King James Bible - with Strong’s numbers (EN)

1Then there was a famineH7458 in the daysH3117 of DavidH1732 threeH7969 yearsH8141, yearH8141 afterH310 yearH8141; and DavidH1732 enquiredH1245 ofH6440 the LORDH3068. And the LORDH3068 answeredH559, It is for SaulH7586, and for his bloodyH1818 houseH1004, because he slewH4191 the GibeonitesH1393. 2And the kingH4428 calledH7121 the GibeonitesH1393, and saidH559 unto them; now the GibeonitesH1393 were not of the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478, but of the remnantH3499 of the AmoritesH567; and the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 had swornH7650 unto them: and SaulH7586 soughtH1245 to slayH5221 them in his zealH7065 to the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 and JudahH3063. 3Wherefore DavidH1732 saidH559 unto the GibeonitesH1393, What shall I doH6213 for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonementH3722, that ye may blessH1288 the inheritanceH5159 of the LORDH3068? 4And the GibeonitesH1393 saidH559 unto him, We will have no silverH3701 nor goldH2091 ofH5973 SaulH7586, nor of his houseH1004; neither for us shalt thou killH4191 any manH376 in IsraelH3478. And he saidH559, What ye shall sayH559, that will I doH6213 for you. 5And they answeredH559 the kingH4428, The manH376 that consumedH3615 us, and that devisedH1819 against us that we should be destroyedH8045 from remainingH3320 in any of the coastsH1366 of IsraelH3478, 6Let sevenH7651 menH582 of his sonsH1121 be deliveredH5414 unto us, and we will hang them upH3363 unto the LORDH3068 in GibeahH1390 of SaulH7586, whom the LORDH3068 did chooseH972. And the kingH4428 saidH559, I will giveH5414 them. 7But the kingH4428 sparedH2550 MephiboshethH4648, the sonH1121 of JonathanH3083 the sonH1121 of SaulH7586, because of the LORD'SH3068 oathH7621 that was between them, between DavidH1732 and JonathanH3083 the sonH1121 of SaulH7586. 8But the kingH4428 tookH3947 the twoH8147 sonsH1121 of RizpahH7532 the daughterH1323 of AiahH345, whom she bareH3205 unto SaulH7586, ArmoniH764 and MephiboshethH4648; and the fiveH2568 sonsH1121 of MichalH4324 the daughterH1323 of SaulH7586, whom she brought upH3205 for AdrielH5741 the sonH1121 of BarzillaiH1271 the MeholathiteH4259: 9And he deliveredH5414 them into the handsH3027 of the GibeonitesH1393, and they hangedH3363 them in the hillH2022 beforeH6440 the LORDH3068: and they fellH5307 all sevenH7651 H7659 togetherH3162, and were put to deathH4191 in the daysH3117 of harvestH7105, in the firstH7223 days, in the beginningH8462 of barleyH8184 harvestH7105. 10And RizpahH7532 the daughterH1323 of AiahH345 tookH3947 sackclothH8242, and spreadH5186 it for her upon the rockH6697, from the beginningH8462 of harvestH7105 until waterH4325 droppedH5413 upon them out of heavenH8064, and sufferedH5414 neither the birdsH5775 of the airH8064 to restH5117 on them by dayH3119, nor the beastsH2416 of the fieldH7704 by nightH3915. 11And it was toldH5046 DavidH1732 what RizpahH7532 the daughterH1323 of AiahH345, the concubineH6370 of SaulH7586, had doneH6213 . 12And DavidH1732 wentH3212 and tookH3947 the bonesH6106 of SaulH7586 and the bonesH6106 of JonathanH3083 his sonH1121 from the menH1167 of JabeshgileadH3003 H1568, which had stolenH1589 them from the streetH7339 of BethshanH1052, where the PhilistinesH6430 had hangedH8511 H8518 them, whenH3117 the PhilistinesH6430 had slainH5221 SaulH7586 in GilboaH1533: 13And he brought upH5927 from thence the bonesH6106 of SaulH7586 and the bonesH6106 of JonathanH3083 his sonH1121; and they gatheredH622 the bonesH6106 of them that were hangedH3363 . 14And the bonesH6106 of SaulH7586 and JonathanH3083 his sonH1121 buriedH6912 they in the countryH776 of BenjaminH1144 in ZelahH6762, in the sepulchreH6913 of KishH7027 his fatherH1: and they performedH6213 all that the kingH4428 commandedH6680 . And afterH310 that GodH430 was intreatedH6279 for the landH776. 15Moreover the PhilistinesH6430 had yet warH4421 again with IsraelH3478; and DavidH1732 went downH3381, and his servantsH5650 with him, and foughtH3898 against the PhilistinesH6430: and DavidH1732 waxed faintH5774 . 16And IshbibenobH3430, which was of the sonsH3211 of the giantH7497, the weightH4948 of whose spearH7013 weighed threeH7969 hundredH3967 shekels of brassH5178 in weightH4948, he being girdedH2296 with a newH2319 sword, thoughtH559 to have slainH5221 DavidH1732. 17But AbishaiH52 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 succouredH5826 him, and smoteH5221 the PhilistineH6430, and killedH4191 him. Then the menH582 of DavidH1732 swareH7650 unto him, sayingH559, Thou shalt goH3318 no more out with us to battleH4421, that thou quenchH3518 not the lightH5216 of IsraelH3478. 18And it came to pass after thisH310, that there was again a battleH4421 with the PhilistinesH6430 at GobH1359: then SibbechaiH5444 the HushathiteH2843 slewH5221 SaphH5593, which was of the sonsH3211 of the giantH7497. 19And there was again a battleH4421 in GobH1359 with the PhilistinesH6430, where ElhananH445 the sonH1121 of JaareoregimH3296, a BethlehemiteH1022, slewH5221 the brother of GoliathH1555 the GittiteH1663, the staffH6086 of whose spearH2595 was like a weaver'sH707 beamH4500. 20And there was yet a battleH4421 in GathH1661, where was a manH376 of great statureH4067 H4055, that had on every handH3027 sixH8337 fingersH676, and on every footH7272 sixH8337 toesH676, fourH702 and twentyH6242 in numberH4557; and he also was bornH3205 to the giantH7497. 21And when he defiedH2778 IsraelH3478, JonathanH3083 the sonH1121 of ShimeaH8092 the brotherH251 of DavidH1732 slewH5221 him. 22These fourH702 were bornH3205 to the giantH7497 in GathH1661, and fellH5307 by the handH3027 of DavidH1732, and by the handH3027 of his servantsH5650.


Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary
 1   THE THREE YEARS' FAMINE FOR THE GIBEONITES CEASE BY HANGING SEVEN OF SAUL'S SONS. (2Sam 21:1-9)
the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites--The sacred history has not recorded either the time or the reason of this massacre. Some think that they were sufferers in the atrocity perpetrated by Saul at Nob (1Sam 22:19), where many of them may have resided as attendants of the priests; while others suppose it more probable that the attempt was made afterwards, with a view to regain the popularity he had lost throughout the nation by that execrable outrage.

 2   in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah--Under pretense of a rigorous and faithful execution of the divine law regarding the extermination of the Canaanites, he set himself to expel or destroy those whom Joshua had been deceived into sparing. His real object seems to have been, that the possessions of the Gibeonites, being forfeited to the crown, might be divided among his own people (compare 1Sam 22:7). At all events, his proceeding against this people was in violation of a solemn oath, and involving national guilt. The famine was, in the wise and just retribution of Providence, made a national punishment, since the Hebrews either assisted in the massacre, or did not interpose to prevent it; since they neither endeavored to repair the wrong, nor expressed any horror of it; and since a general protracted chastisement might have been indispensable to inspire a proper respect and protection to the Gibeonite remnant that survived.

 6   Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul--The practice of the Hebrews, as of most Oriental nations, was to slay first, and afterwards to suspend on a gibbet, the body not being left hanging after sunset. The king could not refuse this demand of the Gibeonites, who, in making it, were only exercising their right as blood-avengers; and, although through fear and a sense of weakness they had not hitherto claimed satisfaction, yet now that David had been apprised by the oracle of the cause of the long-prevailing calamity, he felt it his duty to give the Gibeonites full satisfaction--hence their specifying the number seven, which was reckoned full and complete. And if it should seem unjust to make the descendants suffer for a crime which, in all probability, originated with Saul himself, yet his sons and grandsons might be the instruments of his cruelty, the willing and zealous executors of this bloody raid.
the king said, I will give them--David cannot be charged with doing this as an indirect way or ridding himself of rival competitors for the throne, for those delivered up were only collateral branches of Saul's family, and never set up any claim to the sovereignty. Moreover, David was only granting the request of the Gibeonites as God had bidden him do.

 8   the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel--Merab, Michal's sister, was the wife of Adriel; but Michal adopted and brought up the boys under her care.

 9   they hanged them in the hill before the Lord--Deeming themselves not bound by the criminal law of Israel (Deut 21:22-Deut 21:23), their intention was to let the bodies hang until God, propitiated by this offering, should send rain upon the land, for the want of it had occasioned the famine. It was a heathen practice to gibbet men with a view of appeasing the anger of the gods in seasons of famine, and the Gibeonites, who were a remnant of the Amorites (2Sam 21:2), though brought to the knowledge of the true God, were not, it seems, free from this superstition. God, in His providence, suffered the Gibeonites to ask and inflict so barbarous a retaliation, in order that the oppressed Gibeonites might obtain justice and some reparation of their wrongs, especially that the scandal brought on the name of the true religion by the violation of a solemn national compact might be wiped away from Israel, and that a memorable lesson should be given to respect treaties and oaths.

 10   RIZPAH'S KINDNESS UNTO THE DEAD. (2Sam 21:10-11)
Rizpah . . . took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock--She erected a tent near the spot, in which she and her servants kept watch, as the relatives of executed persons were wont to do, day and night, to scare the birds and beasts of prey away from the remains exposed on the low-standing gibbets.

 12   DAVID BURIES THE BONES OF SAUL AND JONATHAN IN THEIR FATHER'S SEPULCHER. (2Sam 21:12-22)
David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, &c.--Before long, the descent of copious showers, or perhaps an order of the king, gave Rizpah the satisfaction of releasing the corpses from their ignominious exposure; and, incited by her pious example, David ordered the remains of Saul and his sons to be transferred from their obscure grave in Jabesh-gilead to an honorable interment in the family vault at Zelah or Zelzah (1Sam 10:2), now Beit-jala.

 15   Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel--Although the Philistines had completely succumbed to the army of David, yet the appearance of any gigantic champions among them revived their courage and stirred them up to renewed inroads on the Hebrew territory. Four successive contests they provoked during the latter period of David's reign, in the first of which the king ran so imminent a risk of his life that he was no longer allowed to encounter the perils of the battlefield.
The song contained in this chapter is the same as the eighteenth Psalm, where the full commentary will be given [see on Ps 18:1, &c.]. It may be sufficient simply to remark that Jewish writers have noticed a great number of very minute variations in the language of the song as recorded here, from that embodied in the Book of Psalms--which may be accounted for by the fact that this, the first copy of the poem, was carefully revised and altered by David afterwards, when it was set to the music of the tabernacle. This inspired ode was manifestly the effusion of a mind glowing with the highest fervor of piety and gratitude, and it is full of the noblest imagery that is to be found within the range even of sacred poetry. It is David's grand tribute of thanksgiving for deliverance from his numerous and powerful enemies, and establishing him in the power and glory of the kingdom.