2. Samuelin kirjaLuku 21

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In 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."

So 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.

David 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?"

The 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?"

They 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—

let 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."

But 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.

So 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.

He 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.

Then 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.

When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done,

he 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.

He 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.

They 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.

Once again there was war between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his servants, and they fought the Philistines; and David grew weary.

Then Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of the Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, intended to kill David.

But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine down, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished."

Some time later there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, one of the descendants of the Rapha.

In yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam.

And there was another battle, at Gath, where there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from the Rapha.

When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, struck him down.

These four were descendants of the Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his servants.

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Luku 21

Main Theme: The chapter deals with how David makes atonement for Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites and how his men defeat the Philistine giants.

Content: A three-year famine strikes Israel, and God reveals that the cause is Saul’s breach of covenant with the Gibeonites. David hands over seven of Saul’s descendants to the Gibeonites, who execute them. Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, faithfully guards the bodies from birds and animals, moving David to retrieve the bones of Saul and Jonathan and bury them together with those executed. In the final part of the chapter, David’s men fight four giants from Gath, descendants of Rapha, and defeat them all.

Key Words/Images:

Gibeonites: A people the Israelites had sworn to protect, but whom Saul tried to destroy in his zeal for Israel.
Rizpah: Saul’s concubine who guarded the dead bodies from birds and animals, an image of faithful mourning and care.
Descendants of Rapha: Four Philistine giants from Gath whom David’s men defeated, including one with twenty-four fingers and toes.
The lamp of Israel: An expression used for David—his men forbade him to go into battle so as not to "extinguish the lamp of Israel."

Historiallinen konteksti

Historical and Cultural Context for 2 Samuel 21

People

The Gibeonites were not Israelites but descendants of the Amorites who had made a covenant with Joshua (Josh 9). This covenant obligated Israel to spare their lives, and it remained binding in David's time—several hundred years later. Saul's attempt to exterminate them (not described elsewhere in the Old Testament) was a serious breach of covenant that, according to the text, brought collective guilt upon the nation.

Rizpah daughter of Aiah was one of Saul's concubines (pilegesh). She is also mentioned in 2 Sam 3:7 in connection with a conflict between Abner and Ish-bosheth. Her faithful watch over the dead bodies from the barley harvest until the rains came demonstrates a mother's deep devotion and highlights a woman's role in preserving her family's honor even after death.

The descendants of Rapha (Hebrew: yelide harafah) are mentioned in the second part of the chapter. The term harafah (with the definite article) may refer to an ancestor of a clan of giants in Gath, or it could be a title/designation for this race of giants. They were possibly connected to the Rephaim—a prehistoric people known for their large stature (Deut 2:11, 20). Four such descendants are mentioned in verse 22.

Places

Gibeon was located about 10 km northwest of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin. Archaeological excavations at el-Jib have uncovered a significant city from the Bronze and Iron Ages, including an extensive water system with a deep well.

Gibeah of Saul (v.6), also called Gibea, was Saul's hometown in the territory of Benjamin. The execution there had symbolic significance—the punishment was carried out at the sinner's own place.

Gob (vv.18-19), where several battles against the Philistines took place, is geographically uncertain. Some scholars identify it with Gezer or a location near the Philistine border region. The parallel account in 1 Chron 20:4 mentions "Gezer" instead.

Beth-shan (v.12), where the Philistines hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan, was a strategically important city in the Jezreel Valley. Archaeological excavations have confirmed strong Philistine influence in the area at that time, as well as the discovery of Egyptian temples that may have been used to hang defeated enemies.

Events and Customs

Hanging/Display of Corpses (hoqa') was a practice where dead bodies were publicly displayed, likely as an act of atonement or to demonstrate divine judgment. This was not the method of execution itself but a subsequent display. In the ancient Near East, such practices were used to mark that those executed were under divine curse (cf. Deut 21:22-23).

Collective Guilt and Atonement was a central concept in ancient Israel and the Near East. The sin of a king or leader could bring disaster upon the entire people, and atonement often required representative punishment. The famine was interpreted as God's judgment for breach of covenant, and bloodguilt had to be settled through blood—not through financial compensation, which the Gibeonites explicitly rejected.

Rizpah's Month-Long Watch (from the barley harvest in April until the autumn rains in October/November) reflects a deep cultural duty to protect the dignity of the dead. Allowing bodies to be torn apart by animals was the ultimate disgrace. Her actions moved David and led to a dignified burial.

Key Terms

The Hebrew word כָּפַר (kipper, "to atone") in verse 3 is central to the chapter. The word literally means "to cover over" and is used for removing guilt or impurity. David asks the Gibeonites how he can make atonement (kapparah) so that they may bless the Lord's inheritance. This shows the understanding that unresolved sin hindered blessing upon the land.

The expression נֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל (ner yisra'el, "Israel's lamp/light") in verse 17 is used of David by his men. This is a poetic expression for the king as the nation's life force and hope. David's men refused to let him go out into battle again because his death would "extinguish Israel's light"—a loss that would be catastrophic for the entire nation.

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Gibeonites — A Canaanite tribe that made a covenant with the Israelites under Joshua and became servants in the temple.
Famine — A period of food shortage that can lead to hunger and death; in 2 Samuel 21, the famine is a result of God's anger toward Israel.
David — King over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the central figure in 2 Samuel. He seeks to restore the relationship between God and Israel by making amends for wrongs done against the Gibeonites.
Ishbosheth — Saul's son, also known as Eshbaal. One of his brothers is killed in chapter 21 as part of David's attempt to make restitution for the injustice toward the Gibeonites.
Rizpah — One of Saul's concubines who protects the bodies of her two sons and five other relatives after they are killed as a sacrifice to the Gibeonites.
Atonement offering — An offering of something or someone to atone for sins and restore the relationship with God.
Goliath — A giant from the Philistines, famous for his duel with David. In 2 Samuel 21, his brother is killed by one of David's men.