2 Samuel 21:7

2 Samuel 21:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the Lord that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of 2 Samuel 21:7

5They answered the king, “Give us seven of the male descendants of the man who wanted to finish us off. He planned to wipe us out to keep us from staying anywhere in Israel’s territory. 6We will execute them in the Lord’s presence at Saul’s town Gibeah.” (It was Saul whom the Lord had chosen.) “I will give them ⌞to you⌟,” the king said. But the king spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, because of the oath in the Lord’s name between David and Jonathan, son of Saul. 8The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter) gave birth to for Saul, and five sons whom Merab (Saul’s daughter) gave birth to for Adriel, son of Barzillai from Meholah. 9The king handed them over to the Gibeonites, who executed them on the mountain in the Lord’s presence. All seven died together. They were killed at the beginning of the harvest, when people started harvesting barley.

2 Samuel 21:7 word by word

וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מְפִי־בֹ֖שֶׁת בֶּן־יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בֶּן־שָׁא֑וּל עַל־שְׁבֻעַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין דָּוִ֔ד וּבֵ֖ין יְהוֹנָתָ֥ן בֶּן־שָׁאֽוּל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• sparedחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550
• Mephiboshethמְפִיבֹשֶׁתmephîybôsheth mephibôsheth · MephiboshethH4648
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• because of the Lord’sיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• oathשְׁבוּעָהshebû‛âh · oathH7621
• between them, between Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:7

• 2 Samuel 4:4In addition, Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled. When the boy was five years old, the news about ⌞the death of⌟ Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled ⌞to Gittaim⌟. She was in a hurry when she left, and he fell ⌞from her arms⌟ and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
• 2 Samuel 9:10You, your sons, and your servants should farm the land for him and harvest ⌞the crops⌟ so that your master’s family will have food to eat. However, your master’s grandson Mephibosheth will always eat at my table.” (Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.)
• 2 Samuel 16:4The king told Ziba, “In that case everything that belonged to Mephibosheth now belongs to you.” “I sincerely thank you,” said Ziba. “I hope to remain in your good graces, Your Majesty.”
• 2 Samuel 19:25When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?”
• 1 Samuel 18:3So Jonathan made a pledge of mutual loyalty with David because he loved him as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself.
• 1 Samuel 20:8Now, be kind to me. After all, you forced me into an agreement with the Lord. If I have committed any crime, kill me yourself. Why bother taking me to your father?”
• 1 Samuel 23:18Both of them made a pledge in the Lord’s presence. David stayed in Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 21:7

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7The Lord‘s oath - The calamity brought upon Israel by Saul‘s breach of the oath to the Gibeonites would make David doubly careful in the matter of his own oath to Jonathan.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7the oath: See 1 Samuel 20:14–15. Unlike Saul, David kept his promise even as he faced the dangerous consequences of Saul breaking an oath.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 21:7

• Covenant
• David
• Gibeon
• Mephibosheth
• Oath
• Saul

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jonathan
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Gibeah
• Giants
• Heredity
• Mephibosheth
• Psalms, Book of
• Rizpah

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