שמואל ב, פרק י״ב, פסוק כ״ו

The long military campaign against the Ammonites reaches a critical turning point when Joab successfully breaches the enemy defenses but pauses right before securing the final victory. The exact nature of the captured royal area is a matter of discussion. The primary approach among commentators is that he did not breach the main city of Rabbah itself. Instead, he took a separate, fortified royal compound located just outside the city limits [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. In those times, kings often built their palaces away from the general population to avoid friction and keep royal matters separate from the daily troubles of the city residents [אברבנאל]. However, another perspective suggests that the city was surrounded by a double wall, and the captured area was the space enclosed by the outer wall, while the inner wall continued to protect the main fortress [רש״י].

Capturing this royal complex was far more than a symbolic achievement; it was a decisive military move. This specific compound housed the water sources that supplied all the residents of Rabbah, earning it the title of the city of water [רד״ק, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. Once Joab controlled the water supply, he knew the fall of the entire city was inevitable, as the population would quickly surrender due to thirst [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Even though the path to conquering the main city was now wide open and easy, Joab deliberately halted his advance. Driven by deep loyalty to David, he refused to finish the job himself. Instead, he called for the king to arrive and strike the final blow. His goal was to ensure that the glorious victory over the great city would be forever credited to David, rather than to the commander of the army [רד״ק, אברבנאל].