2 Samuel 21:6

Contextual Overview

¹During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is due to Saul and to his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” ¹ There was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, It is for Sha'ul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Giv`onim. ¹ 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 his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. ¹ There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh said, "The bloodguilt is on Saul and on his household, because he killed the Gibeonites." ¹ Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord . And the Lord said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." ¹ During the time David was king, there was a shortage of food that lasted for three years. So David prayed to the Lord . The Lord answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for this shortage, because he killed the Gibeonites." ¹ During David's reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord . The Lord said, "It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, because he murdered the Gibeonites." ¹There was famine in the days of David for three consecutive years; and David sought the presence (face) of the LORD [asking the reason]. The LORD replied, "It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." ¹ Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, "It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death." ¹ Then there was a famine in the dayes of Dauid, three yeeres together: and Dauid asked counsell of the Lorde, and the Lorde answered, It is for Saul, & for his bloodie house, because hee slewe the Gibeonites.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Let seven: As God accepted the expiation here demanded, we must suppose that both the enquiry of David, and the answer of the Gibeonites, were directed by some open or secret intimation from him.

hang: 2 Samuel 17:23, 2 Samuel 18:10, Genesis 40:19, Genesis 40:22, Numbers 25:4, Numbers 25:5, Deuteronomy 21:22, Joshua 8:29, Joshua 10:26, Ezra 6:11, Esther 9:10, Esther 9:13, Esther 9:14, Matthew 27:5

in: 1 Samuel 10:26, 1 Samuel 11:4

whom the Lord did choose: or, the chosen of the Lord, 1 Samuel 9:16, 1 Samuel 9:17, 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 10:24, Acts 13:21

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:5 - visiting Deuteronomy 21:23 - he that is hanged is accursed of God 1 Samuel 13:2 - in Gibeah 1 Samuel 24:21 - that thou 2 Samuel 21:9 - before the Lord 1 Chronicles 2:49 - Gibea 1 Chronicles 12:3 - Gibeathite Hosea 5:8 - Gibeah

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Then Avraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Genesis 17:17
And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed. And he said in his heart, "Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?"

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed facedown on the ground and laughed. He said to himself, "Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?"

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child?"

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell vpon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a childe be borne vnto him, that is an hundreth yeere olde? and shall Sarah that is ninetie yeere olde beare?

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, "Will a son be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?"

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 reason was, they knew there were no more besides Mephibosheth, for whom David had a great respect, and therefore required no more:

and we will hang them up unto the Lord; not to gratify a revengeful spirit of theirs, but in honour to the justice of God, and to appease his wrath:

in Gibeah of Saul, [whom] the Lord did choose; which was Saul's native place, and where he always lived; so that to hang them there was to the greater disgrace of him and his family; and he being chosen of the Lord to be a king of Israel, was an aggravation of his crime in violating the oath made to the Gibeonites

and the king said, I will give [them]; for though he had sworn to Saul that he would not cut off his seed, yet as he had a divine direction in this case, as appears by the Lord's being pleased with it, and was entreated for the land by it, this oath of his was dispensed with; nor did he cut them off himself but delivered them to others, according to the will of God.

i T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 65. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Seven men - Seven was a sacred number not only with the Hebrews but with other Oriental nations Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:29, and is therefore brought in on this occasion when the judicial death of the sons of Saul was a religious act intended to appease the wrath of God for the violation of an oath Numbers 25:4.

Whom the Lord did choose - Rather, “the Lord’s chosen,” or elect. The same phrase is applied to Moses Psalms 106:23, to the Israelites Isaiah 43:20, and to Christ Isaiah 42:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 21:6. Seven men of his sons — Meaning sons, grandsons, or other near branches of his family. It is supposed that the persons chosen were principal in assisting Saul to exterminate the Gibeonites. But where is the proof of this?