Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 21:2
2At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
2 Samuel 21:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.)
- New International Version (NIV)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.)
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. Although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.
Context of 2 Samuel 21:2
1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.) 3So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?” 4The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
Read all of 2 Samuel 212 Samuel 21:2 word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֥א הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ לַגִּבְעֹנִ֖ים וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְהַגִּבְעֹנִ֞ים לֹ֣א מִבְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל הֵ֗מָּה כִּ֚י אִם־מִיֶּ֣תֶר הָאֱמֹרִ֔י וּבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נִשְׁבְּע֣וּ לָהֶ֔ם וַיְבַקֵּ֤שׁ שָׁאוּל֙ לְהַכֹּתָ֔ם בְּקַנֹּאת֥וֹ לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִיהוּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- At this, Davidמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- summonedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- the Gibeonitesגִּבְעֹנִיgib‛ônîy · GibeoniteH1393
- and spokeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to themאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- wereהֵ֫מָּהhêm hêmmâh · they(masc.)H1992
- notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- Israelitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- butכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
- ·[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
- a remnantיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of the Amoritesאֱמֹרִי'ĕmôrîy · AmoriteH567
- had taken an oath concerning themשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- but in his zealקָנָאqânâ' · be jealousH7065
- and Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- had soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- to kill themנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:2
- Joshua 9:3But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
- Joshua 6:19For all the silver and gold and all the articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they must go into His treasury.”
- Genesis 15:16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
- Deuteronomy 7:16You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
- 1 Samuel 14:44And Saul declared, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if you, Jonathan, do not surely die!”
- 1 Samuel 15:8He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.
- 2 Kings 10:16saying, “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!” So he had him ride in his chariot.
- Luke 9:54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
- John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
- Romans 10:2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
- Galatians 4:17Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 21:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The remnant of the Amorites - The Gibeonites were Hivites, not Amorites, as appears from Joshua 11:19; : but Amorites is a name often given to the Canaanites in general, Genesis 15:16; Amos 2:9, and elsewhere.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The way in which the writer here refers to the history of the league with the Gibeonites 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Though the Amorites were a specific group of people (Genesis 10:16), here it refers to the people living in Canaan before the Israelites. When zeal (strong devotion or passion) is directed in the right way, it is commendable. The Bible gives positive examples of this kind of zeal (Numbers 25:11; 1 Kings 19:10). Saul’s zeal, however, was misdirected. He showed clear disregard for Israel’s covenant (a binding agreement) with the Gibeonites.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah--Under pretense of a rigorous and faithful execution of the divine law regarding the extermination of the Canaanites, he set himself to expel or destroy those whom Joshua had been deceived into sparing. His real object seems to have been, that the possessions of the Gibeonites, being forfeited to the crown, might be divided among his own people (compare 1Sa 22:7). At all events, his proceeding against…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 21:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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