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2 Samuel

2 Samuelchapter 21

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Rizpah’s Kindness toward the Dead — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

A.Three years of famine and the Gibeonites' pricevv. 1-9

1 During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2 At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.) 3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied. 5 And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel, 6 let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king. 7 Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

B.Rizpah's sackcloth on the rock, from harvest until rainvv. 10-14

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa. 13 So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged. 14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

C.Four giants of Gath, and the lamp of Israel kept burningvv. 15-22

15 Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted. 16 Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David. 17 But 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, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.” 18 Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha. 19 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha, 21 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him. 22 So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition
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Chapter summary

Two appendices of famine and giants.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾

Two appendices of famine and giants. A three-year famine is traced to Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, who ask not silver but seven of Saul's sons; David spares Mephibosheth for Jonathan's oath and gives up the rest. Then Rizpah, mother of two of them, spreads sackcloth on the rock and keeps the birds off by day and the beasts by night, from harvest until water dropped out of heaven, a vigil that shames the king into burying the bones of Saul and Jonathan in Zela. Four more battles follow against the sons of the giant, one of them a man with six fingers and six toes on each limb; after David nearly falls, his men swear he shall go out no more, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Nathan, Gad — 2 Samuel overview

  • A. 1–9 Three years of famine and the Gibeonites' price
  • B. 10–14 Rizpah's sackcloth on the rock, from harvest until rain
  • C. 15–22 Four giants of Gath, and the lamp of Israel kept burning
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
  • 2 Samuel 215 verses
    • 2 Samuel 21:1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
    • 2 Samuel 21:16Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
    • 2 Samuel 21:18Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
    • 2 Samuel 21:20And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
    • 2 Samuel 21:22So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.
    • Read 2 Samuel 21 →
  • 1 Chronicles 203 verses
    • 1 Chronicles 20:5Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
    • 1 Chronicles 20:6And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
    • 1 Chronicles 20:8So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.
    • Read 1 Chronicles 20 →
  • 1 Samuel 173 verses
    • 1 Samuel 17:4Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
    • 1 Samuel 17:25Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.”
    • 1 Samuel 17:36Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
    • Read 1 Samuel 17 →
  • Joshua 72 verses
    • Joshua 7:11Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
    • Joshua 7:26And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
    • Read Joshua 7 →
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Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.