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Thursday, September 11th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

2 Samuel 21:7

But the king spared Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lords othe that was between them, betweene Dauid, and Ionathan the sonne of Saul.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covenant;   David;   Gibeon;   Mephibosheth;   Oath;   Saul;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gibeonites;   Oaths;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth;   Rizpah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Murder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Gibeah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adriel;   Armoni;   Beeroth;   Compassion;   Court Systems;   Gibeon;   Mephibosheth;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Haggai;   Israel;   Rizpah;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Ransom (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Gibeonites ;   Mephibosheth ;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Heredity;   Mephibosheth;   Salvation;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Atonement;   Crime;   Names (Personal);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.
Hebrew Names Version
But the king spared Mefivoshet, the son of Yonatan the son of Sha'ul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Yonatan the son of Sha'ul.
King James Version
But 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.
Lexham English Bible
But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the sworn oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
English Standard Version
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
New Century Version
But the king protected Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the promise he had made to Jonathan in the Lord 's name.
New English Translation
The king had mercy on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, in light of the Lord 's oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
Amplified Bible
But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between David and Saul's son Jonathan.
New American Standard Bible
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Saul's son Jonathan.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the King had compassion on Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lordes othe, that was betweene them, euen betweene Dauid and Ionathan the sonne of Saul.
Legacy Standard Bible
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Saul's son Jonathan.
Contemporary English Version
David had made a promise to Jonathan with the Lord as his witness, so he spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.
Complete Jewish Bible
But the king spared M'fivoshet, the son of Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul, because of the oath before Adonai between David and Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul.
Darby Translation
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the king protected Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth. Jonathan was Saul's son, and David had made a promise in the Lord 's name to Jonathan. So the king did not let them hurt Mephibosheth.
George Lamsa Translation
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORDS oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Good News Translation
But because of the sacred promise that he and Jonathan had made to each other, David spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.
Literal Translation
But the king spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth the son of Saul because of the oath of Jehovah that was between them, between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Howbeit the kynge spared Mephiboseth ye sonne of Ionathas ye sonne of Saul, because of the ooth of the LORDE yt was betwene them: namely, betwene Dauid & Ionathas the sonne of Saul.
American Standard Version
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Bible in Basic English
But the king did not give up Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the Lord's oath made between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the king had compassion on Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lordes oth that was betweene them, euen betweene Dauid & Ionathan the sonne of Saul.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But 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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the king spared Memphibosthe son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, even between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
English Revised Version
But 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.
Berean Standard Bible
Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the kyng sparide Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, for the ooth of the Lord, that was bitwixe Dauid and bitwixe Jonathas, sone of Saul.
Young's Literal Translation
and the king hath pity on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath of Jehovah that [is] between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul;
Update Bible Version
But the king spared Mephibaal, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Webster's Bible Translation
But 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.
World English Bible
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
New King James Version
But 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.
New Living Translation
The king spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who was Saul's grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the Lord .
New Life Bible
But the king kept alive Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because David had made a promise to Saul's son Jonathan before the Lord.
New Revised Standard
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the king had pity upon Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, Saul's son, - because of the oath of Yahweh that was between them, between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king spared Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord, that had been between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
Revised Standard Version
But the king spared Mephib'osheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
THE MESSAGE
The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the promise David and Jonathan had spoken before God . But the king selected Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons that Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, plus the five sons that Saul's daughter Merab had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He turned them over to the Gibeonites who hanged them on the mountain before God —all seven died together. Harvest was just getting underway, the beginning of the barley harvest, when they were executed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Saul's son Jonathan.

Contextual Overview

1 Then there was a famine in the dayes of Dauid three yeeres, yeere after yeere, and Dauid enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloodie house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said vnto them, (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the children of Israel had sworne vnto them: and Saul sought to slay them, in his zeale to the children of Israel and Iudah) 3 Wherefore Dauid said vnto the Gibeonites, What shall I doe for you? and wherwith shall I make the atonement, that ye may blesse the inheritance of the Lord ? 4 And the Gibeonites saide vnto him, We will haue no siluer nor golde of Saul, nor of his house, neither for vs shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What you shall say, that will I doe for you. 5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed vs, and that deuised against vs, that we should be destroied from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel, 6 Let seuen men of his sonnes bee deliuered vnto vs, and wee will hang them vp vnto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whome the Lord did chuse. And the king said, I will giue them. 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lords othe that was between them, betweene Dauid, and Ionathan the sonne of Saul. 8 But the king tooke the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare vnto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the fiue sonnes of Michal the daughter of Saul, whome she brought vp for Adriel the sonne of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 And hee deliuered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seuen together, and were put to death in the dayes of haruest, in the first dayes, in the beginning of barley haruest.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Mephibosheth: 2 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 9:10, 2 Samuel 16:4, 2 Samuel 19:25

because: 1 Samuel 18:3, 1 Samuel 20:8, 1 Samuel 20:15, 1 Samuel 20:17, 1 Samuel 20:42, 1 Samuel 23:18

Reciprocal: Leviticus 5:4 - to do evil Joshua 2:17 - General Joshua 6:22 - as ye sware unto her Joshua 9:18 - had sworn Proverbs 18:24 - that hath Proverbs 27:10 - own

Cross-References

Genesis 21:11
And the thing was very grieuous in Abrahams sight, because of his sonne.
Genesis 21:12
And God said vnto Abraham, Let it not be grieuous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bond woman. In all that Sarah hath said vnto thee, hearken vnto her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Genesis 21:32
Thus they made a couenant at Beeer-sheba: then Abimelech rose vp, and Phichol the chiefe captaine of his hoste, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
Genesis 21:34
And Abraham soiourned in the Philistines land, many dayes.
Numbers 23:23
Surely there is no inchantment against Iacob, neither is there any diuination against Israel: according to this time it shalbe said of Iacob, and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Psalms 86:8
Among the gods there is none like vnto thee (O Lord:) neither are there any workes like vnto thy workes.
Psalms 86:10
For thou art great, and doest wonderous things: thou art God alone.
Isaiah 49:21
Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I haue lost my children and am desolate, a captiue and remouing to and fro? and who hath brought vp these? Beholde, I was left alone, these where had they beene?
Isaiah 66:8
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seene such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be borne at once? for as soone as Zion traueiled, shee brought foorth her children.
Ephesians 3:10
To the intent that now vnto the principalities and powers in heauenly places, might be knowen by the church, the manifold wisedome of God,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 Saul's of the same name, after mentioned:

because of the Lord's oath that [was] between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul; not merely or only out of affection to Mephibosheth, but because of the oath, that he might not be guilty of the same crime Saul was in slaying the Gibeonites.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord’s oath - The calamity brought upon Israel by Saul’s breach of the oath to the Gibeonites would make David doubly careful in the matter of his own oath to Jonathan.


 
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