Hebrew one, the difficulty is greatly lessened; for it seems to be the same crown David afterwards wore, as follows:

and it was [set] on David's head; to show that the kingdom was translated to him, or was become subject to him; as Alexander, on the conquest of Darius, put the Persian diadem on his own head k, in token of that monarchy being translated to him: though, after all, the phrase, "from off", may be rendered "from above" or "over" l his head, and so it was set "above" or "over" the head of David, being supported by some means or other, that its weight did not bear thereon however, Paschalius, who wrote a learned work, "De Coronis", must be mistaken when be says m this seems to be the first use of a crown in the kingdom of Judah, there being no mention of a crown before, either of Saul or David, only of anointing; since express mention is made of Saul's crown, 2 Samuel 1:10; though his observation may be just, that this crown, allowed to be worn by David, was a pledge of the renewal of his royal dignity, and of his acceptance with God upon his repentance for his above sins:

and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance; which, or at least part of it, was dedicated to the building of the sanctuary, 2 Samuel 8:11.

b Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 7. sect. 5.) c T. Bab. Avodah Zarah, fol. 44. 1. d De Ponder. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4. e Of Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 4. p. 121. f Ib. p. 119. g Apud Paschalium de Coronis, l. 9. c, 8. p. 587. h Vid. Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 78. H. & in Paralipom. fol. 83. M. Weemse of Jewish Weights, p. 141. i Pfeiffer. Difficil. Script. Loc. cent. 2. loc. 87. k Diodor. Sic. l. 17. p. 549. l מעל "desuper", Montanus, "supra caput David", Munster. m Ut supra, (Apud Paschalium de Coronis) l. 10. c. 10. p. 695.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their king’s crown - The word rendered their king (Malcham) is also the name of the national idol of the Ammonites (Jeremiah 49:1, Jeremiah 49:3 margin; Amos 1:15; Zephaniah 1:5). Moreover, the weight of the crown, which is calculated to be equal to 100 or 125 pounds weight, is far too great for a man to wear. On the whole, it seems most probable that the idol Malcam is here meant.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:30. The weight whereof was a talent of gold — If this talent was only seven pounds, as Whiston says, David might have carried it on his head with little difficulty; but this weight, according to common computation, would amount to more than one hundred pounds!

If, however, משקלה mishkalah be taken for the value, not the weight then all is plain as the worth of the crown will be about £5075 15s. 7d. sterling. Now this seems to be the true sense, because of the added words with the precious stones; i.e., the gold of the crown, and the jewels with which it was adorned, were equal in value to a talent of gold.