📖 2 Samuel — Chapter 21 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
2 Samuel 21:1 Then there was Ra famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David Tenquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
2 Samuel 21:2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (Rnow 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.)
2 Samuel 21:3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and Rwherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
2 Samuel 21:4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, TWe will have Rno 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.
2 Samuel 21:5 And they answered the king, RThe man that consumed us, and that Tdevised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
2 Samuel 21:6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will Rhang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, Twhom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
2 Samuel 21:7 But the king spared RMephibosheth, 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.
2 Samuel 21:8 But the king took the two sons of RRizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of TMichal the daughter of Saul, whom she Tbrought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
2 Samuel 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill Rbefore 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.
2 Samuel 21:10 And RRizpah 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.
2 Samuel 21:11 And it was Rtold David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
2 Samuel 21:12 And David went and took Rthe 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:
2 Samuel 21:13 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.
2 Samuel 21:14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son Rburied 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.
2 Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: Rand David waxed faint.
2 Samuel 21:16 And Ishbibenob, which was Rof the sons of Tthe giant, the weight of whose Tspear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
2 Samuel 21:17 But RAbishai 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 Tlight of Israel.
2 Samuel 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then RSibbechai the Hushathite slew TSaph, which was of the sons of Tthe giant.
2 Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where RElhanan the son of TJaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
2 Samuel 21:20 And there was Ryet 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 Tthe giant.
2 Samuel 21:21 And when he RTdefied Israel, Jonathan the son of TShimeah the brother of David slew him.
2 Samuel 21:22 These Rfour were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Samuel 21:1–9 — A broken oath and a severe settlement
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
A three-year famine leads David to inquire of the LORD, who names Saul’s bloodshed against the Gibeonites. Israel had sworn protection to them. David asks what settlement they seek and grants their demand for seven of Saul’s descendants, sparing Jonathan’s son because of his oath. The stated cause comes from the LORD; the specific demand comes from the Gibeonites. This difficult narrative is not a general instruction to punish descendants.
Key Truth: A broken promise can leave serious wrongs that must not be ignored.
Check What You Remember
1. How long had the famine lasted? (2 Samuel 21:1)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:1 (KJV).
2. Which people had Saul attacked? (2 Samuel 21:1)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:1 (KJV).
3. Whose son did David spare because of the oath? (2 Samuel 21:7)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:7 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Samuel 21:10–14 — Rizpah’s vigil and burial of the dead
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Rizpah protects the exposed bodies from birds and beasts through a long vigil. David hears of her devotion and gathers the remains of Saul, Jonathan, and those executed. Saul and Jonathan are buried in Kish’s sepulchre at Zelah, and the narrative reports God’s response for the land. The passage gives room to notice a grieving woman and the dignity of burial.
Key Truth: Care for the bereaved and the dead must not be lost in public affairs.
Check What You Remember
1. Who protected the bodies? (2 Samuel 21:10)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:10 (KJV).
2. Who was Saul’s son whose bones David gathered? (2 Samuel 21:12)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:12 (KJV).
3. In whose sepulchre were Saul and Jonathan buried? (2 Samuel 21:14)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:14 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
2 Samuel 21:15–22 — David’s weakness and his servants’ help
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
In renewed fighting, David grows faint and Abishai saves him. His men insist that he no longer go into battle. Other warriors defeat formidable Philistine opponents. The account recognizes both courage and limits: preserving the king now requires him to accept help rather than prove his strength.
Key Truth: Accepting help can be a responsible act, not a failure of courage.
Check What You Remember
1. Who helped David when he was threatened? (2 Samuel 21:17)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:17 (KJV).
2. Who killed Saph? (2 Samuel 21:18)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:18 (KJV).
3. How many fingers were on each hand of the man in Gath? (2 Samuel 21:20)
Find it in 2 Samuel 21:20 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Joshua 9:15 — This earlier passage records Israel’s oath to the Gibeonites.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
Which commitment deserves renewed attention? Also consider whether accepting help would let you fulfill a responsibility more wisely.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. How does David investigate the three-year famine?
2. What earlier commitment complicates Saul’s attack on the Gibeonites?
3. Why is Mephibosheth spared from the handing over?
4. How does Rizpah’s vigil lead into the account of burial?
5. Why do David’s men restrict his future participation in battle?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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