Sāmǔĕrjìxià 21

1 Dàwèi nián jiān yǒu jīhuāng , yī lián sān nián , Dàwèi jiù qiú wèn Yēhéhuá . Yēhéhuá shuō , zhè jīhuāng shì yīn Sǎoluó hé tā liú rén xuè zhī jiā shā sǐ Jībiàn rén .

2 Yuánlái zhè Jībiàn rén bú shì Yǐsèliè rén , nǎi shì Yàmólìrén zhōng suǒ shèng de . Yǐsèliè rén céng xiàng tāmen qǐshì , bú shā miè tāmen , Sǎoluó què wèi Yǐsèliè rén hé Yóudà rén fā rèxīn , xiǎng yào shā miè tāmen . Dàwèi wáng zhào le tāmen lái ,

3 Wèn tāmen shuō , wǒ dāng wèi nǐmen zĕnyàng xíng ne . kĕ yòng shénme shú zhè zuì , shǐ nǐmen wèi Yēhéhuá de chǎnyè zhùfú ne .

4 Jībiàn rén huídá shuō , wǒmen hé Sǎoluó yǔ tā jiā de shì bìng bù guān hū jīn yín , yĕ búyào yīn wǒmen de yuángù shā yī gè Yǐsèliè rén . Dàwèi shuō , nǐmen zĕnyàng shuō , wǒ jiù wèi nǐmen zĕnyàng xíng .

5 Tāmen duì wáng shuō , nà cóng qián móu haì wǒmen , yào miè wǒmen , shǐ wǒmen bùdé zaì zhù Yǐsèliè jìng neì de rén ,

6 Xiànzaì yuàn jiāng tāde zǐsūn qī rén jiāo gĕi wǒmen , wǒmen hǎo zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián , jiāng tāmen xuán guà zaì Yēhéhuá jiǎnxuǎn Sǎoluó de jī bǐ yà . wáng shuō , wǒ Bìjiāo gĕi nǐmen .

7 Wáng yīnwei céng yǔ Sǎoluó de érzi Yuēnádān zhǐ zhe Yēhéhuá qǐshì jié míng , jiù aìxī Sǎoluó de sūnzi , Yuēnádān de érzi mǐ fēi bō shè , bú jiāo chūlai .

8 Què bǎ aì yǎ de nǚér lì sī bā gĕi Sǎoluó suǒ shēng de liǎng gè érzi yà mó ní , mǐ fēi bō shè , hé Sǎoluó nǚér mǐ jiǎ de zǐ zǐ gĕi mǐ hé là rén Bāxīlái érzi yà dé liè suǒ shēng de wǔ gè érzi

9 Jiāo zaì Jībiàn rén de shǒu lǐ . Jībiàn rén jiù bǎ tāmen , zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián , xuán guà zaì shān shàng , zhè qī rén jiù yītóng sǐwáng . beì shā de shíhou zhēng shì shōugē de rìzi , jiù shì dòngshǒu gē dàmaì de shíhou .

10 Aì yǎ de nǚér lì sī bā yòng má bù zaì pánshí shàng dā péng , cóng dòngshǒu shōugē de shíhou zhídào tiān jiàng yǔ zaì shī shēnshang de shíhou , rì jiān bùróng kōng zhōng de què niǎo luō zaì shī shēnshang , yè jiān bú ràng tiānyĕ de zǒushòu qián lái zāo jiàn .

11 Yǒu rén jiāng Sǎoluó de fēi pín aì yǎ nǚér lì sī bā suǒ xíng de zhè shì gàosu Dàwèi .

12 Dàwèi jiù qù , cóng Jīliè yǎ bǐ rén nàli jiāng Sǎoluó hé tā érzi Yuēnádān de háigǔ bān le lái . shì yīn Fēilìshì rén cóng qián zaì jī lì bō shā Sǎoluó , jiāng shī shēn xuán guà zaì bǎi shān de jiēshì shàng , Jīliè yǎ bǐ rén bǎ shī shēn tōu le qù .

13 Dàwèi jiāng Sǎoluó hé tā érzi Yuēnádān de háigǔ cóng nàli bān le lái , yòu shōuliàn beì xuán guà qī rén de háigǔ ,

14 Jiāng Sǎoluó hé tā érzi Yuēnádān de háigǔ zàng zaì Biànyǎmǐn de Xǐlā , zaì Sǎoluó fùqin jī shì de fùnmù lǐ . zhòngrén xíng le wáng suǒ fēnfu de . cǐ hòu shén chuí tīng guó mín suǒ qiú de .

15 Fēilìshì rén yǔ Yǐsèliè rén dǎzhàng . Dàwèi daìlǐng púrén xià qù , yǔ Fēilìshì rén jiē zhàn , Dàwèi jiù pí fá le .

16 Wĕirén de yī gè érzi Yǐshí bǐ nuò yào shā Dàwèi . tāde tóng qiāng zhòng sān bǎi Shĕkèlè , yòu peì zhe xīn dāo .

17 DĀnxǐ lǔ yǎ de érzi yà bǐ shāi bāngzhu Dàwèi , gōngdǎ Fēilìshì rén , jiāng tā shā sǐ . dāng rì , gēnsuí Dàwèi de rén xiàng Dàwèi qǐshì shuō , yǐhòu nǐ bùkĕ zaì yǔ wǒmen yītóng chū zhàn , kǒngpà xī miè Yǐsèliè de dēng .

18 Hòulái , Yǐsèliè rén zaì gē bǎi yǔ Fēilìshì rén dǎzhàng , hù shā rén xī bǐ gāi shā le wĕirén de yī gè érzi sǎ Fú .

19 Yòu zaì gē bǎi yǔ Fēilìshì rén dǎzhàng , Bólìhéng rén yǎ léi é Ěr jīn de érzi yī lè Hānán shā le Jiātè rén gē Lìyà . zhè rén de qiāng gǎn cū rú zhī bù de jī zhòu .

20 Yòu zaì Jiātè dǎzhàng , nàli yǒu yī gè shēnliang gāo dà de rén , shǒu jiǎo dōu shì liù zhǐ , gōng yǒu èr shí sì gè zhítou . tā yĕ shì wĕirén de érzi .

21 Zhè rén xiàng Yǐsèliè rén mà zhèn , Dàwèi de gēge shì mǐ yà de érzi Yuēnádān jiù shā le tā .

22 Zhè sì gèrén shì Jiātè wĕirén de érzi , dōu sǐ zaì Dàwèi hé tā púrén de shǒu xià .

Sāmǔĕrjìxià 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.