INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 21 A famine being in the land three years, the Lord was inquired of, to know the reason of it; and it being answered, that it was on account of Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites, they were summoned by David to know what satisfaction they required for the cruel usage o... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Absalom and Sheba, and not after, and there are several things which may incline to it, as that the sin o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING CALLED THE GIBEONITES,.... Sent messengers unto them, and summoned them to come to him, AND SAID UNTO THEM; what is expressed in 2 Samuel 21:3; for what follows is in a parenthesis: (NOW THE GIBEONITES [WERE] NOT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; originally, though they were proselyted to th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE DAVID SAID UNTO THE GIBEONITES, WHAT SHALL I DO FOR YOU,.... By way of satisfaction for the injuries done them: AND WHEREWITH SHALL I MAKE THE ATONEMENT; for the offences committed, that so the wrath that was gone forth against the land in a famine might be appeased: THAT YE MAY BLESS TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, THE GIBEONITES SAID UNTO HIM,.... In reply to his motion: WE WILL HAVE NO SILVER NOR GOLD OF SAUL, NOR OF HIS HOUSE; this shall not be the ransom or atonement; it was not silver and gold Saul took from them, but the lives of their brethren, and therefore they insist upon life for life: NEITHE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ANSWERED THE KING,.... Declaring expressly what they would have done: the man that consumed us; meaning Saul, who lessened their number by cruel oppressions of some, and by taking away the lives of others: AND THAT DEVISED AGAINST US, [THAT] WE SHOULD BE DESTROYED FROM REMAINING IN ANY OF... [ Continue Reading ]
LET SEVEN MEN OF HIS SONS BE DELIVERED UNTO US,.... They settled upon this number, either because they were seven, and no more of the Gibeonites, whom Saul slew, as the Jew say i; two hewers of wood, two drawers of water, a keeper (of a synagogue), a scribe, and a servant; but perhaps the true reaso... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE KING SPARED MEPHIBOSHETH, THE SON OF JONATHAN, THE SON OF SAUL,.... As they did not name particular persons, only required seven sons, it was at the option of the king what sons to deliver to them, and therefore kept back Mephibosheth, who is thus described, to distinguish him from a son of... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE KING TOOK THE TWO SONS OF RIZPAH THE DAUGHTER OF AIAH,.... Saul's concubine, 2 Samuel 3:7; WHOM SHE BARE UNTO SAUL, ARMONI AND MEPHIBOSHETH; of whom we read nowhere else; after the name of the latter, it is probable, Jonathan's son was called, before mentioned: AND THE FIVE SONS OF MICHAL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DELIVERED THEM INTO THE HANDS OF THE GIBEONITES,.... The two sons of Rizpah and the five sons of Merab, two sons of Saul and five grandsons: AND THEY HANGED THEM IN THE HILL BEFORE THE LORD; in the hill at Gibeah, that they might be seen by all that passed by, and serve to deter from such ev... [ Continue Reading ]
AND RIZPAH THE DAUGHTER OF AIAH TOOK SACKCLOTH,.... Both as a token of mourning for her sons, and as fittest to defend from the weather, the heat by day of cold by night: AND SPREAD IT FOR HER UPON THE ROCK; the hill on which her sons were hanged; this she spread as a canopy or tent to sit under, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS TOLD DAVID WHAT RIZPAH THE DAUGHTER OF AIAH, THE CONCUBINE OF SAUL, HAD DONE. Whether this was told out of good will or ill will is not certain; however, it was not disagreeable to David, but served to move pity and compassion in him to the woman, and to stir him up to give an honourable... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DAVID WENT AND TOOK THE BONES OF SAUL, AND THE BONES OF JONATHAN HIS SON, FROM THE MEN OF JABESHGILEAD,.... Which, according to Bunting t, was fifty two miles from Jerusalem; though perhaps David did not go thither in person to fetch them, but by his messengers, see 2 Samuel 21:14; WHICH HAD ST... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT UP FROM THENCE THE BONES OF SAUL, AND THE BONES OF JONATHAN HIS SON,.... Which had been buried there under an oak, 1 Chronicles 10:12; AND THEY GATHERED THE BONES OF THEM THAT WERE HANGED; the seven sons of Saul, who had been lately hanged; who either had hung so long that their fles... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BONES OF SAUL AND JONATHAN HIS SON,.... Together with those who had been hanged: BURIED THEY IN THE COUNTRY OF BENJAMIN IN ZELAH; a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:28; IN THE SEPULCHRE OF KISH HIS FATHER; the father of Saul, 1 Samuel 9:1; and which, according to Fuller w, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER THE PHILISTINES HAD YET WAR AGAIN WITH ISRAEL,.... Besides what is before recorded in this and the preceding book; being animated to it partly by the number of giants among them, and partly by the decline of David's life, and it may be chiefly by the insurrections and rebellions in Israel;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISHBIBENOB, WHICH [WAS] OF THE SONS OF THE GIANT,.... Of Goliath, or of a giant, of the race of them: THE WEIGHT OF WHOSE SPEAR [WEIGHED] THREE HUNDRED [SHEKELS] OF BRASS IN WEIGHT; which must be understood either of the wood of it, or of the head of it, the flaming point of it, as many interpr... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ABISHAI THE SON OF ZERUIAH SUCCOURED HIM,.... Observing him in danger, made haste to his relief: AND SMOTE THE PHILISTINE, AND KILLED HIM; it seems as if Abishai engaged with the Philistine, and killed him; but inasmuch as it will bear to be interpreted of David, and since the four giants here... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS,.... After the former battle: THAT THERE WAS AGAIN A BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES AT GOB; in 1 Chronicles 20:4 it is called Gezer; either the place had two names, or these two places were near each other; so that the battle may be said to be fought both at the one and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS AGAIN A BATTLE IN GOB WITH THE PHILISTINES,.... Another battle with them in the same place: WHERE ELHANAN THE SON OF JAAREOREGIM, A BETHLEHEMITE, SLEW [THE BROTHER OF] GOLIATH THE GITTITE; the word "brother" is rightly supplied from 1 Chronicles 20:5; where his name is said to be Lah... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS YET A BATTLE IN GATH,.... Besides the battles in the above place or places; for this does not necessarily suppose that one of the said battles had been there, only that this, which was another battle, had been there: WHERE WAS A MAN OF [GREAT] STATURE; for so the sense of the word app... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE DEFIED ISRAEL,.... The armies of Israel, as Goliath had done some years ago, 1 Samuel 17:10; JONATHAN THE SON OF SHIMEA THE BROTHER OF DAVID SLEW HIM; this brother of David is called Shammah, 1 Samuel 16:9; and Shimma, 1 Chronicles 2:13; this son of his is another man from Jonadab his s... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE FOUR WERE BORN TO THE GIANT IN GATH,.... Not to Goliath, for one of them was his brother, but to some giant or another of that place, for which it was famous; they were all of them of the race of the giants; and so the Septuagint version, they were "the offspring of the giants in Gath, whose... [ Continue Reading ]