When Victory Becomes Routine
What’s 1 Chronicles 20 about?
This chapter captures three military victories under David’s reign – but it’s not really about warfare. It’s about how God’s promise to establish David’s kingdom plays out in the mundane moments when victory becomes so routine that the Chronicler can summarize entire campaigns in a few verses.
The Full Context
First Chronicles 20 sits in the heart of the Chronicler’s presentation of David’s reign, written sometime after the Babylonian exile (likely 5th-4th century BC) for a community trying to understand their identity and God’s faithfulness. The author is writing to post-exilic Jews who needed to see how God’s promises endure even through national catastrophe. Unlike Samuel-Kings, which focuses on David’s moral failures, Chronicles emphasizes his role in establishing the kingdom and preparing for the temple.
This particular chapter follows the infamous Bathsheba incident (which Chronicles notably omits) and focuses instead on three military campaigns: the Ammonite war’s conclusion, encounters with Philistine giants, and the broader pattern of God giving David victory over Israel’s enemies. The literary placement is strategic – the Chronicler is showing how God’s covenant promises to David (2 Samuel 7) continue to unfold through seemingly ordinary military successes, setting the stage for Solomon’s peaceful reign and temple construction.
What the Ancient Words Tell Us
The Hebrew here is fascinatingly understated. When 1 Chronicles 20:1 says “David remained in Jerusalem,” the verb yashabh doesn’t just mean “stayed” – it carries connotations of settling, dwelling securely. This isn’t David hiding out; it’s David so secure in his kingdom that he can delegate major campaigns to his generals.
Grammar Geeks
The phrase “at the time when kings go out to battle” uses the Hebrew la’eth tse’th hammelakhim, which literally means “at the time of the going out of the kings.” It’s a temporal marker that ancient readers would recognize – spring campaign season. But the Chronicler’s choice to mention David’s absence isn’t condemnation; it’s highlighting how established his kingdom has become.
The description of Joab’s victory over Rabbah uses military terminology that would make ancient Near Eastern readers think of siege warfare. The verb lakhadh (captured) followed by haras (destroyed/overthrew) represents the standard ancient practice of siege, conquest, and systematic demolition of fortified cities.
But here’s what’s remarkable – when describing the giants in verses 4-8, the Hebrew uses yelidhe harapha (born of the giant/Rapha). This isn’t just about big people; rapha connects to ancient Canaanite concepts of divine-human hybrids, the remnants of the Nephilim tradition from Genesis 6.
What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?
Post-exilic Jews reading this would have heard something profoundly encouraging. Their ancestors weren’t just random tribal warriors – they were part of a systematic divine plan to clear the land of forces that represented primordial chaos and rebellion against God’s order.
Did You Know?
The Ammonites weren’t just another neighboring tribe – they were descendants of Lot (Genesis 19:38), making this conflict particularly complex for ancient Israelite readers. It’s family warfare, which explains why the diplomatic attempt in 1 Chronicles 19 mattered so much.
The mention of specific warriors killing specific giants would have resonated powerfully with an audience that felt overwhelmed by seemingly impossible obstacles. Sibbecai killing Sippai, Elhanan striking down Lahmi (Goliath’s brother), Jonathan defeating the six-fingered, six-toed giant – these aren’t just war stories. They’re testimonies that God’s people, however ordinary, can defeat forces that seem mythologically powerful.
For readers whose temple lay in ruins and whose nation was under foreign rule, this chapter whispers: “Your God still defeats giants. His promises still hold.”
Wrestling with the Text
Here’s where things get interesting. If you compare this account with 2 Samuel 21, you’ll notice some differences in names and details. Elhanan kills “Goliath the Gittite” in Samuel, but here he kills “Lahmi, Goliath’s brother.”
Wait, That’s Strange…
Why the difference? Hebrew scribes sometimes struggled with unfamiliar Philistine names, and manuscripts could develop variations. But the Chronicler might also be clarifying what Samuel left ambiguous – that there were multiple giants from Gath, including Goliath and his relatives. The point isn’t the precise genealogy; it’s that God’s people consistently triumphed over these seemingly invincible enemies.
There’s also this curious detail about the giant with six fingers and six toes on each hand and foot (verse 6). In ancient literature, such abnormalities often marked individuals as connected to the divine or monstrous realm. The Chronicler isn’t giving us medical information – he’s showing that even the most fearsome representatives of chaos fall before God’s appointed warriors.
How This Changes Everything
What strikes me most about this chapter is its almost casual tone. These victories that would have been celebrated with epic poems and national holidays are mentioned almost in passing. “Oh, and by the way, we defeated the Ammonites and killed some giants.”
This is what God’s faithfulness looks like when it becomes routine. Not every spiritual victory needs to feel earth-shaking. Sometimes God’s most profound work happens in the ordinary succession of challenges met and overcome.
“Victory becomes so routine that the most dramatic conquests get summarized in a few verses – that’s what walking in God’s promises actually looks like.”
For the original audience, this would have been deeply comforting. They didn’t need God to work through constant miracles and dramatic interventions. His covenant faithfulness could sustain them through the mundane work of rebuilding their community, one small victory at a time.
The theological heart of this passage is in verse 8: “These were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.” It’s not about the warriors’ strength or strategy. It’s about God working through his anointed king and his people to eliminate forces that oppose his kingdom purposes.
Key Takeaway
God’s faithfulness often shows up not in the dramatic moments we celebrate, but in the routine victories we barely notice. When walking in his promises becomes normal, even giant-killing can feel ordinary – and that’s exactly how it should be.
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