Shmuel Bais 21

1 1 Then there was a ra’av (famine) in the days of Dovid shalosh shanim, shanah after shanah; and Dovid inquired of Hashem. And Hashem answered, It is on account of Sha’ul, and for his bais hadamim, because he slaughtered the Giveonim.

2 And HaMelech called the Giveonim, and said unto them; (now the Giveonim were not of the Bnei Yisroel, but of the remnant of the Emori; and the Bnei Yisroel had sworn unto them; and Sha’ul sought to annihilate them in his kinot (zeal) for the Bnei Yisroel and Yehudah.)

3 Therefore Dovid said unto the Giveonim, What shall I do for you? And wherewith shall I make the kapporah, that ye may bless the nachalat Hashem?

4 And the Giveonim said unto him, We will have no kesef nor zahav of Sha’ul, nor of his bais; neither for us shalt thou kill any ish in Yisroel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

5 And they answered HaMelech, The ish that consumed us, and that plotted against us that we should be made shmad from remaining in any of the territories of Yisroel,

6 Let shivah anashim of his banim be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto Hashem in Giveah of Sha’ul, whom Hashem did choose. And HaMelech said, I will give them.

7 But HaMelech spared Mephivoshet Ben Yonatan Ben Sha’ul, because of Hashem’s shevua (oath) that was between them, between Dovid and Yonatan Ben Sha’ul.

8 But HaMelech took the two Bnei Ritzpah Bat Ayah, whom she bore unto Sha’ul, Armoni and Mephivoshet; and the five Bnei Michal [Merav] Bat Sha’ul, whom she bore to Adriel Ben Barzillai the Mecholati;

9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Giveonim, and they hanged them in the hill before Hashem; and they fell all shivah together and were put to death in the yamim of katzir (harvest), in the rishonim, in the beginning of katzir se’orim (barley harvest).

10 And Ritzpah Bat Ayah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the tzur, from the beginning of katzir until mayim dropped upon them out of Shomayim, and suffered neither the oph haShomayim to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the sadeh by night.

11 And it was told Dovid what Ritzpah Bat Ayah, the pilegesh (concubine) of Sha’ul, had done.

12 And Dovid went and took the atzmot Sha’ul and the atzmot Yonatan bno from the citizens of Yavesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the rechov (street) of Beit-shan, where the Pelishtim had hanged them, when the Pelishtim had slain Sha’ul in Gilboa;

13 And he brought up from there the atzmot Sha’ul and the atzmot Yonatan bno; and they gathered the atzmot of them that were hanged.

14 And the atzmot Sha’ul and Yonatan bno buried they in eretz Binyamin in Tzela, in the kever of Kish aviv; and they performed all that HaMelech commanded. And after that Elohim was entreated for the land.

15 Moreover the Pelishtim had yet milchamah again with Yisroel; and Dovid went down, and his avadim with him, and fought against the Pelishtim; and Dovid grew faint.

16 And Yishbi-benov, which was of the yeladim of Rafah (Giant), the weight of whose spearhead weighed three hundred shekels of nechoshet in weight, he being girded chadashah (belted anew), declared that he could slay Dovid.

17 But Avishai Ben Tzeruyah came to his aid, and struck the Pelishti (Philistine), and killed him. Then the anshei Dovid swore an oath unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to milchamah (battle), that thou quench not the Ner Yisroel (Lamp of Israel).

18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again milchamah with the Pelishtim at Gov; then Sibbechai the Chushati slaughtered Saph, which was of the banim of the Rafah.

19 And there was again milchamah in Gov with the Pelishtim, where Elchanan Ben Ya’arei-orgim, from Beit-Lechem, slaughtered the brother of Golyat (Goliath) the Gitti, the staff of whose khanit (spear) was like a weaver’s beam.

20 And there was yet again a milchamah in Gat, where was a man of great stature, that had on every yad six fingers, and on every regel six toes, four and twenty in mispar (number); and he also was born to the Rafah.

21 And when he defied Yisroel, Yonatan Ben Shimea the brother of Dovid slaughtered him.

22 These four were born to the Rafah in Gat, and fell by the yad Dovid, and by the yad of his avadim. [T.N. Kapporah is made here by that which is hanged unto Hashem—see 2Sm 21:3,6; Isa 53:10]

Shmuel Bais 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

The Gibeonites avenged. (1-9) Rizpah's care for the bodies of Saul's descendants. (10-14) Battles with the Philistines. (15-22)

Verses 1-9 Every affliction arises from sin, and should lead us to repent and humble ourselves before God; but some troubles especially show that they are sent to bring sin to remembrance. God's judgments often look a great way back, which requires us to do so, when we are under his rebukes. It is not for us to object against the people's smarting for the sin of their king; perhaps they helped him. Nor against this generation suffering for the sin of the last. God often visits the sins of the fathers upon the children, and he gives no account of any matters. Time does not wear out the guilt of sin; nor can we build hopes of escape upon the delay of judgments. If we cannot understand all the reasons of Providence in this matter, still we have no right to demand that God should acquaint us with those reasons. It must be right, because it is the will of God, and in the end it will be proved to be so. Money is no satisfaction for blood. It should seem, Saul's posterity trod in his steps, for it is called a bloody house. It was the spirit of the family, therefore they are justly reckoned with for his sin, as well as for their own. The Gibeonites did not require this out of malice against Saul or his family. It was not to gratify any revenge, but for the public good. They were put to death at the beginning of harvest; they were thus sacrificed to turn away the wrath of Almighty God, who had withheld the harvest-mercies for some years past, and to obtain his favour in the present harvest. In vain do we expect mercy from God, unless we do justice upon our sins. Executions must not be thought cruel, which are for the public welfare.

Verses 10-14 That a guilty land should enjoy many years of plenty, calls for gratitude; and we need not wonder misused abundance should be punished with scarcity; yet how few are disposed to ask of the Lord concerning the sinful cause, while numbers search for the second causes by which he is pleased to work! But the Lord will plead the cause of those who cannot or will not avenge themselves; and the prayers of the poor are of great power. When God sent rain to water the earth, these bodies were buried, for then it appeared that God was entreated for the land. When justice is done on earth, vengeance from heaven ceases. God is pacified, and is entreated for us through Christ, who was hanged on a tree, and so made a curse for us, to do away our guilt, though he was himself guiltless.

Verses 15-22 These events seem to have taken place towards the end of David's reign. David fainted, but he did not flee, and God sent help in the time of need. In spiritual conflicts, even strong saints sometimes wax faint; then Satan attacks them furiously; but those who stand their ground and resist him, shall be relieved and made more than conquerors. Death is a Christian's last enemy, and a son of Anak; but through Him that triumphed for us, believers shall be more than conquerors at last, even over that enemy.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 21

A famine being in the land three years, the Lord was inquired of, to know the reason of it; and it being answered, that it was on account of Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, they were summoned by David to know what satisfaction they required for the cruel usage of them, 2Sa 21:1-3; to which they replied, that they only desired seven of Saul's sons to be delivered up to them, to be hanged by them, which was granted, 2Sa 21:4-9; whose bones, with those of Saul and Jonathan, David buried in the sepulchre of their fathers, 2Sa 21:10-14; and the chapter is closed with an account of the various battles fought with the Philistines, in which four of their generals were slain, 2Sa 21:15-22.