2 Samuel 21:5

5 "Okay then," they said to the king. "That man who opposed and oppressed us, who planned to destroy us, keeping us from having a place to live anywhere in Israel—

2 Samuel 21:5 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:5

And they answered the king
Declaring expressly what they would have done: the man that consumed us; meaning Saul, who lessened their number by cruel oppressions of some, and by taking away the lives of others:

and that devised against us, [that] we should be destroyed from
remaining in any of the coasts of Israel;
who had formed schemes, and published edicts, for banishing them out of the land; perhaps at the same time that he put away wizards and those that had familiar spirits out of the land, under the same pretence for zeal for the glory of God, and the good of the people of the land, ( 1 Samuel 28:3-9 ) .

2 Samuel 21:5 In-Context

3 David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you? How can I fix matters so you can benefit from the LORD's inheritance?"

4 The Gibeonites said to him, "We don't want any silver or gold from Saul or his family, and it isn't our right to have anyone in Israel killed." "What do you want?" David asked. "I'll do it for you."

5 "Okay then," they said to the king. "That man who opposed and oppressed us, who planned to destroy us, keeping us from having a place to live anywhere in Israel—

6 hand over seven of his sons to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeon on the LORD's mountain." "I will hand them over," the king said.

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson, because of the LORD's solemn pledge that was between them—between David and Saul's son Jonathan.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXXB; MT annihilated us