## Rashi on I Chronicles Chapter 20

###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:1:1
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:1:1)

**וַיְהִי לְעֵת תְּשׁוּבַת הַשָּׁנָה.** כְּשֶׁהָעֲשָׂבִים בַּשָּׂדֶה לְהַאֲכִיל הַסּוּסִים:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Now it came to pass at the time of the return of the year** when there are grasses in the field to feed the horses.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:2:1
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:2:1)

**וּבָהּ אֶבֶן יְקָרָה.** בָּעֲטָרָה:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and in it was a precious stone** in the crown.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:2:2
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:2:2)

**וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִיד.** יֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים: עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד מַמָּשׁ, וְיֵשׁ לִתְמוֹהַּ: הֵיאַךְ רֹאשׁוֹ סוֹבֶלֶת?! וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ (עבודה זרה מד.): אֶבֶן שׁוֹאֶבֶת הָיְתָה בָּהּ. וְשָׁמַעְתִּי בְּנַרְבּוֹנָא, כִּי מִנְהָג בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁתּוֹלִין כֶּתֶר שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ מִלְמַעְלָה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב כְּנֶגְדָּהּ מִלְּמַטָּה תַּחְתֶּיהָ עַל כִּסֵּא; וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד – שֶׁנִּרְאֵית כְּמוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and it was set on David’s head** Some explain that it was literally on David’s head. It is, however, amazing how his head could endure it. Our Sages, however, explain that there was a magnet in it (*A.Z.* ad loc.). I heard in Narbonne that it is the prevalent custom in the land of Ishmael to suspend the king’s crown over his head, and he sits opposite it below on a throne, and that which is written: “... and it was on David’s head,” means that it appeared as though it were on his head.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:4:1
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:4:1)

**וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וַתַּעֲמֹד מִלְחָמָה בְּגֶזֶר.** מַה שֶּׁמְּחֻסָּר כָּאן בְּזוֹ הַפָּרָשָׁה כָּתוּב בִּשְׁמוּאֵל: ״וַתְּהִי עוֹד מִלְחָמָה לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּרֶד דָּוִד וַעֲבָדָיו עִמּוֹ וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ אֶת פְּלִשְׁתִּים״ (שמואל ב כא:טו). וְאַף זֶה מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד לֹא נִכְתְּבָה כָּאן, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּתִיב שָׁם ״וַיָּעַף דָּוִד״, וּכְתִיב ״וְיִשְׁבִּי בְנֹב אֲשֶׁר בִּילִידֵי הָרָפָא״ עַד ״וְהוּא חָגוּר חֲדָשָׁה וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַכּוֹת אֶת דָּוִד״ (שמואל ב כא:טז), וְלוּלֵי שֶׁעֲזָרוֹ אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה הָיָה נוֹפֵל בְּיָדוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׁבִּי; וּלְפִי אוֹתוֹ גְּנַאי לֹא כָּתְבוּ כָּאן:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Now it came to pass after this that a war arose in Gezer** That which is missing here is written in Samuel (II 21:15): “And the Philistines waged war again with Israel, and David went down with his servants and they fought against the Philistines.” And this too was not written here because of David’s honor, for it is written there: “... and David became faint,” and it is written: (ibid. 16): “And Ishbi, who was one of the sons of Raphah, was in Nob, etc., and he was girded with new armor, and he thought to smite David,” and had it not been for the aid of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, he would have fallen into the hands of Ishbi in Nob and because of that disgrace, [the Chronicler] did not mention these things here.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:4:2
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:4:2)

**אָז הִכָּה סִבְּכַי הַחֻשָׁתִי אֶת סִפַּי מִילִידֵי הָרְפָא.** וּבִשְׁמוּאֵל כְּתִיב ״אֶת סַף אֲשֶׁר בִּילִידֵי הָרְפָא״ (שמואל ב כא:יח); שֶׁהָיָה אָחִיו שֶׁל גָּלְיַת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וַאֲחִי יִשְׁבִּי בְנֹב:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**then Sibbecai the Hushathite smote Sippai of the sons of Rapha** But in Samuel (II 21:18), it is written: “Saph, who was one of the sons of Rashah,” who was the brother of Goliath the Philistine and Ishbi in Nob.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:5:1
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:5:1)

**וַיַּךְ אֶלְחָנָן בֶּן יָעִיר.** אֶחָד מִגִּבּוֹרֵי דָוִד הָיָה:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**And Elhanan the son of Jair smote** He was one of David’s mighty men.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:5:2
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:5:2)

**אֶת לַחְמִי אֲחִי גָּלְיַת הַגִּתִּי וְעֵץ חֲנִיתוֹ כִּמְנוֹר אֹרְגִים.** כְּאוֹתוֹ עֵץ עָגוֹל שֶׁכּוֹרְכִין בּוֹ הַבֶּגֶד בִּשְׁעַת הָאֲרִיגָה, וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם אוֹתוֹ פָּסוּק בִּשְׁמוּאֵל: ״וְקָטַל דָּוִד בֶּן יִשַׁי מְחֵי פָּרוֹכֶת בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא דְּמִבֵּית לֶחֶם״, וּפִתְרוֹן **יָעִיר** – כְּמוֹ יַעַר הַלְּבָנוֹן, מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה (נדרים לב.): יָבֹא דָּוִד שֶׁאִמּוֹ אוֹרֶגֶת פָּרוֹכֶת לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בִּמְנוֹר אוֹרְגִים, וְיַהֲרֹג אֶת גָּלְיַת שֶׁעֵץ חֲנִיתוֹ כִּמְנוֹר אוֹרְגִים. וְלָמָּה קְרָאוֹ אֶלְחָנָן? שֶׁחֲנָנוֹ ה׳. וְנִרְאֶה שֶׁגָּלְיַת הַגִּתִּי אֵינוֹ ״גָּלְיַת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי״ (שמואל א יז:כג), אַחַת – שֶׁשָּׁם קוֹרְאוֹ ״גָּלְיַת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי״ וְאַחַת – שֶׁהֲרֵי לְמַעְלָה כְּתִיב **אָז הִכָּה סִבְּכַי הַחֻשָׁתִי אֶת סִפִּי מִילִדֵי הָרְפָאִים**, וְגַם לְמַטָּה כָּתוּב כֵּן **וְגַם הוּא נוֹלַד לְהָרָפָא** – מִכְּלָל שֶׁלֹּא מַזְכִּיר אַף בַּאֲחִי גָּלְיַת הַגִּתִּי מִילִידֵי הָרָפָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּנָהּ:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and the staff of his spear was as [thick as] a weavers’ beam** like the round stick about which they wrap the cloth while weaving. Jonathan translated that verse in Samuel: And David the son of Jesse, the weaver of the dividing curtain of the Temple, slew. He interprets Jair (יָעִיר) as being similar to the Lebanon forest (יַעַר). He was paid in kind: Let David, whose mother wove the dividing curtain for the Temple with a weavers’ beam, slay Goliath, whose spear staff was as thick as a weavers’ beam. Now why does Scripture call him Elhanan? Because God favored him (ה' חֲנָנוֹ). I believe that Goliath the Gittite is not identical with Goliath the Philistine. One reason is that there [I Sam. 17:23] he called him Goliath the Philistine. Another reason is that above it is written: “... then Sibbecai the Hushathite smote Sippai of the sons of Rapha,” and also below it is written: “and he too was born to Raphah.” Since he does not mention that Goliath the Gittite was a son of Rapha, it proves that he [Goliath the Gittite] was not her son


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:6:1
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:6:1)

**וַיְהִי אִישׁ מִדָּה.** דֻּגְמָא: ״אַנְשֵׁי מִדּוֹת״ (במדבר יג:לב), כְּלוֹמַר: אִישׁ גָּדוֹל. וּלְפִי שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל כָּל כָּךְ, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְמָדְדוֹ, קוֹרֵהוּ אִישׁ מִדָּה:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and there was a man of great stature**. This is similar to (Num. 13:32): “big in stature,” and since he was so tall that he had to be measured, he calls him a man of measure.


###### Rashi on I Chronicles 20:6:2
[Rashi on I Chronicles 20:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Chronicles/r/20:6:2)

**וְאֶצְבְּעֹתָיו שֵׁשׁ וָשֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע.** שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה בְּיָדַיִם וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה בְּרַגְלַיִם, וּבִשְׁמוּאֵל אוֹמֵר ״עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע מִסְפָּר״ (שמואל ב כא:כ); כְּלוֹמַר: זֶה בְּצַד זֶה, שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִמְנוֹת. וְגַם זֶה הָיָה כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁיָּכוֹל לֶאֱחוֹז הַחֶרֶב בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל בְּיָדוֹ. וּבְמַסֶּכֶת בְּכוֹרוֹת מְפָרֵשׁ (בכורות מה:): לָמָּה לִי דִּכְתִיב שֵׁשׁ וָשֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע? צְרִיכָא, אִי כָּתַב רַחֲמָנָא שֵׁשׁ וָשֵׁשׁ, הֲוָה אָמְרִינָן: שִׁית דִּידֵיהּ וְשִׁית דְּכַרְעֵיהּ, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע; וְאִי כְּתִיב עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע, הֲוָה אָמְרִינָן: שֶׁבַע בְּהָא וְחָמֵשׁ בְּהָא, לְכָךְ כָּתַב רַחֲמָנָא: שֵׁשׁ וָשֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע:

**The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg:**
**and his fingers were six and six** Twelve on his hands and twelve on his feet, and in Samuel (II 21:20) it says: “twenty-four in number,” i.e., one beside the other, so that one can count them, and this also was his strength, for he was able to grasp the sword with the great strength of his hand. And in Tractate *Bechoroth* (45b) it is explained why it is written: “six and six, totaling twenty-four.” It is necessary, because if it were written, “six and six,” we would say six on one hand and six on one foot. Therefore, it says, “twenty- four.” And if it would say, “twenty-four,” I would say seven on one and five on the other. Therefore, it says, “six and six, totaling twenty-four.”