2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21

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2 Samuel 21

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.

2 And 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.)

3 Wherefore 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?

4 And 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.

5 And 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,

6 Let 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.

7 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.

8 But 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:

9 And 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.

10 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 heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

13 And 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.

14 And 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.

15 Moreover 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.

16 And Ishbibenob, 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.

17 But 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.

18 And 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.

19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 And 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.

21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.

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

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

<html>On account of Shaul. On account of the sin regarding Shaul who was buried immediately and secretly as the men of Yovish Gilod stole his body and buried him. [Consequently] he was not eulogized with the respect due him. And his bloody House. Because he killed out Nov, the city of Kohanim. And because he killed the Givonim. When he killed out Nov, the city of Kohanim, he killed seven people from among them [the Givonim]. Two wood cutters, two water drawers, the sexton, the announcer and the scribe. This is what is explained in Yerushalmi Talmud, in Maseches Sanhedrin.¹Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 29a. [But] our Rabbis said,²Yevomos 78b. On account that he [Shaul] killed the Kohanim [of Nov] that provided food for them [the Givonim], consequently Scripture considers it as if he killed them [as well]. Do not wonder that God demanded retribution for the lack of respect given to him³i.e., the proper eulogy due him. and simultaneously demanded retribution for his sin,⁴of killing out Nov. because this what is what it is written, “Who has done His work,”⁵Tsafanyoh 2:3. when the person is being judged his good works [are remembered] this what we are taught in Maseches Yevomos.⁶Yevomos ibid, See Rashi there.</html>

Verse 2

<html>And spoke to them. Words of appeasement [asking them] to put aside their feelings [of anger] and forgive Shaul and his household. The Givonim were not part of the Bnei Yisroel. This is to say that they displayed how cruel they are, because they are not descendants of our forefather Avrohom. They have proven themselves unworthy to join with Yisroel and hence Dovid decreed that they not be permitted to marry into the Jewish community. He [Dovid] said, This nation [of Yisroel] has three characteristics, the people are merciful, they possess shame and perform kindful deeds for others. Whoever has these three characteristics is worthy of joining it [Yisroel].⁷They have shown themselves to be cruel and unmerciful and hence they do not deserve to join together with Yisroel. Yevomos 79a. Sworn to them [that they would let them live]. During the days of Yehoshua when he made woodcutters and water drawers for the Altar.⁸Yehoshua 9:27. In his zeal to avenge the Bnei Yisroel. Because he [Shaul] intended to clean and purify Yisroel and to take care of their [Yisroel's] needs, he wanted to kill them. This anger was for a good purpose as we find “Are you zealous for my sake?”⁹Bamidbar 11:29. And we also find “by the zeal for God's sake” as was said of Yeihuh.¹⁰See Melochim I, 19:10. This is the simple explanation of our verse. [But] according to the Midrashic intepretation, he [Shaul] only ordered that the kohanim be killed. And the zeal described here was not for a good purpose but rather for a bad purpose because he [Shaul] knew that his kingdom would not continue further from the day that he did not heed God's commandment concerning Amoleik,¹¹Shmuel I, 15:9. and from that time on, he was angry [and persecuted] them.</html>

Verse 3

<html>So that you should bless the heritage of Adonoy? Pray for them.</html>

Verse 4

<html>We are not interested in silver or gold from Shaul. We are only interested in [retribution against] people. He [Dovid] wanted to appease them with money but they did not want [to accept it]. He [Dovid] said, “It may be that they are embarrassed of each other.” [Therefore] he went and tried to appease each one individually [but] they [still] would not be appeased. That is why it is written here, “I am not interested in silver or gold etc” in singular form.¹²The verse is written with לִי in singular form, but is read with לָנוּ, plural form indicating that Dovid tried to appease them both collectively as a group and also on an individual basis. This I saw in the Yerushalmi Talmud.¹³Sanhedrin 29a. And we are interested in killing anyone. Among the rest of the Bnei Yisroel because they did not agrieve us.</html>

Verse 5

<html>And intended to destroy us. He said in his heart that we should be destroyed [and prevented] by him “from establishing etc.” He intended to destroy us. Intended. He intended to destroy us.</html>

Verse 6

<html>We will hang them. Hanging. Before God. In the name of God, to publicize His edict. The chosen one of God. A heavenly voice came forth and said, “The chosen one of God.”¹⁴The Givonim who hated Shaul would be unlikely to call him, “the chosen one of God.”</html>

Verse 7

<html>The king had pity. He prayed for pity on Mephivoshes that the Ark should not detain him; because Dovid had them [Shaul's children] pass before the Ark, whomever the Ark detained, was put to death.¹⁵i.e., was handed over to the Givonim who subsequently put them to death. Yevomos 79a.</html>

Verse 8

<html>Sons of Michal, the daughter of Shaul who had bore them to Adriel. Did Michal give birth [to these children]? It was Meirav who bore [those children] to [Adriel]. [The explanation is] that Meirav gave birth [to them] and Michal¹⁶Meirav’s sister. raised them, that is why they are called by her name because someone who raises male and female orphans in their house it is considered as if that person gave birth [to the child] and [the child] is called by his name.¹⁷Sanhedrin 19a.</html>

Verse 9

<html>At the beginning of the harvest. During the days of Nisson.</html>

Verse 10

<html>Until the rains fell on them. During the rainy season in Tishri. Their bones were not removed for burial. But is it not written, “His body should not remain [hanging] overnight”¹⁸Devorim 21:22. Why did Dovid let this happen?? However they reasoned that it is better that one of the letters of the Torah be uprooted in order that God's Name be publicly sanctified. Passersby would ask “Why have these people come to this fate?” They were told [in response], “They are royal sons.” “What did they do [wrong]?” “They assaulted downtrodden foreigners.” [The passersby] would say, “There is no people better to associate with then this people.”¹⁹Yevomos 79a.</html>

Verse 12

<html>He took Shaul's bones. He [Dovid] was told concerning them, “Because of Shaul”²⁰Earlier in 21:1. who was not eulogized according to halachah.</html>

Verse 13

<html>They gathered the bones. Of the seven people that were hung there.²¹In verse 9.</html>

Verse 14

<html>Everything that the king had commanded. To eulogize them in all of the cities of Yisroel.</html>

Verse 16

<html>A spear case weighing. It is like a case that is at the top of spear's handle that is called aristuille in O.F., and it is made like a hat There is something comparable to it in Maseches Zevochim, “What were the pomegranates of the tunic²²Zevachim 88b. The tunic worn by the Kohein Godol. similar to? They were like the caps on babies' heads” The caps [are called] hemles in O.F. Who was armed. Armed with a new sword. I heard [an explanation] that on that day he was intitiated into the wearing of battle dress and it is the manner of those so initiated to [try to] be successful and mighty on the day of their initiation to make a name for themselves. That is why, he said he was going to kill Dovid.</html>

Verse 17

<html>[Came] to his aid. He helped him with his prayer as is brought in [chapter] Cheilek.²³Sanhedrin 95a.</html>

Verse 18

<html>There was more war. This [war] came before all [those mentioned here] and is only recounted here to combine the deaths of the four sons of Orpoh.</html>

Verse 19

<html>Elchonon. Dovid.²⁴We know that it was Dovid who killed Golias in Shmuel I, 17:51, consequently this Elchonon must be Dovid. The son of Yari [whose family] were weavers. His family weaved the partition curtain of the Beis Hamikdosh that is [also] called a forest.²⁵The Beis Hamikdosh is called a forest because it was made with planks of acacia wood, see Shmos 26:15. Like that of the weaver's rod. [Yonoson translates:] “Like the weaver's rod,” that is called “ensouple” in O.F. Let a weaver come and stand up against a weaver['s instrument].</html>

Verse 20

<html>A giant man. As [Yonoson] translated, “A man of [great] measure,” the root [portion] of the word are the letters מ and ד.²⁶The ין being a suffix. We find [similarly] from the word שאון²⁷Tehilim 65:8. [roar] the root letters are ש and א and from the word הָמוֹן²⁸Bereishis 17:4. the root letters are ה and מ.²⁹These two words also having ין as a suffix. In Divrei Hayomim³⁰Divrei Hayomim I, 11:23. it is written, “A man of measure”³¹Concerning this same giant refered to in our verse but there the word מִדָּה is used without the suffix ין. i.e., a very tall man who had people measuring his height. Numbered six each etc. Our Rabbis explained in Maseches Bechoros³² that the verse had to tell us “twenty-four”³³Despite the fact that given that his two hands and two feet had six digital extremities each, which obviously totals twenty-four. in order that you should not say that the fingers of his two hands only came to a total of six and that the toes of his [two] feet only came to a total of six that is why it is written, “twenty-four.” If it had written in our verse only 'twenty-four“ and not had said “six each,” I would have [mistakeingly] said, there were seven on one [hand or foot] and five on the other. And what is the verse trying to indicate by the word “number”? That all these digital extremities could be counted in the normal arrangement of fingers on a hand.</html>

Table of Contents

2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20