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2 Samuel Chapter 21

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2 Samuel Chapter 21: Rizpah’s Kindness toward the Dead
Rizpah’s Kindness toward the Dead
2 Samuel Chapter 21

1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)

3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,

6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.

16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.

17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.

19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

2 Samuel Chapter 21: Rizpah’s Kindness toward the Dead by Gustave Doré
Rizpah’s Kindness toward the Dead
2 Samuel Chapter 21
 


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Matthew Henry's 2 Samuel Chapter 21 Bible commentary...



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

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.

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.

 


Recent Comments for 2 Samuel Chapter 21...

 


B.J.Manuel's 2 Samuel Chapter 21 comment about verse 1 on 4/04/2013, 8:45am...

Proverbs 20:7 declares "The just man walketh in his integrity. his children are blessed after him." Unexpected suffering, such as famine, pestilence and persecution, does not negate the promises of God nor does it reduce His ability to keep those people whom He has promised to keep. It is possible that God's promised blessings can intertwine with local or global suffering. When all things work together for the good of God's good children, it does not say that it will look good, always feel good, or be pleasing to our senses at all. God wills it for good; it is up to us to trust in those dark hours when it might appear that all is being lost. He will not leave his children comfortless or disconsolate. It is up to the children to keep steadfast faith when things seem to be against them instead of for them. God cannot lie. It is for us to walk by faith not by sight. We know that we win during and after the crippling, searing tests have all be completed. "In the shadow of his wings there is rest, sweet rest."

 


Mary's 2 Samuel Chapter 21 comment about verse 1 on 11/02/2012, 11:03pm...

2 Samuel 21:1-9 Principle illustrated: David taking responsibility for Saul’s actions which shows David being a man after God’s own heart. There was a famine in the land of Israel because Saul had killed the Gibeonites. David faced the Gibeonites for Saul to see if there was anything that he could do for them. They demanded that he deliver seven men of Saul’s sons to them because they had insisted that they should be destroyed. The Lord chose the men who He wanted David to send. David did not send Mephibosheth because of his oath with Jonathan not to destroy each other’s seed. The Gibeonites would hang those men for what they had done. The consequences from wrong doing can be devastating.. God has brought to my attention that everything I do has an influence on people. I sometimes forget that people look up to me. What I think is “why me?” I am nobody special. I am just a sinner trying to live for God. People notice when you “do” and “do not” do the right thing and live for God. Through my years, I have learned that doing the right thing is what God wants us to do and if we do it we will be set up for the blessings. God blesses and removes the chance of famine when I learn to do what is right.

 


Seun's 2 Samuel Chapter 21 comment on 2/17/2012, 4:03am...

What has been done before (david killed Goliath;a giant)is an indication that it can be done again:his servants killed giants(1sam 21:22)so if you believe,you can also achieve great feats

 

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