2 Samuel 21:14

14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in ¹Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that ²God was moved by prayer for the land.

2 Samuel 21:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:14

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son
Together with those who had been hanged:

buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah;
a city in the tribe of Benjamin, ( Joshua 18:28 ) ;

in the sepulchre of Kish his father;
the father of Saul, ( 1 Samuel 9:1 1 Samuel 9:2 ) ; and which, according to Fuller ^F23, and the position of it in his map, was not far from the hill on which the seven sons of Saul were hanged:

and they performed all that the king commanded;
that is, David's messengers and servants did; they fetched the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabeshgilead, and buried them with those of his seven sons hanged, in the burying place of his father Kish, and made a general mourning for them; for the Jews say ^F24, that by David's order Saul's coffin was carried through every tribe, and men, women, and children, came out and expressed concern:

and after that God was entreated for the land;
not after the burial of the said persons, but after the seven men were hanged up; by this the wrath of God was appeased, which was seen by his sending rain and fruitful seasons, so that the famine ceased.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F23 Pisgah-Sight, B. 2. c. 12. p. 258.
F24 Bemidbar Rabba, ut supra. (fol. 190. 1.)

2 Samuel 21:14 In-Context

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.

15 Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

16 Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 18:28
• 2. Joshua 7:26; 2 Samuel 24:25