18 It came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
A battle in Gob - In the parallel passage (marginal reference), "Gezer" is named as the field of this battle. However, Gath is named 2-Samuel 21:20, 2-Samuel 21:22 in a way to make it probable that Gath was the scene of all the battles. The Septuagint in this verse has "Gath."
A battle - at Gob - Instead of Gob, several editions, and about forty of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., have Nob; but Gezer is the name in the parallel place, 1-Chronicles 20:4.
And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at (o) Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which [was] of the sons of the giant.
(o) Called Gezer, and Saph is called Sippai, (1-Chronicles 20:4).
And it came to pass after this,.... After the former battle:
that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob; in 1-Chronicles 20:4 it is called Gezer; either the place had two names, or these two places were near each other; so that the battle may be said to be fought both at the one and at the other, being fought equally near to both:
then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant; who is called Sippai, 1-Chronicles 20:4; he had his name from the lintel of a door, being as high as one, so tall that he could scarce go under one. Sibbechai was one of David's worthies, 1-Chronicles 11:29; perhaps a descendant of Hushah, who sprung from Judah, 1-Chronicles 4:4.
(compare 1-Chronicles 20:4). In a second war, Sibbechai and Hushathite slew Saph the Rephaite at Gob. According to 1-Chronicles 27:11, Sibbechai, one of the gibborim of David (1-Chronicles 11:29), was the leader of the eighth division of the army (see at 2-Samuel 23:27). החשׁתי is a patronymic from חוּשׁה in 1-Chronicles 4:4. The scene of conflict is called Gob in our text, and Gezer in the Chronicles. As Gob is entirely unknown. Thenius supposes it to be a slip of the pen for Gezer; but this is improbable, for the simple reason that Gob occurs again in 2-Samuel 21:19. It may possibly have been a small place somewhere near to Gezer, which some suppose to have stood on the site of el Kubab, on the road from Ramleh to Yalo (see at Joshua 10:33). The name Saph is written Sippai in the Chronicles.
After this - After the battle last mentioned.
*More commentary available at chapter level.