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The Gibeonites Avenged
1
During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." SCode Num 27:21
2
The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) SCode Jos 9:3~17
3
David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the LORD’s inheritance?" SCode 1Sam 26:19
4
The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death." "What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.
5
They answered the king, "As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel,
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let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul - the LORD’s chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you." SCode 1Sam 11:4 1Sam 10:24 1Sam 10:26
7
The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul. SCode 1Sam 20:8 1Sam 23:18 1Sam 20:42
8
But the king took 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. SCode Gen 50:23 1Sam 18:19 2Sam 3:7
9
He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning. SCode Rth 1:22
10
Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. SCode Deu 21:23
11
When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done,
12
he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) SCode Jos 17:11 1Sam 31:10~13 2Sam 2:4
13
David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
14
They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land. SCode Jos 18:28 2Sam 24:25
Wars Against the Philistines
15
Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.
16
And 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. SCode 2Sam 21:18 2Sam 21:20 2Sam 21:22
17
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, "Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished." SCode 2Sam 18:3 2Sam 22:29 1Ki 15:4 1Ki 11:36 2Ki 8:19 2Chr 21:7 Psa 132:17
18
In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha. SCode 2Sam 21:16 2Sam 21:18~22 2Sam 21:20 2Sam 21:22 2Sam 23:27 1Chr 20:4~8 1Chr 27:11 1Chr 11:29
19
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. SCode 1Sam 17:7 2Sam 23:24 1Chr 20:5
20
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. SCode 2Sam 21:16 2Sam 21:18
21
When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him. SCode 1Sam 17:10 1Sam 17:25~26 1Sam 17:36 1Sam 17:45
22
These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men. SCode 2Sam 21:20
NIV Footnotes
  1. 21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal
  2. 21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  3. 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.
  4. 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.
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