The writer of 2 Samuel closes the history of David’s reign in 2 Samuel 20:23-26, and the remaining four chapters of 2 Samuel form a kind of appendix. We read about a series of events, seven of them, which took place whilst David was still reigning as king, but they aren’t necessarily in chronological order.
This chapter begins by telling us that there was a famine for three years in a row as a result of Saul’s overzealous actions in putting the Gibeonites to death, 2 Samuel 21:1.
He basically tried to wipe out the whole race of the Gibeonites, thinking that God’s instructions to Israel regarding their putting the nations of Canaan to death might still be implemented, Joshua 9:24. However, God’s commandment in that instance was to Joshua, not to Saul.
It was far too late for Israel to attempt to do that. Saul also ignored a very important fact, and that was that the Israelites had made a solemn covenant with the Gibeonites that they wouldn’t be harmed and that the Gibeonites would be slaves to Israel, Joshua 9:22. In other words, Saul sinned because he broke that covenant agreement with the Gibeonites.
The Gibeonites were not of Israel; they were the remnant of the Amorites, 2 Samuel 21:2. They were actually Hivites, Joshua 9:7. Being called Amorites was a common Old Testament name for anyone who lived in Canaan before Israel moved there, Genesis 15:16 / Deuteronomy 1:37 / Joshua 5:1 / Joshua 24:15 / 1 Samuel 7:14.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Gibeonites were Hivites, Joshua 9:7 / Joshua 11:19, and in many enumerations of the Canaanite nations, the Hivites are distinguished from the Amorites. But “Amorite” is often used in a more comprehensive sense, equivalent to ‘Canaanite’, as Genesis 15:16 / Deuteronomy 1:27, and denoting especially that part of the Canaanite nation which dwelt in the hill country, Numbers 13:29 / Deuteronomy 1:7 / Deuteronomy 1:20 / Deuteronomy 1:24, and so includes the Hivites.’
David then calls the Gibeonites and makes the same mistake that Joshua and the elders did, in that they didn’t ask God what they should do, Joshua 9:14. Instead of asking God what to do, he asked a pagan king, 2 Samuel 21:3, and because he did, he was never going to receive the correct answer.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is very strange that a choice of this kind should be left to such people. Why not ask this of God himself?’
The Gibeonites didn’t want gold or silver, 2 Samuel 21:4 / Numbers 35:31-32, and so, when David asks them what they want, they ask David for seven of Saul’s descendants in order for them to hand them and expose them, 2 Samuel 21:5-6 / Numbers 35:33 / Deuteronomy 24:16.
Although we’re not sure what the word ‘hang’ means here, it’s obvious they wanted to torture them in some form and leave their bodies exposed for some time, Deuteronomy 21:22-23. David agrees with them and says he will give them to the Gibeonites, 2 Samuel 21:6.
If you remember, David had promised to be kind to Saul’s son Jonathan and his family, 2 Samuel 21:7 / 1 Samuel 20:12-17, this is why he spared Mephibosheth, who was Jonathan’s only son, 2 Samuel 9:7.
David then takes Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite, 2 Samuel 21:8.
Rizpah was Saul’s concubine, 2 Samuel 3:7, and their son Mephibosheth was the uncle of Jonathan’s son who had the same name. Merab had married Adriel instead of David in 1 Samuel 18:19, and Adriel’s father was Barzillai, but not the same man who earlier helped David, 2 Samuel 19:31-39.
The Gibeonites put the men’s bodies on a hill, 2 Samuel 21:9, and by doing this, they were displaying that the punishment was complete and as a result, the Lord could bless Israel again.
The crops had failed because there had been no rain, and as a result, the Israelites had no crops to harvest. Understandably, Rizpah was very upset and protected her son’s bodies until it rained, 2 Samuel 21:10 / Matthew 24:28.
The citizens of Jabesh Gilead had at some point stolen the bodies of Saul and Jonathon, 1 Samuel 31:8-13, and so David takes the bones of Saul, Jonathan and the seven members of his family and buries them properly in the grave of Saul’s father, 2 Samuel 21:11-14.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The reader will recollect that the men of Jabesh-Gilead burned the bodies of Saul and his sons, and buried the remaining bones under a tree at Jabesh, 1 Samuel 31:12-13. These David might have dug up again, in order to bury them in the family sepulchre.’
Some Israelites thought that David hated King Saul’s family. Shimei accused David of this in 2 Samuel 16:5-8, but this event shows that the Gibeonites, not David, killed Saul’s sons and grandsons.
David always gave honour to Saul and his family. It’s possible that David felt guilty, thinking he didn’t do enough to give enough honour to Saul and Jonathan’s bodies.
The Israelites had done everything fair and right, hence why God now sends the rain. The prayer of David and the people brought the power of God to preserve the people and the land, 2 Samuel 21:14. When the foreign forces were settled, and under the reign of David, there was peace from those outside the land of Palestine.
Here we read about the incredible bravery of Abishai, Sibbechai, Elhanan and Jonathan and how their actions changed the history of Israel. David’s deliverance by these four men must have happened early in David’s reign when Israel was at war against the Philistines, 2 Samuel 21:15 / 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. Their loyalty to David is clearly seen in their courageous actions.
We are told that David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted, 2 Samuel 21:15. We are told that Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David, 2 Samuel 21:16.
However, Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue, he struck the Philistine down and killed him, 2 Samuel 21:17. David’s men now swear to David and say, Never again will he go out with them to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished, 2 Samuel 21:17.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘David is here considered as the lamp by which all Israel was guided, and without whom all the nation must be involved in darkness. The lamp is the emblem of direction and support.’
Then there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob and at that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha, 2 Samuel 21:18.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In the parallel passage, ‘Gezer’ is named as the field of this battle. However, Gath is named, 2 Samuel 21:20 / 2 Samuel 21:22, in a way to make it probable that Gath was the scene of all the battles. The Septuagint in this verse has ‘Gath.’
In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod, 2 Samuel 21:19.
Notice the text says that ‘Elhanan killed Goliath’, 2 Samuel 21:19. For many, this appears to be a contradiction because 1 Samuel 17:50-51, tells us that David killed Goliath.
Payne, in his commentary, says the following.
1. The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:5 states that Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath.
2. Elhanan and David were names of the same individual, just as Solomon was also named Jedidiah, 2 Samuel 12:24.
3. It is also possible that Goliath was a name worn by more than one Philistine giant, or that it was a Philistine title, or that it described a certain type of Philistine soldier.
In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha, and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him, 2 Samuel 21:20-21.
These four men mentioned here were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants, 2 Samuel 21:22. Significantly, David is mentioned here as one who had a hand in killing these giants, which perfectly harmonises with 1 Samuel 17:50-51.