2 Samuel 21
21
Justice for the Gibeonites
1During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired#21:1 Lit sought the face of of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is due to Saul and to his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2The Gibeonites were not Israelites but rather a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them,#Jos 9:3–17 but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah. So David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. 3He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on#21:3 Lit will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”
4The Gibeonites said to him, “We are not asking for silver and gold from Saul or his family,#Nm 35:31–32 and we cannot put anyone to death in Israel.”#Lv 24:21–22
“Whatever you say, I will do for you,” he said.
5They replied to the king, “As for the man who annihilated us and plotted to destroy us so we would not exist within the whole territory of Israel, 6let seven of his male descendants be handed over to us so we may hang#21:6 Or impale, or expose them in the presence of the Lord#Nm 25:4 at Gibeah of Saul,#1Sm 15:34 the Lord’s chosen.”#1Sm 10:24
The king answered, “I will hand them over.”
7David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.#1Sm 18:3; 20:12–17; 23:18 8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were the two sons whom Rizpah#2Sm 3:7 daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Merab#21:8 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read Michal#1Sm 18:19 daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite 9and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged#21:9 Or impaled, or exposed, also in v. 13 them on the hill in the presence of the Lord; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest.#21:9 = March–April
The Burial of Saul’s Family
10Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock from the beginning of the harvest#21:10 = April to October until the rain poured down from heaven on the bodies. She kept the birds of the sky from them by day and the wild animals by night.
11When it was reported to David what Saul’s concubine Rizpah daughter of Aiah had done, 12he went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa.#1Sm 31:11–13 13David had the bones brought from there. They gathered up the bones of Saul’s family who had been hanged 14and buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After this, God was receptive to prayer for the land.#2Sm 24:25
The Philistine Giants
15The Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers, and they fought the Philistines, but David became exhausted. 16Then Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giant,#21:16 Or Raphah, also in vv. 18,20,22 whose bronze spear weighed about eight pounds#21:16 Lit 300 (shekels) and who wore new armor, intended to kill David. 17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”#2Sm 18:3; 1Kg 11:36; 15:4; 2Ch 21:7; Ps 132:17
18After this,#1Ch 20:4–8 there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giant.
19Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed#21:19 1Ch 20:5 adds the brother of Goliath of Gath. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.#1Sm 17:7
20At Gath there was still another battle. A huge man was there with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot — twenty-four in all. He, too, was descended from the giant. 21When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him.
22These four were descended from the giant in Gath and were killed by David and his soldiers.
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2 Samuel 21: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Samuel 21
21
Saul’s Family Punished
1While David was king, there was a famine that continued for three years. So David prayed to the Lord. And the Lord answered, “Saul and his family of murderers#21:1 family of murderers Literally, “house of blood.” are the reason for the famine, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2(The Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were a group of Amorites. The Israelites had promised not to hurt them,#21:2 The Israelites … them This happened in Joshua’s time when the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites. Read Josh. 9:3-15. but Saul tried to kill the Gibeonites. He did this because of his strong feelings for the people of Israel and Judah.)
King David called the Gibeonites together and talked to them. 3David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you? What can I do to take away Israel’s sin, so that you can bless the Lord’s people?”
4The Gibeonites said to David, “There isn’t enough gold and silver for Saul’s family to pay for what they did. But we don’t have the right to kill anyone else in Israel.”
David said, “Well, what can I do for you?”
5The Gibeonites said to King David, “The person who plotted against us was Saul. He is the one who tried to destroy all our people living in the land of Israel. 6Give us seven of Saul’s sons. Saul was the Lord’s chosen king,#21:6 chosen king Literally, “anointed one.” so we will hang his sons in front of the Lord on Mount Gibeah of Saul.”
King David said, “All right, I will give them to you.” 7But the king protected Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. Jonathan was Saul’s son, and David had made a promise in the Lord’s name to Jonathan.#21:7 David had made … to Jonathan David and Jonathan promised each other they would not harm each other’s families. Read 1 Sam. 20:12-23, 42. So the king did not let them hurt Mephibosheth. 8David gave them Armoni and Mephibosheth.#21:8 Mephibosheth This is another man named Mephibosheth, not Jonathan’s son. These were the sons of Saul and Rizpah. Saul also had a daughter named Merab who was married to Adriel son of Barzillai, from Meholah. David took the five sons of Merab and Adriel. 9David gave these seven men to the Gibeonites who then brought them to Mount Gibeah and hanged them in front of the Lord. Those seven men died together in the spring, during the first days of the barley harvest.
David and Rizpah
10Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took a mourning cloth and put it on the rock.#21:10 rock This might be the Big Rock at Gibeon (read 2 Sam. 20:8), the rock that the bodies were lying on, or a rock that marked the place where her sons were buried. That cloth stayed on the rock from the time the harvest began until the rains came. Rizpah watched the bodies day and night. She protected them from the wild birds during the day and the wild animals at night.
11People told David what Saul’s slave woman Rizpah was doing. 12Then David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the men of Jabesh Gilead. (The men of Jabesh Gilead got these bones after Saul and Jonathan were killed at Gilboa. The Philistines had hanged the bodies of Saul and Jonathan on a wall in Beth Shan.#21:12 Beth Shan Or possibly, “Beth Shean.” But the men of Jabesh Gilead went there and stole the bodies from that public area.) 13David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead and buried them with the bodies of the seven men who were hanged. 14They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the area of Benjamin, in one of the tunnels in the grave of Saul’s father Kish, as the king commanded. After that God again listened to the prayers of the people in that land.
War With the Philistines
15The Philistines started another war with Israel. David and his men went out to fight the Philistines, but David became very tired and weak. 16Ishbi-Benob was one of the giants.#21:16 one of the giants Or “a son of Rapha (Rephaim).” Also in verses 18, 20, 22. His spear weighed over 7 pounds.#21:16 over 7 pounds Literally, “300 shekels of bronze” (3.45 kg). He put on new armor and thought he would be able to kill David. 17But Abishai son of Zeruiah killed this giant Philistine and saved David’s life.
Then David’s men made him promise that he would not go out to battle anymore. They said, “If you do, Israel might lose its brightest leader.”
18Later, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another one of the giants.
19Later, there was another battle at Gob against the Philistines. Elhanan the son of Jaare Oregim from Bethlehem killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath.#21:19 Lahmi … Gath See 1 Chron. 20:5. His spear was as big as a post.#21:19 post Literally, “a weaver’s rod,” the large beam across a loom.
20There was another battle at Gath. There was a very large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He had 24 fingers and toes in all. This man was also one of the giants. 21This man challenged Israel and made fun of them, but Jonathan killed this man. (This was Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimei.)
22All four of these men were giants from Gath. They were killed by David and his men.
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