2 Samuel 12:30
New International Version
David took the crown from their king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city

New Living Translation
David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city.

English Standard Version
And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.

Berean Standard Bible
Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.

New American Standard Bible
Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts.

NASB 1995
Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts.

NASB 1977
Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in a very great amount.

Amplified Bible
And he took the crown of their king from his head; it weighed a talent of gold, and [set in it was] a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought the spoil out of the city in great amounts.

Christian Standard Bible
He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David’s head. The crown weighed seventy-five pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David’s head. The crown weighed 75 pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city.

American Standard Version
And he took the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.

Contemporary English Version
and took the crown from the statue of their god Milcom. The crown was made of about 35 kilograms of gold, and there was a valuable jewel on it. David put the jewel on his own crown. He also carried off everything else of value.

English Revised Version
And he took the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He took the gold crown from the head of Rabbah's king and put it on his own head. (The crown weighed 75 pounds and contained a precious stone.) David also took a lot of goods from the city.

Good News Translation
From the head of the idol of the Ammonite god Molech David took a gold crown which weighed about seventy-five pounds and had a jewel in it. David took the jewel and put it in his own crown. He also took a large amount of loot from the city

International Standard Version
He confiscated the crown of their king from his head—it weighed one talent in gold and was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David's head. He confiscated a great amount of war booty that had been plundered from the city,

Majority Standard Bible
Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

NET Bible
He took the crown of their king from his head--it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds, and held a precious stone--and it was placed on David's head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder.

New Heart English Bible
He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. He brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight of which 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.

World English Bible
He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he takes the crown of their king from off his head, and its weight [is] a talent of gold, and precious stones, and it is on the head of David; and he has brought out the spoil of the city—very much;

Young's Literal Translation
and he taketh the crown of their king from off his head, and its weight is a talent of gold, and precious stones, and it is on the head of David; and the spoil of the city he hath brought out, very much;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will take the crown of their king from his head; and its weight a talent of gold and a precious stone; and it will be upon David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city exceeding much.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he took the crown of their king from his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, set with most precious stones, and it was put upon David's head, and the spoils of the city which were very great he carried away.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, having the most precious gems. And it was placed upon the head of David. Moreover, he carried away the spoils of the city, which were very many.

New American Bible
He took the crown of Milcom from the idol’s head, a talent of gold in weight, with precious stones; this crown David wore on his own head. He also brought out a great amount of spoil from the city.

New Revised Standard Version
He took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he took their king's crown from off his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he took the crown of their King from his head which was weighed a talent of gold, and there were precious stones on it, and it was placed on the head of David, and he brought the spoil of the city, a great abundance
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Capture of Rabbah
29So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. 30Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. 31David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.…

Cross References
1 Chronicles 20:2
Then David took the crown from the head of their king. It was found to weigh a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

2 Samuel 8:11-12
and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued— / from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

2 Samuel 8:7
And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 10:14-22
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, / not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. / King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. ...

1 Kings 20:1-3
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it. / Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, / saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”

2 Kings 14:13-14
There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits. / He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 18:14-16
So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. / Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. / At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold with which he had plated the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.

2 Chronicles 9:13-21
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, / not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. / King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. ...

Joshua 10:24
When they had brought the kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had accompanied him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So the commanders came forward and put their feet on their necks.

Psalm 21:3
For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.

Psalm 72:10-11
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. / May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.

Isaiah 60:5-11
Then you will look and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and swell with joy, because the riches of the sea will be brought to you, and the wealth of the nations will come to you. / Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah, and all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD. / All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar with acceptance; I will adorn My glorious house. ...

Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 27:29
And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Luke 19:43-44
For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. / They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”


Treasury of Scripture

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.

took

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.

in great abundance [heb] very great

Jump to Previous
Abundance Amount Amounts City Crown David's Exceeding Forth Gold Great Head King's Malcam Plunder Precious Quantity Spoil Stone Stones Talent Thereof Weight Whereof
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Abundance Amount Amounts City Crown David's Exceeding Forth Gold Great Head King's Malcam Plunder Precious Quantity Spoil Stone Stones Talent Thereof Weight Whereof
2 Samuel 12
1. Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causes David to be his own judge.
7. David, reproved by Nathan, confesses his sin, and is pardoned
15. David mourns and prays for the child while it lives
24. Solomon is born, and named Jedidiah
26. David takes Rabbah, and tortures the people thereof














Then he took the crown
The act of taking the crown signifies a transfer of power and authority. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the crown was a symbol of kingship and divine favor. The Hebrew word for "crown" is "עֲטָרָה" (atarah), which can also mean a wreath or a symbol of honor. This act by David represents God's judgment and the fulfillment of His promise to establish David's kingdom.

from the head of their king
The phrase indicates a direct conquest over the Ammonite king. Historically, this reflects the common practice of displaying victory by taking the crown from a defeated ruler. It symbolizes the complete subjugation of the enemy and the transfer of their glory and power to the victor.

It weighed a talent of gold
A talent was a significant measure of weight, approximately 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. The mention of the crown's weight emphasizes the wealth and splendor of the Ammonite kingdom. Gold, in biblical times, was a symbol of wealth, purity, and divine blessing. The heavy crown signifies the burden of leadership and the responsibility that comes with it.

and was set with precious stones
The inclusion of precious stones indicates the crown's immense value and beauty. In biblical symbolism, precious stones often represent divine favor and the beauty of God's creation. The Hebrew word for "precious stones" is "אֶבֶן יָקָר" (even yaqar), which denotes something rare and valuable. This detail highlights the richness of the spoils and the honor bestowed upon David.

and it was placed on David’s head
This act of placing the crown on David's head signifies his legitimate rule and God's anointing over him as king. It is a physical manifestation of God's promise to David, affirming his leadership and the expansion of his kingdom. Theologically, it represents the fulfillment of God's covenant with David.

He also took away a great amount of plunder from the city
The taking of plunder was a common practice in ancient warfare, symbolizing the victor's dominance and the transfer of wealth. The phrase "a great amount" underscores the extent of David's victory and the prosperity it brought to Israel. This act of taking plunder can be seen as God's provision for His people, rewarding their faithfulness and obedience.

(30) Their king's crown.--The same Hebrew letters, translated their king, form the name of Milcom, the chief idol of the Ammonites, and hence some writer have quite unnecessarily supposed that the idol's crown is meant.

A talent of gold.--If this is according to the Hebrew weights, the amount is extraordinary, for the silver talent was above a hundred pounds, the gold talent twice as much. But there were various other Eastern talents, as the Babylonian and Persian, of much smaller weight, and it is not unlikely that a light talent may have been in use among the Ammonites. The weight, however, on any reasonable supposition, would have been too great to allow of this crown being commonly worn.

Verse 30. - Their king; Hebrew, Malcam. This is another mode of spelling Milcom, the god of the Ammonites, and is found also in Zephaniah 1:5, and probably in Jeremiah 49:1, 3; Amos 1:15. Strictly, Milcom or Malcom is a proper name for the supreme deity, formed from the word melec, a king, or, as it was pronounced in other Semitic dialects, Moloch. Grammatically, Malcam also means "their king," and even so belongs to Milcom. For the crown weighed a hundred pounds, a ponderous mass, which no man could possibly bear, and, least of all, when making, as was the case with the Ammonite king, his last stand for his life. But after the capture of the city, it was lifted from the head of the idol, and placed formally upon David's head, and held there for a few moments, as a sign of victory and of rejoicing over the fall of the false god. There is no reason for supposing that there is any exaggeration in the weight, nor will the Hebrew allow us to understand the talent of gold as referring to its value.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then he took
וַיִּקַּ֣ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the crown
עֲטֶֽרֶת־ (‘ă·ṭe·reṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5850: A crown, wreath

from
מֵעַ֨ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the head
רֹאשׁ֜וֹ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

of their king.
מַלְכָּם֩ (mal·kām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king

It weighed
וּמִשְׁקָלָ֨הּ (ū·miš·qā·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4948: Weight, weighing

a talent
כִּכַּ֤ר (kik·kar)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3603: A round, a round district, a round loaf, a round weight, a talent (a measure of weight or money)

of gold
זָהָב֙ (zā·hāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

and was set with precious
יְקָרָ֔ה (yə·qā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 3368: Precious, rare, splendid, weighty

stones,
וְאֶ֣בֶן (wə·’e·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

and it was
וַתְּהִ֖י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

placed on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

David’s
דָּוִ֑ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

head.
רֹ֣אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

And David took
הוֹצִ֖יא (hō·w·ṣî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

a great amount
הַרְבֵּ֥ה (har·bêh)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

of plunder
וּשְׁלַ֥ל (ū·šə·lal)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7998: A prey, spoil, plunder, booty

from the city.
הָעִ֛יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement


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OT History: 2 Samuel 12:30 He took the crown of their king (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 12:29
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