2 Samuel 21:15-22

15 Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted.

16 Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants ; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him.

17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, “You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”

18 After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.

19 During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

20 In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants.

21 But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

22 These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

2 Samuel 21:15-22 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or a descendant of the Rapha; also in 21:18, 20, 22 .
• [b]. Hebrew 300 [shekels] [3.4 kilograms].
• [c]. As in parallel text at 1 Chr 20:5 ; Hebrew reads son of Jaare-oregim.
• [d]. As in parallel text at 1 Chr 20:5 ; Hebrew reads killed Goliath of Gath.
• [e]. As in parallel text at 1 Chr 20:6 ; Hebrew reads a Midianite.
• [f]. As in parallel text at 1 Chr 20:7 ; Hebrew reads Shimei, a variant spelling of Shimea.