2 Samuel Chapter 21
David Avenges the Gibeonites
1 In David’s time, a famine came that lasted three years. He sought Yahveh, and Yahveh said, “It’s because Saul and his bloody family murdered the people in Gibeon.” 2 (The inhabitants of Gibeon weren’t part of Israel but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a treaty with them, but Saul had intended to kill them off in his zeal for Israel and Judah.) The king called them,
3 “How can I make amends to you so you can bless Yahveh’s inheritance again?”
4 “It’s not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his family. It’s not for us to put anybody to death in Israel.”
“I’ll do whatever you say.”
5 They told him,
“Give us seven descendants of the man that tried to destroy us and eliminate us from staying inside Israel’s border. 6 We’ll hang them in Yahveh’s presence in Gibeah of Saul, Yahveh’s chosen one.”
“I’ll give them to you.”
2 Sam 21:1-6
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth because of Yahveh’s oath between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. 8 The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth [Merib-baal], the two sons of Rizpah Bat-Aiah; and the five sons of Merab Bat-Saul that she had for Adriel Ben-Barzillai of Meholah. 9 He gave them to the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in Yahveh’s presence. All seven died together at the beginning of barley harvest.
10 Rizpah spread burlap on the rock, from the beginning of harvest till it rained on them. She wouldn’t let birds get to them during the day or wild animals at night. 11 When David found out what Saul’s concubine had done, 12 he took Saul and Jonathan’s bones away from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had taken them from the open square in Beth-shan. That’s where the Philistines had hung them the day they struck Saul down in Gilboa. 13 He brought their bones and the bones of the ones they hanged. 14 He buried Saul and Jonathan’s bones in the country of Benjamin in Zela in the grave of Kish, Saul’s father. They did everything the king commanded. After that God was moved by petition for the land.
2 Sam 21:7-14
Wars with the Philistine Giants
15 The Philistines were at war again with Israel. When David and his men went down and fought them, David got tired. 16 Ishbi-benob, a descendant of the giants in Gath—whose spearhead weighed 7½ lbs 300 shekels—was armed with a new sword and tried to kill David. 17 But Abishai Ben-Jeruiah helped him, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You’re not going out with us again to battle so you don’t snuff out the lamp in Israel.”
18 There was war again with the Philistines at Gob. Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, a descendant of the giants in Gath. 19 Another war with the Philistines took place at Gob. Elhanan Ben-Jaare-oregim from Bethlehem killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 In another war at Gath, there was a very big man with six digits on each hand and foot. He, too, was a descendant of the giants in Gath. 21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, struck him down. 22 Those four sons of the giants in Gath fell by David and his troops.
2 Sam 21:15-22