Unlike the parallel account in 2 Sam 12.26-31, the author does not tell the reader how David came to be present at Rabbah, but immediately goes on to say what David did in Rabbah.

And David took the crown of their king from his head: In many languages there is no specific word for crown. If so, it may be rendered by “headgear of the chief,” “hat of kingship,” or something similar. Their king (also New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, An American Translation, Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional, Reina-Valera revisada) is the reading of the Masoretic Text. However, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends with a {B} rating that the Masoretic Text be corrected to read “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god. In Hebrew the word malkam (“their king”) and the name “Milcom” have exactly the same consonants. Since the vowels were added much later to the Hebrew text, there is good reason to believe that “Milcom” was the intended meaning of the original text. In agreement with the Septuagint, numerous modern versions correct the vowels in the Hebrew noun for their king to read “Milcom” (so New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Osty-Trinquet, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous, Peregrino, who is also mentioned in 1 Kgs 11.5, 33 and 2 Kgs 23.13. If this reading is followed in the receptor language, it will be helpful to say “the god Milcom,” “their idol Milkom” (Moffatt), “the statue of their god Milcom” (Contemporary English Version), “the statute of the Ammonite god, Milcom” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), or “the Ammonite god Milcom” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). While this correction of the Hebrew text is recommended to translators here and in 2 Sam 12.30, it may be wise to add a footnote to explain the difference in readings to readers that will be consulting other translations.

Some scholars claim that Milcom and “Molech/Moloch” (Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) referred to the same deity. But that view is no longer prevalent, and many interpreters recognize that Milcom and Molech/Moloch refer to different gods (see Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible). Therefore the Good News Translation rendering should not be followed. The reference to Molech in 1 Kgs 11.7 should probably read “Milcom.”

If the Masoretic Text is followed, the sense is that David declared himself ruler over the Ammonites by removing the Ammonite king’s crown for himself. But if David removed the crown from the god Milcom, then David was showing that the Ammonite god had no power.

He found that it weighed a talent of gold: Since modern readers have no idea what kind of measure a talent is, this should be translated in such a way as to make it meaningful. A talent was the equivalent of about 34 kilograms (so Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Peregrino or 75 pounds (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version). Bible en français courant rounds this off to say “more than thirty kilos” (similarly La Bible du Semeur). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and Nueva Versión Internacional are more precise with “thirty-three kilos,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente speak of “thirty-five kilos.” A rounded figure like thirty or thirty-five would probably sound more natural in many languages. The weight of this crown lends support to the belief that it was not taken from the head of a human being who would have had difficulty bearing such a weight for any length of time, but removed from the head of an idol.

And in it was a precious stone: Contemporary English Version renders a precious stone as “a valuable jewel.” While the Hebrew word for stone is singular, some versions take it as a collective noun, saying “precious stones” (New International Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional) or “gems” (New Living Translation; similarly New Century Version).

And it was placed on David’s head is literally “and it was on David’s head.” Scholars differ on whether the pronoun it refers to the crown or the jewel. For some versions this pronoun refers to the crown; for example, International Children’s Bible renders this whole clause as “The crown was put on David’s head” (similarly New International Version, New Living Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional). Logically, it seems difficult to imagine David wearing a 34 kilogram or 75 pound crown on his head for any length of time. If the reference is to the jewel, then the intended meaning is probably that David later or eventually had the jewel made a part of his crown. Bible en français courant makes this clear by rendering this clause and the previous one as “and it contained a precious stone, which was placed on the royal crown of David” (similarly Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, Peregrino. Good News Translation similarly says “In it there was a jewel, which David took and put in his own crown” (similarly Contemporary English Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). New Jerusalem Bible seems to say that David wore just the jewel: “and in it was set a precious stone which went on David’s head instead” (similarly New American Bible, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous, Osty-Trinquet).

And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount: The word spoil refers to whatever items the Israelite soldiers found in Rabbah and considered valuable. Some English versions use the technical term “booty” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). For this whole clause New International Version has “He took a great quantity of plunder from the city” (similarly Nueva Versión Internacional), and New Century Version says “And David took many valuable things from the city.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .