2 Samuel 21:1

2 Samuel 21:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
• New International Version (NIV)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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. And the Lord said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

Context of 2 Samuel 21:1

Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. 2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said to 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 to them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) 3Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and how shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

2 Samuel 21:1 word by word

וַיְהִ֣י רָעָב֩ בִּימֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים שָׁנָה֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י שָׁנָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ דָּוִ֖ד אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַדָּמִ֔ים עַל־אֲשֶׁר־הֵמִ֖ית אֶת־הַגִּבְעֹנִֽים׃Read the interlinear

• famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• enquiredבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• ofפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• bloodyדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• slewמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• Gibeonitesגִּבְעֹנִיgib‛ônîy · GibeoniteH1393

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:1

• Genesis 12:10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to dwell there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
• Genesis 26:1And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines to Gerar.
• Genesis 41:57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain ; because the famine was severe in all lands.
• Genesis 42:1Now when Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
• Genesis 43:1And the faminewassevere in the land.
• Leviticus 26:19And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
• 1 Kings 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
• 1 Kings 18:2And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
• 2 Kings 6:25And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
• 2 Kings 8:1Then Elisha spoke to the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thy household, and sojourn wherever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
• Jeremiah 14:1The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
• 2 Samuel 5:19And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the LORD said to David, Go up: for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
• Numbers 27:21And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
• 1 Samuel 23:2Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said to David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
• Job 5:8I would seek to God, and to God would I commit my cause:
• Job 10:2I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why thou contendest with me.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 21:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Then there was a famine - Of this famine we know nothing; it is not mentioned in any part of the history of David. Because he slew the Gibeonites - No such fact is mentioned in the life and transactions of Saul; nor is there any reference to it in any other part of Scripture.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1There is no note of time whatever, nor any clue as to what part of David‘s reign the events of this chapter ought to be assigned. Enquired of the Lord - Hebrew “sought the face of the Lord,” quite a different phrase from that so often used in Judges (e. g. Judges 1:1) and the Books of Samuel, and probably indicating that this chapter is from a different source; an inference agreeing with the indefinite “in the days of David,” and with the allusion to the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Gibeonites avenged. (1-9) Rizpah's care for the bodies of Saul's descendants. (10-14) Battles with the Philistines. (15-22) Verses 1-9 Every affliction arises from sin, and should lead us to repent and humble ourselves before God; but some troubles especially show that they are sent to bring sin to remembrance. God's judgments often look a great way back, which requires us to do so, when we are under his rebukes. It is not for us to object against the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1sought the face of the Lord: The Hebrew verb here is the same as when David "begged" for Bathsheba's child's life (2 Samuel 12:16). In these cases, "seeking" was done in a moment of crisis. However, in the Old Testament, "seeking God" usually means daily devotion and obedience to God (for example, Psalms 40:16; 105:4; Proverbs 28:5). the blood shed by Saul and his family: The famine happened because they broke an oath made before the Lord (Joshua…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 21:1

• Canaan
• Covenant
• David
• Famine
• Gibeon
• Saul
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Alliance
• Dearth
• Famine
• Thummim
• Bloody
• Giants
• Gibeah

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