2 Samuel 21:12

12 then David went and took ¹the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead *, who had stolen them from the open square of ²Beth-shan, ³where * the Philistines had hanged them on the day ⁴the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa.

2 Samuel 21:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:12

And David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of
Jonathan his son, from the men of Jabeshgilead
Which, according to Bunting ^F20, was fifty two miles from Jerusalem; though perhaps David did not go thither in person to fetch them, but by his messengers, see ( 2 Samuel 21:14 ) ;

which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the
Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in
Gilboa;
the history of all which see in ( 1 Samuel 31:8-13 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Travels p. 122, 143.

2 Samuel 21:12 In-Context

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 When it was told David 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 Jabesh-gilead , who had stolen them from the open square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa.

13 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 Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 31:11-13
• 2. Joshua 17:11
• 3. 1 Samuel 31:10
• 4. 1 Samuel 31:3, 4