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2 SAMUEL 21

THE GIBEONITES KILL SAUL’S DESCENDANTS

When a longstanding famine occurs in Israel, God tells David that the famine is a consequence of Saul's attack on the Gibeonite people. The Israelites had previously sworn to spare the Gibeonites, but Saul ruthlessly killed them.

David asks the Gibeonites how he could reconcile the situation. The Gibeonites request to kill seven of Saul’s descendants. David spares Mephibosheth, but gives the Gibeonites seven other descendants of Saul. In response to Saul’s violence towards them, the Gibeonites publicly hanged the seven descendants of Saul.

Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines and mother of two of the hanged men, mourns their death. After they are removed, she is given their bones.

David and his men battle the Philistines, including some giants with twelve fingers and twelve toes. David is getting older and starts to become weary in battle. After a near-death experience, David is told to no longer enter into battle.

STUDY QUESTIONS

When David avenged the Gibeonites, who did they choose to kill? Of these people, who did David spare (2 Samuel 21:1-9)?

In the war with the Philistines, how were the men David battled similar to Goliath (2 Samuel 21:18-22)?