The big picture
2 Samuel 21 opens in verse 1 with “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 11 with “And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.”, and closes in verse 22 with “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the…” Repeated or prominent terms include Saul, David, Israel, bones, Gibeonites. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Samuel · King James Version · 222 Samuel 21:1-8
1–8: There was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year…
2 Samuel 21:1–8 opens with “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of…” and reaches “But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Samuel 21 develops its own movement around Saul, David, Israel, bones, Gibeonites, with particular weight carried by Saul, Gibeonites, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD . And the…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’s oath that was between…” Naming Jonathan and Saul keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Samuel 21:1-8
King James Version1Then 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 Gibeonites.
2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
3Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD ?
4And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.
5And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
6Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
2 Samuel 21:9-16
9–16: He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them…
2 Samuel 21:9–16 opens with “And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before…” and reaches “And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Samuel 21 develops its own movement around Saul, David, Israel, bones, Gibeonites, with particular weight carried by bones, David, Saul.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD : and they…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.” Naming Aiah and David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them…” Naming Jonathan and Saul keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought…” Naming David and Philistines keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
2 Samuel 21:9-16
King James Version9And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD : and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
12And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:
13And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.
14And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.
15Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
16And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
2 Samuel 21:17-22
17–22: Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and…
2 Samuel 21:17–22 opens with “But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the…” and reaches “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Samuel 21 develops its own movement around Saul, David, Israel, bones, Gibeonites, with particular weight carried by battle, David, giant.
Context that brings the passage to life
“But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
“And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
2 Samuel 21:17-22
King James Version17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
18And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.
19And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.
21And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.
22These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Samuel 21:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
2 Samuel 21:10 forms a natural hinge: “And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of…”
The final note
2 Samuel 21:22 leaves the reader with “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Saul, David, Israel, bones, Gibeonites, Jonathan help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How is God's faithfulness shown in both halves of the family?
Isaac is born as promised, and Ishmael is heard and preserved with a future of his own.
Why does a well deserve narrative space?
Water sustains life and makes residence possible in a land Abraham does not yet own.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thou
- you
- wherefore
- for that reason
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.