2 Samuel 21

Negotiation with the Gibeonites 2 Samuel 21:3–6

³Verse 3. and David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And with what should I make atonement, that you may bless Yahweh’s inheritance?” ⁴Verse 4. The Gibeonites said to him, “It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” He said, “Whatever you say, that I will do for you.” ⁵Verse 5. They said to the king, “The man who consumed us, and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, ⁶Verse 6. let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” The king said, “I will give them.”

Spared Life of Mephibosheth 2 Samuel 21:7–9

⁷Verse 7. But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. ⁸Verse 8. But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. ⁹Verse 9. He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Rizpah's Mourning 2 Samuel 21:10–11

¹⁰Verse 10. Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night. ¹¹Verse 11. David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

Burial of Saul and Jonathan 2 Samuel 21:12–14

¹²Verse 12. So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa; ¹³Verse 13. and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who were hanged. ¹⁴Verse 14. They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.

David Fights the Philistines 2 Samuel 21:15–17

¹⁵Verse 15. The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint; ¹⁶Verse 16. and Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being armed with a new sword, thought he would kill David. ¹⁷Verse 17. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”

Victories Against Giants 2 Samuel 21:18–22

¹⁸Verse 18. After this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. ¹⁹Verse 19. There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. ²⁰Verse 20. There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand, and six toes on every foot, twenty four in count; and he also was born to the giant. ²¹Verse 21. When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.

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