1. at the time of the return of the year] i.e. in the spring, 2 Samuel xi. 1; 1 Kings xx. 22.
the power of the army] The Hebrew phrase is quite general in meaning: the host of war, the military forces.
Rabbah] the capital of the Ammonites; Jeremiah xlix. 2; Ezekiel xxi. 20 (25, Hebrew). Its site, now called ‘Ammān, is covered with important ruins of the Roman and Byzantine periods. The town lies in a fertile basin, its citadel on a hill on the north side.
David tarried at Jerusalem] In 2 Samuel these words introduce the story of David’s adultery with Bath-sheba, which is omitted from Chronicles.
Joab smote Rabbah] In 2 Samuel xii. 27 Joab reports to David the capture of the city of waters (i.e. the lower city), and invites him to come and complete the conquest (presumably by capturing the citadel) in person. Probably the citadel was dependent for water on the river which flows through the town.
²And David took the crown of their king[¹] 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 forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
[¹] Or, Malcam See Zephaniah i. 5.
2. of their king] So also Authorized Version, perhaps rightly, but many scholars prefer to treat the word as a proper name, rendering, as margin, of Malcam (compare Zephaniah i. 5), i.e. Milcom, the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kings xi. 5). LXX. has a double translation of the one Hebrew word: Molchol (Molchom) their king. The name of the god, whether the right form be Molech (1 Kings xi. 7) or more probably Milcom or Malcam, means either “king” or, less probably, “counsellor.” In the former case his image would in all probability wear a crown.
it was set upon David’s head] A symbolic action implying that David completely annexed the Ammonite territory; other conquered nations retained a partial independence on condition of the payment of tribute.
he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much] doubtless a triumphal procession of captives and spoil, such as an Assyrian relief in the British Museum represents passing before Sennacherib at the capture of Lachish.