2 Samuel 21:6

6 dentur nobis septem viri de filiis eius et crucifigamus eos Domino in Gabaath Saul quondam electi Domini et ait rex ego dabo

2 Samuel 21:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:6

Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us
They settled upon this number, either because they were seven, and no more of the Gibeonites, whom Saul slew, as the Jew say F9; two hewers of wood, two drawers of water, a keeper (of a synagogue), a scribe, and a servant; but perhaps the true reason was, they knew there were no more besides Mephibosheth, for whom David had a great respect, and therefore required no more:

and we will hang them up unto the Lord;
not to gratify a revengeful spirit of theirs, but in honour to the justice of God, and to appease his wrath:

in Gibeah of Saul, [whom] the Lord did choose;
which was Saul's native place, and where he always lived; so that to hang them there was to the greater disgrace of him and his family; and he being chosen of the Lord to be a king of Israel, was an aggravation of his crime in violating the oath made to the Gibeonites

and the king said, I will give [them];
for though he had sworn to Saul that he would not cut off his seed, yet as he had a divine direction in this case, as appears by the Lord's being pleased with it, and was entreated for the land by it, this oath of his was dispensed with; nor did he cut them off himself but delivered them to others, according to the will of God.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 65. 2.

2 Samuel 21:6 In-Context

4 dixeruntque ei Gabaonitae non est nobis super argento et auro quaestio contra Saul et contra domum eius neque volumus ut interficiatur homo de Israhel ad quos ait quid ergo vultis ut faciam vobis
5 qui dixerunt regi virum qui adtrivit nos et oppressit inique ita delere debemus ut ne unus quidem residuus sit de stirpe eius in cunctis finibus Israhel
6 dentur nobis septem viri de filiis eius et crucifigamus eos Domino in Gabaath Saul quondam electi Domini et ait rex ego dabo
7 pepercitque rex Mifiboseth filio Ionathan filii Saul propter iusiurandum Domini quod fuerat inter David et inter Ionathan filium Saul
8 tulit itaque rex duos filios Respha filiae Ahia quos peperit Saul Armoni et Mifiboseth et quinque filios Michol filiae Saul quos genuerat Hadriheli filio Berzellai qui fuit de Molathi
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.