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Summarized Bible Commentary

2 Samuel 21:1-22

Contents: Three years famine. Saul's sons slain. War with Philistines.

Characters: God, David, Rizpah, Ishbi-benab, Abishai, Sebechai, Saph, Elhanan, Jonathan.

Conclusion: When we are under God's judgments, we should enquire the grounds of the controversy, and when the cause is revealed, should go to all lengths to make right the wrongs of the past, that God's full blessing may be renewed upon us.

Key Word: Recompense (atonement) 2 Samuel 21:3.

Strong Verses: 2 Samuel 21:3; 2 Samuel 21:7.

Striking Facts: 2 Samuel 21:9; 2 Samuel 21:13; 2 Samuel 21:14. Through Christ who was hanged and made a curse for us to expiate our guilt, though He was Himself guiltless, God is entreated for us. In token of the completeness of the sacrifice they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in the sepulchre.

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See also 2 Samuel 21:1-22 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER XXI _A famine taking place three successive years in Israel, David_ _inquired of the Lord the cause; and was informed that it was_ _on account of Saul and his bloody house, who had slain th...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    There is no note of time whatever, nor any clue as to what part of David’s reign the events of this chapter ought to be assigned. ENQUIRED OF THE LORD - Hebrew “sought the face of the Lord,” quite a d...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    IV. THE APPENDIX TO THE HISTORY OF DAVID 1. The Famines and the Wars with the Philistines CHAPTER 21 _ 1. The Famine and the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21:1)_ 2. The Wars with the Philistines (2 Samuel...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 SAMUEL 21-24. These Chapter s form an appendix of material from various sources. One of the editors, perhaps the one to whom the book substantially owes its present form, seems to have met with diff...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FAMINE. One of the thirteen mentioned. See note on Genesis 12:10. YEAR AFTER YEAR. the year after that year: i.e. 932. David being now fifty-eight. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah_. App-4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    2 Samuel 21:1-11. A Three Years Famine for Saul's massacre of the Gibeonites. The Execution of Saul's sons 1. _Then there was a famine_ Render, AND THERE WAS A FAMINE. There is no adverb of time marki...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 324 FAMINE A PUNISHMENT FOR SIN 2 Samuel 21:1. _Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THREE YEARS, YEAR AFTER YEAR— Houbigant reads it, _for three successive years._ The crime for which the three years of famine were sent, was the murder of many of the Gibeonites by Saul, with a determ...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The Three Years of Famine, 2 Samuel 21:1-22. _The Gibeonites Avenged._ 2 Samuel 21:1-9 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. An...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THEN THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE DAYS OF DAVID THREE YEARS, YEAR AFTER YEAR; AND DAVID INQUIRED OF THE LORD. AND THE LORD ANSWERED, IT IS FOR SAUL, AND FOR HIS BLOODY HOUSE, BECAUSE HE SLEW THE GIBEONI...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    21:1 inquired (e-18) Lit. 'sought the face.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FAMINE AND SOME EXPLOITS AGAINST THE PHILISTINES 1. _It is_ FOR SAUL, AND FOR _his_ BLOODY HOUSE] rather, 'upon Saul and his house rests bloodshed.' THE GIBEONITES] The lives of the Gibeonites had...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    DAVID, THE GREAT KING OF ISRAEL 2 SAMUEL _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 21 THE *GIBEONITES PUNISH SAUL’S FAMILY V1 For three years while David was king, the people did not have enough to eat. So David p...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    XXI. (1) THEN THERE WAS. — Read, _and there was,_ there being no indication of time in the original. It is plain from 2 Samuel 21:7 that the events here narrated occurred after David had come to know...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְהִ֣י רָעָב֩ בִּ ימֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד שָׁלֹ֣שׁ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXVIII _ THE FAMINE._ 2 Samuel 21:1. WE now enter on the concluding part of the reign of David. Some of the matters in which he was most occupied during this period are recorded only in Chro...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A DEVOTED MOTHER 2 Samuel 21:1 The time of this famine cannot be fixed with certainty. Probably it took place before Absalom's rebellion. The reason for it was found in Saul's slaughter of the Gibeon...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    As at the close of the Book of Judges, so here, several matters are dealt with not in chronological order, or related, but as illustrating the times which have been under consideration. In many sense...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    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 (a)...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Of David, after the revolt of Seba. (Calmet) --- House. It seems the family and chief officers of Saul, had concurred in his cruelty and unjust zeal. Hence many of them might be still living, to under...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS More troubles of David are related in this Chapter. Here are mentioned three years famine in Israel. To implore GOD'S mercy, a sacrifice is made, at the request of the Gibeonites, of seven o...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    In the sketch proposed of these books of scripture there is of course no pretension to notice every point of interest they contain, but only a general comprehensive view, as far as the Lord enables me...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    And, first of all, the government of God, who forgets nothing, and with whom everything has its results, is recalled to David and to his people by means of the Gibeonites. It is no longer necessary fo...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE DAYS OF DAVID THREE YEARS, YEAR AFTER YEAR,.... That is, three years running, one after another; some think this, though here related, was before the rebellions of Absal...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _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 Gib...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then there was a famine_, &c. The things related here, and chap. 24., are, by the best interpreters, conceived to have been done long before Absalom's rebellion. And this opinion is not without suffi...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The three yeeres famine for the Gibeonites, cease, by hanging seuen of Sauls sonnes. 10 Rizpahs kindnes vnto the dead. 12 Dauid burieth the bones of Saul and Ionathan in his fathers sepulchre. 15...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE GIBEONITES ADJUSTED...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year, three successive years, a fact which made the visitation seem a special punishment; AND DAVID ENQUIRED OF THE LORD, he sought...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    We cannot say with certainty when the events of this chapter occurred, for they are not necessarily chronological, but spoken of as having taken place "in the days of David." God sent a famine in the...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    ENQUIRED: _ Heb._ sought the face, etc....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 o...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SAMUEL CHAPTER 21 A three years famine, declared by God to be for the Gibeonites sake, ceaseth by their hanging seven of Saul's sons, 2 SAMUEL 21:1. Rizpah preserveth the dead bodies, 2 SAMUEL 21:10,1...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    2 Samuel 21:1 famine H7458 days H3117 David H1732 three H7969 years H8141 year H8141 after H310 year H8141 David...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    2 Samuel 21:1. _There was a famine three years,_ and in succession. Men, under the aspects of dying, like the seamen in Jonah's case, are led to the profoundest researches of conscience. 2 Samuel 21:8...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then there was a famine in the days of David three years._ THE QUICKENING OF DAVID’S CONSCIENCE BY RIZPAH’S EXAMPLE Some years since it was found that many returned emigrants were ending their days...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    2 SAMUEL 21:1 Epilogue. The last four chapters provide an epilogue to David’s story. They contain six episodes, which are not necessarily in chronological order (e.g., the first episode occurred “in t...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY NOTES— 2 Samuel 21:1. “THEN.” Rather, _And_, consequently there is nothing to indicate the period when the events here recorded took place, and many commentators consider that...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 21:1 THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE DAYS OF DAVID; Hebrew, _and there was. _There is an entire absence of any mark of time to show in what part of David's reign this famine took place....

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter twenty-one it is recorded that at this time, There were three years of famine in the land; So David sought the Lord. [Why the famine?] And the Lord said, The famine was in judgment bec...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:2; 1 Samuel 22:17; 1 Samuel 23:11; 1 Sa

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Then — The things related here and 2 Samuel 24:1, are by the best interpreters conceived to have been done long before Absalom's rebellion. And this opinion is not without sufficient grounds: first, t...

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