Study Desk

let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."

then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the open square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa.

He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.

They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.

Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary.

These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

"In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears.

"Smoke went up out of His nostrils, Fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.

"He bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.

"The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.

"Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

"For all His ordinances were before me, And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

"Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes.

"As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

"God is my strong fortress; And He sets the blameless in His way.

"He is a tower of deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever."

"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.

He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.