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

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year, so David sought the face of Adonai. Adonai replied, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, for he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of Bnei-Yisrael but a remnant of the Amorites; however, Bnei-Yisrael had sworn a covenant with them. Yet Saul had tried to eradicate them in his zeal for Bnei-Yisrael and Judah.) 3David asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How may I make atonement so that you would bless the inheritance of Adonai?”

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then there was a famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• in the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• enquiredבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• ofפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• for Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• bloodyדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• because he slewמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• the Gibeonitesגִּבְעֹנִיgib‛ônîy · GibeoniteH1393

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 21:1

• Genesis 12:10Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live as an outsider there, because the famine was severe in the land.
• Genesis 26:1Now there was a famine in the land—aside from the previous famine that happened in Abraham’s days. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines, to Gerar.
• Genesis 41:57Yet the whole world came to Egypt to buy grain—to Joseph—because the famine was severe in the whole world.
• Genesis 42:1Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?”
• Genesis 43:1Now the famine was severe in the land.
• Leviticus 26:19I will break your pride of power. I will make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze.
• 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab: “As Adonai God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years, except at my word.”
• 1 Kings 18:2So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
• 2 Kings 6:25Now there was a great famine in Samaria, since they were besieging it, until a donkey’s head was sold for 80 pieces of silver, and the quarter of a kav of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
• 2 Kings 8:1Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life saying, “Arise and go with your household, and stay wherever you can stay, because Adonai has called for a famine—indeed it has already come—on the land for seven years.”
• Jeremiah 14:1The word of Adonai that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts:
• 2 Samuel 5:19Then David inquired of Adonai saying, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You give them over into my hand?” Adonai answered David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines over into your hand.”
• Numbers 27:21He will stand before Eleazar the kohen, who will pray and obtain judgments for him by Urim and before Adonai. At his mouth, they will go out and at his mouth they will come in, he and all the community of Bnei-Yisrael with him.”
• 1 Samuel 23:2So David inquired of Adonai saying, “Shall I go and attack those Philistines?” Adonai said to David, “Go, attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
• Job 5:8But as for me, I would seek God; I would lay my cause before God.
• Job 10:2I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; tell me why You contend 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