2 Samuel 21:3

2 Samuel 21:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?”

Context of 2 Samuel 21:3

1While David was king, there was a famine in Israel for three years. So David asked the Lord what had caused this trouble. The Lord said, ‘Saul's family is guilty of murder, because Saul killed many of the Gibeonites.’ 2The Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel. They were the only Amorite people who still lived. The Israelites had promised not to kill them. But Saul thought that he should kill them. He thought that this would help Israel and Judah to rule their land. Now King David told the Gibeonites to come to speak with him. He asked them, ‘What can I do to help you? How can I make things right between us? I want you to bring the Lord's blessing to his people again.’ 4The Gibeonites answered David, ‘We do not want Saul's family to give us money or gold. And it would not be right for us to kill anyone in Israel.’ So David asked them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 5They answered the king, ‘You know that Saul tried to destroy us. That man wanted to kill all of our family who were living in Israel.

2 Samuel 21:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־הַגִּבְעֹנִ֔ים מָ֥ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה לָכֶ֑ם וּבַמָּ֣ה אֲכַפֵּ֔ר וּבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־נַחֲלַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the Gibeonitesגִּבְעֹנִיgib‛ônîy · GibeoniteH1393
• What shall I doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonementכִּפֶּרkâphar · to atoneH3722
• that ye may blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
• the inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:3

• Exodus 32:30On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have done a great sin. But now I will go back up the mountain. I will speak to the Lord. Perhaps I can do something so that the Lord will forgive your sin.’
• Leviticus 1:4The person must put his hand on the animal's head. Then he must kill it. The animal's death will pay for the person's sins.
• 1 Samuel 2:25If you do something bad to another person, God can speak on your behalf. But if you do something bad against the Lord, nobody can speak on your behalf.’ Eli's sons did not listen to their father. The Lord had already decided to kill them.
• Micah 6:6‘I come to meet with the Lord,’ you say. ‘I must know what to bring when I come. I bend down to worship him. I must know what to offer when I bend down. He is God and he is greater than everything. Perhaps he would like it if I burn young cows one year old for him.
• Hebrews 9:22God's Law taught that blood was necessary to make almost everything clean. We see that God does not forgive people for their sins unless there is blood from a death.
• Hebrews 10:4We know that the blood of bulls and of goats cannot remove the punishment for sins.
• 2 Samuel 20:19The people of this city like to live in peace. We are faithful to our nation, Israel. Have you decided to destroy such an important city in Israel? Why do you want to destroy a city that belongs to the Lord?’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 21:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Wherewith shall I make the atonement - It is very strange that a choice of this kind should be left to such a people. Why not ask this of God himself?Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Saul’s actions had caused the Gibeonites to curse Israel (compare Romans 2:24). After David made things right with the Gibeonites, the Gibeonites would bless the Lord's people again.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-92Sa 21:1-9. The Three Years' Famine for the Gibeonites Cease by Hanging Seven of Saul's Sons. 1. the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites--The sacred history has not recorded either the time or the reason of this massacre. Some think that they were sufferers in the atrocity perpetrated by Saul at Nob (1Sa 22:19), where many of them may have resided as attendants of the priests; while others suppose it…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 21:3

• Covenant
• David
• Gibeon
• Saul

In the dictionaries

• David
• Charm
• Giants
• Heredity
• Magic; Magician
• Psalms, Book of
• Rizpah
• Salvation
• Samuel, Books of
• inherit, inheritance, heir

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