1The three years' famine on account of the Gibeonites ceaseth upon hanging seven of Saul's sons. 10Rizpah's care for their dead bodies. 12David burieth their bones with those of Saul and Jonathan in the sepulchre of Kish. 15In four battles against the Philistines four of David's mighty men slay four giants.
1THEN there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David 1enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he 2slew the Gibeonites.
1 To know of God by Urim and Thummim the cause of this dearth, and then to use convenient means to pacify God’s wrath. See Num. 27:21.
2 Contrary to promise, made to them and ratified by oath, as follows. See Joshua 9:15, 18, etc. For this offense all the land is punished, because the people had commended Saul’s perverse zeal, or at least (as it often happens) had not hindered it, or any satisfaction was hitherto made to the Gibeonites for the same. The Holy Scripture is hitherto altogether silent of this deed of Saul.
2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the 3remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworna unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his 4zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
3 That is, remaining from the previous paganish inhabitants of the land of Canaan, whom God had commanded to destroy, and are also generally called Amorites. Otherwise they were Hivites, Joshua 9:7; 11:19.
a Joshua 9:19.
4 Understand an irregular and feigned zeal, whereby he thought to mend what was neglected or ill done by Joshua and other godly governors, according to his opinion. But it was directly against the oath, made by God’s Name, by His special Providence. For which thing God was now greatly provoked, as by this plague upon the land, and God’s answer appears.
3Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that 5ye may bless the 6inheritance of the LORD?
5 Hebr. that they, namely, your husbandmen.
6 That is, that you complain no more to God, but that you help by prayers to avert this judgment from the people of God (as 2 Sam. 20:19) and pray for all good to happen unto you.
4And 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 7Israel. And 8he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.
7 Except Saul’s house, as follows.
8 The king.
5And they answered the king, 9The man that consumed us, and that 10devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
9 Namely, Saul; so disdainfully they speak of him.
10 Intended, purposed, plotted.
6Let seven men of his 11sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto 12the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, 13whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
11 That is, of his posterity, children or children’s children, etc., pertaining to Saul’s bloody house, mentioned verse 1.
12 To His honor, by Whose Name the oath was made to spare us, or to pacify Him.
13 As in the previous verse they spoke contemptibly of Saul, on the contrary they speak thus very reverently unto David. Other, of the chosen of the Lord, understanding it of Saul, whom they so called to intensify his offense committed on them against the oath of God.
7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, becauseb14of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
b 1 Sam. 18:3; 20:15, 42; 23:18.
14 See 1 Sam. 20:15, 16, 17.
8But the king took the two sons of 15Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of 16Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the 17Meholathite:
15 Saul’s concubine, verse 11; 2 Sam. 3:7.
16 Some understand here by the five sons of Michal, sons of her sister Merab, whom Michal may have nurtured, and in that respect was called their mother. Compare Ruth 4:17.
17 Hebr. Mecholathite; of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan, where Abel-mehola was situated. See Judges 7 on verse 22 to distinguish him from Barzillai the Gileadite, David’s friend, 2 Sam. 19:31, etc.
9And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the 18hill before the LORD: and they 19fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
18 At Gibeah of Saul, as verse 6, not far from Shiloh, Gibeon and Nob, in which places have been the tent of the congregation. See 2 Sam. 6 on verse 17.
19 That is, perished.
10¶And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took 20sackcloth, and 21spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon 22them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest 23on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
20 That is, a coarse cloth, as a tent, to abide under it, both by night and by day out of motherly affection, at the dead bodies of her children, which otherwise by the law, Deut. 21:23, were usually taken down and buried the same day. But it seems that these were compelled to hang until God showed by the rain that He was appeased with the land, forasmuch as God had caused the scarcity by drought.
21 Other, stretched it.
22 The dead bodies.
23 To preserve the dead bodies undamaged until interment.
11And 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 Jabesh-gilead, whichc had 24stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in 25Gilboa:
c 1 Sam. 31:10, etc.
24 See the account in 1 Sam. 31:10, 11, 12, 13.
25 The mountains of Gilboa.
13And he brought up from thence the 26bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.
26 After their bodies were burned, as may be gathered from 1 Sam. 31:12, see there.
14And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in 27Zelah, in the sepulchre of 28Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for 29the land.
27 See Joshua 18:28.
28 See 1 Sam. 9:1, 2.
29 That is, the Israelites, the inhabitants of the land, so that He took away the plague of famine, and gave rain again with fruitfulness. Compare 2 Sam. 24:25.
15¶Moreover the Philistines 30had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
30 Other, had had; meaning, that these wars against the Philistines are here only related as a conclusion of David’s victories, but have occurred long before.
16And Ishbi-benob, which was 31of the sons of the giant, the 32weight of whose 33spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a 34new sword, 35thought to have slain David.
31 Other, of the sons of Rapha, who dwelled at Gath, verse 22, also in the sequel.
32 Or, of the iron, sharp or the head of his spear.
33 See 1 Sam. 17 on verse 5.
34 Or, anew, that is, armed in a new manner, not used heretofore in war.
35 Hebr. said, namely, by himself, that is, thought; as elsewhere.
17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the 36men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the 37light of Israel.
36 David’s officers and soldiers swore an oath unto David.
37 Or, candle, lamp, that is, lest thou, who enlightens Israel with word and deed, perish. See more of this excellent comparison, 1 Kings 11 on verse 36.
18And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines atd38Gob: then Sibbechai the 39Hushathite slew 40Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.
d 1 Chron. 20:4.
38 Situated at Gezer, where this happened, 1 Chron. 20:4, in Ephraim, at the borders of Benjamin, towards the land of the Philistines.
39 Hebr. Chuschathite.
40 Also called Sippai, 1 Chron. 20:4.
19And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where 41Elhanan the son of 42Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew 43the brother of 44Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
41 Hebr. Elchanan.
42 Called Jair, 1 Chron. 20:5.
43 Or, smote Beth-halachmi, who was with Goliath. Other, the brother of Goliath: which some insert here out of 1 Chron. 20:5 where he is called Lahmi, which place the reader may compare with this.
44 Whom David slew, 1 Samuel 17.
20And there was yet a battle in 45Gath, where was a man of 46great stature, 47that 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.
45 A famous city of the Philistines, situated near the Mediterranean Sea.
46 Hebr. a man of measure, that is, extremely big. Compare Num. 13:33.
47 Hebr. the fingers of his hands and the fingers of his feet were six and six, four and twenty in number.
21And when he 48defied Israel, Jonathan the son of 49Shimea the brother of David slew him.
48 Compare 1 Sam. 17:10.
49 Hebr. Schima, called also Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9.
22These four were born to the giant in Gath, and 50fell by the hand of David, and by the hand 51of his servants.
50 As Goliath was slain by David in the past, 1 Samuel 17, who also was here their head and leader, wherefore this is likewise ascribed to him which his servants did. Other, and, that is, namely.
51 That is, of his officers and heroes.