2 Samuel 21

David Avenges the Gibeonites

1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David a inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his 1 bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites." 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but b of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them c in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah. 3 Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless d the inheritance of the LORD?" 4 And the Gibeonites said to him, "We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us." So he said, "Whatever you say, I will do for you." 5 Then they answered the king, "As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel, 6 "let seven men of his descendants be delivered e to us, and we will hang them before the LORD f in Gibeah of Saul, g whom the LORD chose." And the king said, "I will give them."

7 But the king spared h Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of i the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of j Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of 2 Michal 3 the daughter of Saul, whom she 4 brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill k before the LORD. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

10 Now l Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, m from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. 12 Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of n Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of 5 Beth Shan, where the o Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. 13 So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in p Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that q God heeded the prayer for the land.

War with the Philistines

15 When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. 16 Then IshbiBe'nob, who was one of the sons of 6 the r giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17 But s Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, t "You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the u lamp of Israel."

18 v Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then w Sibbechai the Hushathite killed 7 Saph, who was one of the sons of 8 the giant. 19 Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where x Elhanan the son of 9 JaareOr'e-gim the Bethlehemite killed y the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 Yet again z there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to 10 the giant. 21 So when he a defied Israel, Jonathan the son of 11 Shimea, David's brother, killed him. 22 b These four were born to 12 the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:18
    Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers.
  2. Cross References
    Numbers 27:21
    "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him - all the congregation."
    2 Samuel 5:19
    So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?" And the LORD said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 9:3
    But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.
    Joshua 9:15 - 20
    So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 34:11 - 16
    Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 26:19
    "Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'
    2 Samuel 20:19
    "I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 25:4
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:26
    And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:24
    And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?" So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!
    Hosea 13:11
    I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 4:4
    Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
    2 Samuel 9:10
    You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread at my table always." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:3
    Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
    1 Samuel 20:12 - 17
    Then Jonathan said to David: "The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you.
    1 Samuel 23:18
    So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
    2 Samuel 9:1 - 7
    Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:7
    And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 6:17
    So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
  13. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:7
    And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?
    2 Samuel 21:8
    So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
  14. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 21:23
    His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 31:11 - 13
    Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 31:8
    So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 18:28
    Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
  18. Cross References
    Joshua 7:26
    Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.
    2 Samuel 24:25
    And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.
  19. Cross References
    Numbers 13:22
    And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
    Numbers 13:28
    Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.
    Joshua 15:14
    Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
    2 Samuel 21:18 - 22
    Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant.
  20. Cross References
    2 Samuel 20:6 - 10
    And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.
  21. Cross References
    2 Samuel 18:3
    But the people answered, "You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.
  22. Cross References
    2 Samuel 22:29
    For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.
    1 Kings 11:36
    And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.
  23. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 20:4 - 8
    Now it happened afterward that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Sippai, who was one of the sons of the giant. And they were subdued.
  24. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 11:29
    Sibbechai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite.
    1 Chronicles 27:11
    The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbechai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites; in his division were twenty-four thousand.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 23:24
    Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem.
  26. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:4
    And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
    1 Chronicles 20:5
    Again there was war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
  27. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 20:6
    Yet again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, with twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.
  28. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:10
    And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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