2 Samuel 21: The famine, the Gibeonites and Saul's seven sons, and the Philistine giants
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
There is a famine for three years, and when David seeks Yahweh, Yahweh says it is because of Saul and his house of blood, because Saul put the Gibeonites to death. The Gibeonites ask for seven of Saul's sons, and David spares Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, because of the oath, but hands over two sons of Rizpah and five sons of Saul's daughter. The Gibeonites hang them on the mountain before Yahweh at the beginning of barley harvest, and Rizpah keeps the birds and animals away from them until water pours on them from the sky. David brings up the bones of Saul and Jonathan, the bones of those who were hanged are gathered, and Saul and Jonathan are buried in the tomb of Kish. After that God answers prayer for the land. Then in four battles with the Philistines, four men born to the giant are killed by David and his servants.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in gold in 1 of the 22 verses: Yahweh's answer to David in verse 1. David and the Gibeonites speak together in verses 3 to 6. In verse 17 David's men swear to him. Verse 14 says, in the narrator's words, that God answered prayer for the land. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”God speaks
In plain English: In the days of David there was a famine for three years, year after year. David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, "It is because of Saul and his house of blood (this Bible: his bloody house), because he put the Gibeonites to death."
Good to know: Yahweh's answer is in gold. "His bloody house" is word for word "the house of blood". The text does not say when Saul put the Gibeonites to death, and no other verse in this Bible tells of it. Verse 2 gives the reason the text gives: Saul acted "in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2The king called the Gibeonites and said to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the children of Israel had sworn to them; and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah);
In plain English: The king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (The Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were what was left of the Amorites, and the Israelites had sworn an oath to them. But Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)
Good to know: The oath to the Gibeonites is in : "Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them." When Israel learned who they were, the leaders said, "We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them" ().
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3and David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And with what should I make atonement, that you may bless Yahweh’s inheritance?”
In plain English: David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? And how can I make amends (this Bible: make atonement), so that you will bless Yahweh's inheritance?"
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4The Gibeonites said to him, “It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” He said, “I will do for you whatever you say.”
In plain English: The Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house. And it is not for us to put any man in Israel to death." He said, "I will do for you whatever you say (literally: what are you saying? I will do it for you)."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,
In plain English: They said to the king, "The man who wiped us out (this Bible: consumed us) and who plotted against us, so that we were destroyed and could not stay anywhere within the borders of Israel,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” The king said, “I will give them.”
In plain English: let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will hang them up (or: impale them) before Yahweh (literally: to Yahweh) in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen one of Yahweh." The king said, "I will give them."
The Hebrew word: "Hang them up" is from yaqa, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to sever oneself, i.e. (by implication) to be dislocated; figuratively, to abandon", and also "to impale (and thus allow to drop to pieces by rotting)". It is in 8 verses. This Bible says "hang" or "hanged" in 4 of them: here, verses 9 and 13, and , where Yahweh tells Moses to "hang them up to Yahweh before the sun". In the same word is used of Jacob's thigh, which was "strained".
What changes: Read as "hang them up", the men are put to death and hung up. Read with the dictionary's "impale" or "dislocate", they are put to death in another way and left exposed. Either way, verse 10 says Rizpah kept watch over them "from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky".
Good to know: "The chosen of Yahweh" is said of Saul here, in the Gibeonites' words. Samuel said of Saul, "Do you see him whom Yahweh has chosen" (). The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) reads it of the men instead: "in Gabaon of Saul, as chosen out for the Lord".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
In plain English: But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before Yahweh (this Bible: Yahweh's oath) that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Good to know: Jonathan asked David never to cut off his kindness from his house (), and they swore it in Yahweh's name (). David promised this Mephibosheth "I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake" (). Verse 8 names a second Mephibosheth, a son of Saul and Rizpah, who is handed over.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
In plain English: The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Merab (the Hebrew has: Michal) the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
The Hebrew word: The Hebrew here names "Michal the daughter of Saul", and the old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "Michol" too. This Bible prints "Merab". says Merab, Saul's daughter, "was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife", and says "Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death". The text here does not explain the name.
What changes: Read as "Merab", the five men are sons of Saul's older daughter and her husband Adriel. Read as "Michal", as the Hebrew has it, the text gives the name of Saul's other daughter. Either way, the text says the five were sons born to Adriel.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites; and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.
In plain English: He handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hung them up (or: impaled them) on the mountain before Yahweh. All seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night.
In plain English: Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day, or the wild animals by night.
Good to know: Rizpah was Saul's concubine, named in . The text does not say how long she stayed on the rock. It says only "from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
In plain English: David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
In plain English: So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men (literally: the citizens) of Jabesh Gilead. They had stolen them from the open square (this Bible: street) of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.
Good to know: says the Philistines "fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan", and the men of Jabesh Gilead took the bodies, burned them, and buried the bones "under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh" (, ). Here the text says they took them from "the street of Beth Shan": the word is rechob, which the dictionary gives as "a width, i.e. (concretely) avenue or area". The text does not say how the two fit.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
In plain English: He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan. They also gathered the bones of the men who had been hanged (or: impaled).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
In plain English: They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin, at Zela, in the tomb of his father Kish. They did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
The Hebrew word: "God answered prayer" is from athar, which the dictionary gives as "to burn incense in worship, i.e. intercede (reciprocally, listen to prayer)". In 2 Samuel it is in only 2 verses: here, and at the end of the book, "So Yahweh was entreated for the land".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint;
In plain English: The Philistines were at war with Israel again. David went down with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. David grew tired (this Bible: faint).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16and Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, he being armed with a new sword, thought he would kill David.
In plain English: Ishbibenob, one of the descendants (literally: those born) of the giant (or: of Rapha), whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, was armed with a new sword (the Hebrew says only: something new), and he meant (literally: said) to kill David.
The Hebrew words: "The giant" is rapha, which the dictionary gives as "a giant". It is in 24 verses: this Bible says "Rephaim" in 17 of them and "giant" or "giants" in 7. The Rephaim are a people named earlier in this Bible: Og king of Bashan was "of the remnant of the Rephaim" (). The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) reads it as a name: "of the progeny of Rapha". "A new sword" is word for word "girded with a new thing"; the word "sword" is not written. Brenton has "girt with a club".
What changes: Read as "the giant", the four men in verses 16 to 22 were descendants of the giants. Read as a name, they were descendants of a man called Rapha. Either way, verse 22 says the four were "born to" him, or to them, in Gath.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”
In plain English: But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to help him. He struck the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You must not go out to battle with us again, so that you do not put out the lamp of Israel."
Good to know: "Lamp" is ner, which the dictionary gives as "a lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively)". The same word is in David's song in , "For you are my lamp, Yahweh", and in , "that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
18After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.
In plain English: After this there was war with the Philistines again, at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giant (or: of Rapha).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
19There was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
In plain English: There was war with the Philistines again at Gob. Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite's brother (the Hebrew has: killed Goliath the Gittite), whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam.
The Hebrew words: The Hebrew says that Elhanan "struck Goliath the Gittite". The words "the brother of" are not in the Hebrew; this Bible adds them. tells the same battle: "Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite". names Goliath of Gath, and says David killed him. "Oregim" in the father's name is oregim, the same word as "weaver's" at the end of this verse.
What changes: Read the way this Bible has it, with 1 Chronicles 20:5, Elhanan killed Goliath's brother. Read the way the Hebrew stands here, Elhanan killed a man called Goliath the Gittite. The text does not explain how this fits with 1 Samuel 17.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
20There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was born to the giant.
In plain English: There was war again at Gath. There was a very tall man there, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He too was born to the giant (or: to Rapha).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
21When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.
In plain English: When he taunted (this Bible: defied) Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei (or: Shimeah), David's brother, killed him.
Good to know: The Hebrew letters of the father's name here spell Shimei, as this Bible prints it. The STEPBible meaning for this verse reads the name as Shimeah, which the dictionary gives as "Shimah, an Israelite". A Shimeah, David's brother, is also the father of Jonadab in . has "Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
22These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
In plain English: These four were born to the giant (or: to Rapha) in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.