La monarquía
The Famine and Atonement with the Gibeonites
A three-year famine in David's days reveals that blood guilt rests on Saul's house because Saul had broken the oath and killed the Gibeonites. David hands over seven of Saul's descendants – two sons of Rizpah and five grandsons through Merab – who are hanged at Gibeah, while Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, is spared for the sake of the oath. Rizpah faithfully guards the bodies from harvest until the rain comes, and David arranges to bring the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabesh in Gilead and bury them in the family tomb at Zela in Benjamin's land. After this, God responded to prayer for the land.
2 Samuel 21,1-14
1In the days of David there was a famine that lasted three years, year after year, and David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is because of Saul and his bloodstained house, because he put the Gibeonites to death."
וַיְהִ֣י רָעָב֩ בִּימֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים שָׁנָה֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י שָׁנָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ דָּוִ֖ד אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַדָּמִ֔ים עַֽל־אֲשֶׁר־הֵמִ֖ית אֶת־הַגִּבְעֹנִֽים׃
2So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites but a remnant of the Amorites, and the Israelites had sworn an oath to spare them; yet Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for Israel and Judah.
וַיִּקְרָ֥א הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ לַגִּבְעֹנִ֖ים וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְהַגִּבְעֹנִ֞ים לֹ֣א מִבְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל הֵ֗מָּה כִּ֚י אִם־מִיֶּ֣תֶר הָאֱמֹרִ֔י וּבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נִשְׁבְּע֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וַיְבַקֵּ֤שׁ שָׁאוּל֙ לְהַכֹּתָ֔ם בְּקַנֹּאת֥וֹ לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִיהוּדָֽה׃
3David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How can I make atonement, so that you will bless the inheritance of the LORD?"
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־הַגִּבְעֹנִ֔ים מָ֥ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה לָכֶ֑ם וּבַמָּ֣ה אֲכַפֵּ֔ר וּבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃
4The Gibeonites answered him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man in Israel to death." David said, "Then what do you say I should do for you?"
וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ ל֣וֹ הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים אֵֽין־*לי **לָ֜נוּ כֶּ֤סֶף וְזָהָב֙ עִם־שָׁא֣וּל וְעִם־בֵּית֔וֹ וְאֵֽין־לָ֥נוּ אִ֖ישׁ לְהָמִ֣ית בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מָֽה־אַתֶּ֥ם אֹמְרִ֖ים אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃
5They said to the king, "As for the man who consumed us and plotted to destroy us, so that we would not survive anywhere in the territory of Israel—
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔נוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּמָּה־לָ֑נוּ נִשְׁמַ֕דְנוּ מֵֽהִתְיַצֵּ֖ב בְּכָל־גְּבֻ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
6let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." The king said, "I will hand them over."
*ינתן־**יֻתַּן־לָ֜נוּ שִׁבְעָ֤ה אֲנָשִׁים֙ מִבָּנָ֔יו וְהוֹקֽ͏ַעֲנוּם֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה בְּגִבְעַ֥ת שָׁא֖וּל בְּחִ֣יר יְהוָ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲנִ֥י אֶתֵּֽן׃
7But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מְפִי־בֹ֖שֶׁת בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בֶּן־שָׁא֑וּל עַל־שְׁבֻעַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין דָּוִ֔ד וּבֵ֖ין יְהוֹנָתָ֥ן בֶּן־שָׁאֽוּל׃
8So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul—Armoni and Mephibosheth—and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. [^1]
[^1]: The Hebrew text reads *Michal*; since Adriel married Saul's daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:19) and Michal had no children (2 Samuel 6:23), some ancient manuscripts and many interpreters read *Merab* here.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־שְׁ֠נֵי בְּנֵ֨י רִצְפָּ֤ה בַת־אַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלְדָ֣ה לְשָׁא֔וּל אֶת־אַרְמֹנִ֖י וְאֶת־מְפִבֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֶת־חֲמֵ֗שֶׁת בְּנֵי֙ מִיכַ֣ל בַּת־שָׁא֔וּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֛ה לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל בֶּן־בַּרְזִלַּ֖י הַמְּחֹלָתִֽי׃
9He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם בְּיַ֣ד הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים וַיֹּקִיעֻ֤ם בָּהָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּפְּל֥וּ *שבעתים **שְׁבַעְתָּ֖ם יָ֑חַד *והם **וְהֵ֨מָּה הֻמְת֜וּ בִּימֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים *תחלת **בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת קְצִ֥יר שְׂעֹרִֽים׃
10Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured down on the bodies from the heavens, she did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day or the wild animals by night.
וַתִּקַּ֣ח רִצְפָּה֩ בַת־אַיָּ֨ה אֶת־הַשַּׂ֜ק וַתַּטֵּ֨הוּ לָ֤הּ אֶל־הַצּוּר֙ מִתְּחִלַּ֣ת קָצִ֔יר עַ֛ד נִתַּךְ־מַ֥יִם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנָה֩ ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם לָנ֤וּחַ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֶת־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָֽיְלָה׃
11When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done,
וַיֻּגַּ֖ד לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֛ה רִצְפָּ֥ה בַת־אַיָּ֖ה פִּלֶ֥גֶשׁ שָׁאֽוּל׃
12he went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them on the day they struck Saul down at Gilboa.
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֗ד וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־עַצְמ֤וֹת שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶת־עַצְמוֹת֙ יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בְּנ֔וֹ מֵאֵ֕ת בַּעֲלֵ֖י יָבֵ֣ישׁ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֲשֶׁר֩ גָּנְב֨וּ אֹתָ֜ם מֵרְחֹ֣ב בֵּֽית־שַׁ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר *תלום **תְּלָא֥וּם *שם *הפלשתים **שָׁ֙מָּה֙ **פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים בְּי֨וֹם הַכּ֧וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֛ים אֶת־שָׁא֖וּל בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
13He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan, and they also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
וַיַּ֤עַל מִשָּׁם֙ אֶת־עַצְמ֣וֹת שָׁא֔וּל וְאֶת־עַצְמ֖וֹת יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בְּנ֑וֹ וַיַּ֣אַסְפ֔וּ אֶת־עַצְמ֖וֹת הַמּוּקָעִֽים׃
14They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin, at Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father, and they did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer on behalf of the land.
וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֶת־עַצְמוֹת־שָׁא֣וּל וִיהוֹנָֽתָן־בְּ֠נוֹ בְּאֶ֨רֶץ בִּנְיָמִ֜ן בְּצֵלָ֗ע בְּקֶ֙בֶר֙ קִ֣ישׁ אָבִ֔יו וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיֵּעָתֵ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים לָאָ֖רֶץ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵֽן׃ פ