2 Samuel 21
21
Justice for the Gibeonites
1During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family when 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 # Lit will bless the Lord’s inheritance? ”
4The Gibeonites said to him, “We are not asking for money from # Lit “Not for us silver and gold with 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 # 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 # 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 # Or impaled, or exposed 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. # = 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 # = 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 leaders 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 hung # Or impaled, or exposed 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 answered 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, # Or Raphah whose bronze spear weighed about eight pounds # 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. # Or Raphah
19Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed # 1Ch 20:5 adds the brother of Goliath the Gittite. 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 — 24 in all. He, too, was descended from the giant. # Or Raphah 21When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him.
22These four were descended from the giant # Or Raphah in Gath and were killed by David and his soldiers.
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2 Samuel 21: HCSB
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2 Samuel 21
21
Saul's Descendants are Put to Death
1During David's reign there was a severe famine which lasted for three full years. So David consulted the LORD about it, and the LORD said, “Saul and his family are guilty of murder; he put the people of Gibeon to death.” 2#Josh 9.3–15(The people of Gibeon were not Israelites; they were a small group of Amorites whom the Israelites had promised to protect, but Saul had tried to destroy them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 3So David summoned the people of Gibeon and said to them, “What can I do for you? I want to make up for the wrong that was done to you, so that you will bless the LORD's people.”
4They answered, “Our quarrel with Saul and his family can't be settled with silver or gold, nor do we want to kill any Israelite.”
“What, then, do you think I should do for you?” David asked.
5They answered, “Saul wanted to destroy us and leave none of us alive anywhere in Israel. 6So hand over seven of his male descendants, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeah, the town of Saul, the LORD's chosen king.”
“I will hand them over,” the king answered.
7 #
1 Sam 20.15–17; 2 Sam 9.1–7 But because of the sacred promise that he and Jonathan had made to each other, David spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul. 8#1 Sam 18.19However, he took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah the daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul; he also took the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai, who was from Meholah. 9David handed them over to the people of Gibeon, who hanged them on the mountain before the LORD — and all seven of them died together. It was late in the spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest, when they were put to death.
10Then Saul's concubine Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, used sackcloth to make a shelter for herself on the rock where the corpses were, and she stayed there from the beginning of harvest until the autumn rains came. During the day she would keep the birds away from the corpses, and at night she would protect them from wild animals.
11When David heard what Rizpah had done, 12#1 Sam 31.8–13he went and got the bones of Saul and of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh in Gilead. (They had stolen them from the public square in Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged the bodies on the day they killed Saul on Mount Gilboa.) 13David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan and also gathered up the bones of the seven men who had been hanged. 14Then they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan in the grave of Saul's father Kish, in Zela in the territory of Benjamin, doing all that the king had commanded. And after that, God answered their prayers for the country.
Battles against Philistine Giants
(1 Chr 20.4–8)
15There was another war between the Philistines and Israel, and David and his men went and fought the Philistines. During one of the battles David grew tired. 16A giant named Ishbibenob, who was carrying a bronze spear that weighed about 3.5 kilogrammes and who was wearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17#1 Kgs 11.36; Ps 132.17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David's help, attacked the giant, and killed him. Then David's men made David promise that he would never again go out with them to battle. “You are the hope of Israel, and we don't want to lose you,” they said.
18After this there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, during which Sibbecai from Hushah killed a giant named Saph.
19There was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair#21.19 Probable text (see 1 Chr 20.5) Jair; Hebrew Jaareoregim. from Bethlehem killed Goliath from Gath, whose spear had a shaft as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom.
20Then there was another battle at Gath, where there was a giant who loved to fight. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. 21He defied the Israelites, and Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shammah, killed him.
22These four were descendants of the giants of Gath, and they were killed by David and his men.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.