Brit-Am Commentary
"2-Samuel"
Chapter Twenty-One
The Kingdom
of David
A Brit-Am
On-Line First Publication
2-Samuel 21
[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.
The first part of this chapter concerns
the Gibeonites
and their demand for atonement for blood that had been spilled. Consequently
seven of the sons of Saul were to be put to death and their bodies protected by
Rizpah
the concubine of Saul. The events written of here apparently did not follow in
consecutive order after those of the previous chapter.
Yehudah
Kiel ("Daat
Mikra")
sees a link in themes discussed between this chapter and the previous one.
We saw how Amasa
was killed at Gibeon
(2-Samuel 20:8) and his blood would still need to be exculpated. We also how the
defiled Concubines of David were shut away and how the woman of Abel-beth-Maachah
saved her city by delivering up the head of SHEBA THE SON OF
BICHRI
(2-Samuel 20:20). Suggested parallels between the two chapters include:
Gibeon,
needed atonement for killing, sacrifice of the guilty, concubines, the wisdom
and virtue of women.
From here until the end of the book events are not necessarily written in
Chronological order. The matter of the
Gibeonites
written about here may have taken place well before the Revolt of Absalom and
its aftermath that we have just read about.
The famine occurred in the time of David but the reason for it was related to
Saul, the previous king. Why then did David have to deal with it and not Saul?
The answer that is given by the Sages is that David and his subjects were capable of dealing
with it whereas under Saul they were not and the issue was a national one.
HIS BLOODY HOUSE: Hebrew, "beit
[house] Ha-Damim
[of bloodshed]". God uses this expression meaning that the House of Saul really
was culpable of unjustifiable bloodshed. Even more than that, it is possible
that the expression "BLOODY HOUSE" reflects a basic characteristic of Saul and
his family.
[2-Samuel 21:2] 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.
Gibeonites
were part of the Hivites
(Joshua 9:7), a Canaanite People. They had tricked Joshua and his men into a
Pact of Protection. Nevertheless the Pact had been entered into under a Holy
Oath. It had to be maintained both because of the sanctity of the oath and
because the Prestige of the Almighty was involved. This expression, "Prestige
of the Almighty" or in Hebrew "Kiddush
HaShem"
(literally "Sanctification of God) may sound almost laughable. God is the Creator
and does not need us to sanctify or honor HIM. Nevertheless in the eyes of the
heathen the Almighty is associated with Israel. When Israel does not behave
honorably towards non-Israelites it is as if the Name of God Himself has been
desecrated.
For some more Background to the
Gibeonites see Joshua chapter
nine.
http://britam.org/joshua/joshua9.html
Gibeon-Extracts
from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibeon
When the Israelites first conquered the Land of Canaan, after the destruction of Jericho and Ai, the people of
Gibeon
(Hivites)
sent ambassadors to trick Joshua and the Israelites into making a treaty with
them. According to the Bible, the Israelites had been commanded to destroy all
inhabitants of Canaan. The
Gibeonites told the Israelites
they were from a distant land. Without consulting the High Priest and the Urim, Israel
entered into a mutual pact with the
Gibeonites.
Joshua realized he had been deceived but kept his covenant with the
Gibeonites,
who became the woodcutters and water-carriers (Joshua 9:3-27).
Much later as we read here, after the death of Absalom and king David's restoration to his
throne, Israel was visited by a grievous famine. This was found to be a
punishment for King Saul's violation (2 Sam. 21:2-5) of the covenant with the
Gibeonites.
Gibeon
was located in the tribal territory of Benjamin (Joshua 18:25), and it had been made
a Levitical
City (Joshua 21:17). It was the place where God famously made the sun stand
still during the Israelites' war with the Amorites (Josh 10:12).
THE GIBEONITES
WERE NOT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: The non-Israelite origin of the
Gibeonites
is emphasized. The Sages remarked that they were known for their cruelty. Later, some sources say that Israelites who displayed sadistic qualities could be suspected of
Gibeonite
ancestry.
OF THE REMNANT OF THE AMORITES. The
Amori
were one of the Ten Nations of Canaan. So were the
Canaani
one of the Ten Nations of Canaan. The Canaanites in general could be referred to
as either "Canaani"
(Canaanites) or "Amori"
(Amorites) even though strictly speaking these names pertained to only two of
the Tribes amongst them.
The Land of Israel could be referred to "Land of Canaan" or "Land of the
Amorites" (Amos 2:10). In the eyes of foreigners (e.g. Egyptians) all
inhabitants of the land (including Israelites) could be regarded as "Amori".
IN HIS ZEAL TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. We do not know exactly what
happened. There are a few
Midrashim and various suggestions
but the question remain open.
Yehudah
Kiel quotes different opinions on this matter:
1. THE HIGH PLACE AT GIBEON:
Saul had set up the GREAT HIGH PLACE (where Solomon later offered sacrifices)
in Gibeon
and had killed Gibeonites
in doing so.
AND THE KING WENT TO GIBEON
TO SACRIFICE THERE; FOR THAT WAS THE GREAT HIGH PLACE: A THOUSAND BURNT
OFFERINGS DID SOLOMON OFFER UPON THAT ALTAR [1-Kings 3:4].
2. THE CITY OF NOB:
Saul wiped out the city of Nob,
AND THE KING SAID TO DOEG,
TURN THOU, AND FALL UPON THE PRIESTS. AND
DOEG
THE EDOMITE
TURNED, AND HE FELL UPON THE PRIESTS, AND SLEW ON THAT DAY FOURSCORE AND FIVE
PERSONS THAT DID WEAR A LINEN EPHOD [1-Samuel 22:18].
AND NOB,
THE CITY OF THE PRIESTS, SMOTE HE WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD, BOTH MEN AND
WOMEN, CHILDREN AND SUCKLINGS,
AND OXEN, AND ASSES, AND SHEEP, WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD [1-Samuel 22:19].
Saul used the fact that he suspected the Priests (Cohens)
of helping David as an excuse to wipe out their entire city.
Radak
suggests that this was only an excuse and that there was another reason behind
it all. Nevertheless Saul gave the order and
Doeg
(with his "servants") carried it out.
Even though Nob
is described as a city of Cohens
the Gibeonites
were attached to them and bound to serve them as hewers of wood and drawers of
water. Slaying of the Gibeonites
may have occurred in what is nowadays termed "collateral damage". In our
commentary we quote the Radak who suggested that another reason may have been behind the wiping out
of this city. Who knows if Saul did not really intend to use its "offence" as an
excuse to get at the Gibeonites?
3. Removal of the Gibeonite
Settlements:
Places where the Gibeonites
dwelt (Kiryat
Yaarim,
Beeroth
Gibeon,
HaKafirah)
were all strategically located. Saul may have feared the
Gibeonites
linking up the the Philistines. He therefore resettled part of them elsewhere
and casualties resulted in the course of their removal.
4. Saul and the extirpation of Heathenism
Saul had been zealous to wipe out witchcraft.
SAUL HAD PUT AWAY THOSE THAT HAD FAMILIAR SPIRITS, AND THE WIZARDS, OUT OF THE
LAND [1-Samuel 28:3].
THOU KNOWEST
WHAT SAUL HATH DONE, HOW HE HATH CUT OFF THOSE THAT HAVE FAMILIAR SPIRITS, AND
THE WIZARDS, OUT OF THE LAND [1-Samuel 28:9].
The Gibeonites
were Canaanites. They had made a pact with the Israelites and agreed to serve
them. In principle they were subject to the Same Laws as the rest of Israel. In
practice they may have kept many of their old practices. The zealousness of Saul
in wiping out witchcraft may have resulted in him concentrating force against the
Gibeonites
with many casualties not all of whom were necessarily culpable.
5. The pact with the Gibeonites
(Joshua 9:18) had been made under false pretenses. The
Gibeonites
had deceived the Children of Israel and Saul may have been lead to believe that
it no longer applied.
[2-Samuel 21:3] 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?
David needed the blessing of the
Gibeonites
to remove the curse from the Land. To receive this blessing an atonement needed
to be made.
INHERITANCE OF THE LORD. This refers to Israelites dwelling in the Land of
Israel
[2-Samuel 21:4] 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.
[2-Samuel 21:5] 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,
COASTS: Hebrew "gevul"
meaning "border". Saul had evidently removed from the border regions. This could
have resulted in casualties amongst them which fits in with one of the above
suggestions concerning the guilt of Saul.
[2-Samuel 21:6] 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.
<<SEVEN.
Shimeon
ben
Ephrat
suggests that the number "seven" (in Hebrew "sheva")
was chosen because it uses almost the same letters in Hebrew and sounds similar
to the word for "oath" ?in Hebrew "Shevuah".
It is worth pointing out a similarity between some English Numbers and Hebrew
one:
Shesh
in Hebrew is Six.
Sheva
(which could be pronounced in the north as "seva(n)"
is seven.
The letter "chet"
(or "het")
stands for eight which gives us the French "huit"
and the English "eight".
The letter "nun" stands for ninety and maybe somehow it became the English
"nine".
At all events the Hebrew "sheva"
became the English "seven".
The word for oath is "shevuah"
and this became the English "swear".
[2-Samuel 21:7] 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.
[2-Samuel 21:8] 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:
MICHAL:
The daughter of Saul, Merab,
had been promised to David. When the time came
Merab
was given to Adriel.
Michal
the sister of Merab
was then given to David. Michal
according to the Sages brought up the children of
Merab
after her death. Since Michal
had helped raise the children they were attributed to her. Similarly we find
with Naomi, who became a nurse to the child of Ruth, being considered the mother of the child she took care of.
AND THE WOMEN HER
NEIGHBOURS
GAVE IT A NAME, SAYING, THERE IS A SON BORN TO NAOMI [Ruth 4:17].
SHE BROUGHT UP: In Hebrew it says, "Yaldah"
which would usually be understood to mean "gave birth to". The translators of
the KJV
have here used the Tradition of the Sages in their translation. All coherent
translations of the Bible do the same to some degree. There is no getting away
from it. "Ephraimites"
who reject the Oral tradition should know exactly what they are rejecting.
Jewish tradition and historical experience is that denial of the authority of
the Sages is usually only an excuse for denying the Bible which in turn means
denial of the Almighty.
THE FIVE SONS OF MICHAL
THE DAUGHTER OF SAUL, WHOM SHE [BROUGHT UP FOR] [alternately "BEGAT FROM"]
ADRIEL.
The Bible may be hinting at something deeper here. It may be that
Merab
was supposed to be given to David and then
Michal
would have been available for
Adriel. The situation was
reversed but then despite everything
Michal
ended up raising the children of
Merab from
Adriel.
It could be that in some way these same children were supposed to have been of
Michal
from the very beginning?
[2-Samuel 21:9] 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.
[2-Samuel 21:10] 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.
<<UNTIL WATER DROPPED UPON THEM. It has
been suggested that this signifies the end of the curse. Assuming that the
three-year famine had been brought on by lack of rainfall it had now come to an
end and the rain had returned.
[2-Samuel 21:11] AND IT WAS TOLD DAVID WHAT RIZPAH THE DAUGHTER OF AIAH, THE
CONCUBINE OF SAUL, HAD DONE.
[2-Samuel 21:1 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:
JABESHGILEAD.
At the very beginning of his reign Saul had saved the inhabitants of
JABESHGILEAD
from having their right eyes gouged out. When Saul and
Jonathan
fell in battle against the Philistines their bodies were hung on the walls of
Beth-Shean
(1-Samuel 31:10). The men of
Jabesh-Gilead took them down and
buried them in honor (1-Samuel 31:13).
[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 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.
[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:
AND DAVID WAXED FAINT.
[2-Samuel 21:16] 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.
These verses in 2-Samuel deal with different incidents involving war against the
giants.
[2-Samuel 21:17] 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.
David was already advanced in years at
this stage but we see him here still in action, still fighting, and having to be
restrained for the sake of the kingdom and his own innate importance.
The Duke of Wellington once remarked about Napoleon, "His hat on the field is
worth ten thousand men".
[2-Samuel 21:18] 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.
THE GIANT. Hebrew "ha-Rapha"
meaning "ha-Rephaim"
(1-Chronicles 20:4) or "The Giants". The four giants mentioned in these passage
were all sons of one mother named "Ripha"
(see 2-Samuel 21:18 below).
[2-Samuel 21:19] 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.
JAAREOREGIM:
Hebrew "Yeaari-Orgim"
which literally sounds like "forests of weavers" but probably connotes "forest
of thick trees" which could be the name of a place.
SLEW [THE BROTHER OF] GOLIATH THE
GITTITE.
This is the KJ Version. The Hebrew original however lacks the words ["THE
BROTHER OF"] and only says,
"SLEW GOLIATH THE GITTITE".
This would seem to conflict with 1-Samuel 17:50 where it says that David killed
Goliath the Gittite.
In the Book of Chronicles it says that
ELHANAN
THE SON OF JAIR
[Yair]
killed LAHMI
THE BROTHER OF GOLIATH THE
GITTITE.
1-Chonicles says,
"AND THERE WAS WAR AGAIN WITH THE PHILISTINES; AND
ELHANAN
THE SON OF JAIR
SLEW LAHMI
THE BROTHER OF GOLIATH THE
GITTITE, WHOSE SPEAR STAFF WAS
LIKE A WEAVER'S BEAM [1-Chronicles 20:5].
We see from here that the verse in 1-Chronicles serves as explanation for that of 2-Samuel 21:19
and that the KJV has an interpolation based on this explanation.
David killed Goliath some years before he became king. He reigned for thirty
years. The incident with Lahmi
could have occurred some time later. It may be that
Lahmi
after the death of his brother was renamed "Goliath" or even named "Goliath" at
his birth in honor of his dead brother but also bore the name
Lahmi.
The term "Lahmi"
may in effect simply mean "dweller of Beth-Lehem".
The name Goliath may be related to the name "Alyattes"
which (assuming that initial "A" is something like a Semitic "ayin")
may have been pronounced the same as "Goliath".
Both "Alyattes"
and "Goliath" may actually have been titles.
We later find Kings in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) named "Alyattes",
e.g. Alyattes
of Lydia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alyattes_II.
<<His name may be derived from the Lydian word
walwi,
'lion'.
http://www.livius.org/men-mh/mermnads/alyattes.html
<<The name "Goliath" itself is non-Semitic and has been linked with the Lydian
name "Alyattes",
which also fits the Philistine context of the biblical Goliath story.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath
[2-Samuel 21:20] 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.
This is a much more common trait than is
commonly realized since these days the extra fingers are usually surgically
removed.
<<The condition has an incidence of 1 in every 500 live births[1] although the
frequency is higher in some groups (an example is the Amish in the United
States, due to the founder effect).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly
[2-Samuel 21:21] AND WHEN HE DEFIED ISRAEL, JONATHAN THE SON OF SHIMEAH THE
BROTHER OF DAVID SLEW HIM.
[2-Samuel 21:2 THESE FOUR WERE BORN TO THE GIANT IN GATH, AND FELL BY THE HAND
OF DAVID, AND BY THE HAND OF HIS SERVANTS.
[2-Samuel 22:1] AND DAVID SPAKE UNTO THE LORD THE WORDS OF THIS SONG IN THE DAY
THAT THE LORD HAD DELIVERED HIM OUT OF THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND OUT OF
THE HAND OF SAUL:
