The Meaning of 1 Chronicles 20:3 Explained

1 Chronicles 20:3

KJV: And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

YLT: and the people who are in it he hath brought out, and setteth to the saw, and to cutting instruments of iron, and to axes; and thus doth David to all cities of the sons of Ammon, and David turneth back, and all the people, to Jerusalem.

Darby: And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with the saw, and with harrows of iron, and with saws. And so David did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

ASV: And he brought forth the people that were therein, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. And thus did David unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he brought out  the people  that [were] in it, and cut  [them] with saws,  and with harrows  of iron,  and with axes.  Even so dealt  David  with all the cities  of the children  of Ammon.  And David  and all the people  returned  to Jerusalem. 

What does 1 Chronicles 20:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 1 Chronicles 20

1  Rabbah is besieged by Joab, spoiled by David, and the people thereof tortured
4  Three giants are slain in overthrows of the Philistines

What do the individual words in 1 Chronicles 20:3 mean?

And the people who [were] in it he brought out and put [them] to work with saws and with picks iron and with axes So did David to all the cities of the sons of Ammon And returned David and all [to] Jerusalem -
וְאֶת־ הָעָ֨ם אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֜הּ הוֹצִ֗יא וַיָּ֨שַׂר בַּמְּגֵרָ֜ה וּבַחֲרִיצֵ֤י הַבַּרְזֶל֙ וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹת וְכֵן֙ יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה דָוִ֔יד לְכֹ֖ל עָרֵ֣י בְנֵי־ עַמּ֑וֹן וַיָּ֧שָׁב דָּוִ֛יד וְכָל־ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם פ

הָעָ֨ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּ֜הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הוֹצִ֗יא  he  brought  out 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וַיָּ֨שַׂר  and  put  [them]  to  work 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׂים  
Sense: (Qal) to saw.
בַּמְּגֵרָ֜ה  with  saws 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְגֵרָה  
Sense: saw (for stone cutting).
וּבַחֲרִיצֵ֤י  and  with  picks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: חָרִיץ 
Sense: a cut, thing cut, sharp instrument, sharp cutting instrument, harrow, hoe.
הַבַּרְזֶל֙  iron 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
וּבַמְּגֵר֔וֹת  and  with  axes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְגֵרָה  
Sense: saw (for stone cutting).
וְכֵן֙  So 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
דָוִ֔יד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְכֹ֖ל  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָרֵ֣י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בְנֵי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֑וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
וַיָּ֧שָׁב  And  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
דָּוִ֛יד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  [to]  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation