God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 21:2
2(The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. Although the Israelites had sworn ⌞to spare them⌟, Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah.) The king called the Gibeonites
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
1In the time of David, there was a famine for three successive years, and David asked the Lord’s advice about it. The Lord answered, “It’s because of Saul and his family. They are guilty of murder because they killed the people of Gibeon.” (The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. Although the Israelites had sworn ⌞to spare them⌟, Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah.) The king called the Gibeonites 3and asked them, “What can I do for you? What should I ⌞give you⌟ to make peace with you so that you will bless what belongs to the Lord?” 4“We do not want silver or gold from Saul’s family,” the Gibeonites answered him. “And none of us wants to kill ⌞anyone⌟ in Israel.” The king asked, “What are you saying that I should do for you?”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- the Gibeonitesגִּבְעֹנִיgib‛ônîy · GibeoniteH1393
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- not of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- but of the remnantיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of the Amoritesאֱמֹרִי'ĕmôrîy · AmoriteH567
- had swornשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- unto them: and Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- to slayנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- them in his zealקָנָאqânâ' · be jealousH7065
- and Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:2
- Joshua 9:3When the people living in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
- Joshua 6:19All the silver and gold and everything made of bronze and iron are holy and belong to the Lord. They must go into the Lord’s treasury.”
- Genesis 15:16In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, because the sin of the Amorites will not have run its course until then.”
- Deuteronomy 7:16You must destroy all the people the Lord your God hands over to you. Have no pity on them, and never worship their gods, because they will be a trap for you.
- 1 Samuel 14:44Saul said, “May God do worse things to me than are in this curse if you do not die, Jonathan!”
- 1 Samuel 15:8He captured King Agag of Amalek alive. But he claimed all the people for God by destroying them.
- 2 Kings 10:16Jehu said, “Come with me. See how devoted I am to the Lord.” So he had Jehonadab ride on his chariot.
- Luke 9:54James and John, his disciples, saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”
- John 16:2You will be thrown out of synagogues. Certainly, the time is coming when people who murder you will think that they are serving God.
- Romans 10:2I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.
- Galatians 4:17These people ⌞who distort the Good News⌟ are devoted to you, but not in a good way. They don’t want you to associate with me so that you will be devoted only to 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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