2 Samuel 21:13

21:10-14 That a guilty land should enjoy many years of plenty, calls for gratitude; and we need not wonder misused abundance should be punished with scarcity; yet how few are disposed to ask of the Lord concerning the sinful cause, while numbers search for the second causes by which he is pleased to work! But the Lord will plead the cause of those who cannot or will not avenge themselves; and the prayers of the poor are of great power. When God sent rain to water the earth, these bodies were buried, for then it appeared that God was entreated for the land. When justice is done on earth, vengeance from heaven ceases. God is pacified, and is entreated for us through Christ, who was hanged on a tree, and so made a curse for us, to do away our guilt, though he was himself guiltless.

And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son,.... Which had been buried there under an oak, 1 Chronicles 10:12 , and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged; the seven sons of Saul, who had been lately hanged; who either had hung so long that their flesh was consumed, and the bones dropped upon the ground, from whence they gathered them; or they took them down and burnt the flesh off of them, and took the bones to bury them, which was not usually done (u). (u) Lipsins de Cruce, l. 2. c. 16.

2 Samuel 21:13-14 . He brought up the bones of Saul, &c. — From under the tree where they were buried in Jabesh, 1 Samuel 31:13 . They gathered the bones of them that were hanged — Having first burned off the flesh which remained upon them: or, perhaps, this was done some time after they were taken down, when nothing but bones remained; and then they had all seven an honourable interment. The bones of Saul and Jonathan — Together with those now mentioned. And after that — After those things were done which were before related; that is, after they were hanged up; for by that God was pacified, and not by the burial. God was entreated — When satisfaction was given to the Gibeonites, God restored plenty to the country. 2 Samuel 21:13-14 . Three of the thirty chief — Mentioned afterward: three captains over the thirty. Came to David in the harvest-time — Or rather, as the Hebrew is, at harvest. That is, saith Abarbinel, the Philistines came to destroy the fruits of the earth, that they might famish the Israelites: whereupon David raised an army to protect and defend them in reaping of their harvest, when they went about it. Unto the cave of Adullam — Where he had hid himself under the persecution of Saul; and where he now fortified himself against the Philistines; who in the beginning of his reign, came with great forces against him. And David was then in the hold — Namely, the cave of Adullam, a place very strong by its natural situation!

2Sa 21:12-22. David Buries the Bones of Saul and Jonathan in Their Father's Sepulcher. 12. David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, &c.—Before long, the descent of copious showers, or perhaps an order of the king, gave Rizpah the satisfaction of releasing the corpses from their ignominious exposure; and, incited by her pious example, David ordered the remains of Saul and his sons to be transferred from their obscure grave in Jabesh-gilead to an honorable interment in the family vault at Zelah or Zelzah (1Sa 10:2), now Beit-jala.

When this touching care of Rizpah for the dead was told to David, he took care that the bones of the whole of the fallen royal house should be buried in the burial-place of Saul's family. He therefore sent for the bones of Saul and Jonathan, which the men of Jabesh had taken away secretly from the wall of Beisan, where the Philistines had fastened the bodies, and which had been buried in Jabesh ( 1 Samuel 31:10 .), and had the bones of the sons and grandsons of Saul who had been crucified at Gibeah collected together, and interred all these bones at Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the family grave of Kish the father of Saul. גּנּב, to take away secretly. בּית־שׁן מּרחב, from the market-place of Bethshan, does not present any contradiction to the statement in 1 Samuel 31:10 , that the Philistines fastened the body to the wall of Bethshan, as the rechob or market-place in eastern towns is not in the middle of the town, but is an open place against or in front of the gate (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:6 ; Nehemiah 8:1 , Nehemiah 8:3 , Nehemiah 8:16 ). This place, as the common meeting-place of the citizens, was the most suitable spot that the Philistines could find for fastening the bodies to the wall. The Chethib תּלוּם is the true Hebrew form from תּלה, whereas the Keri תּלאוּם is a formation resembling the Aramaean (cf. Ewald, 252, a.). The Keri פלשׁתּים שׁמּה is correct, however, as פלשׁתּים, being a proper name, does not take any article.

In הכּות בּיום the literal meaning of יום (day) must not be strictly pressed, but the expression is to be taken in the sense of "at the time of the smiting;" for the hanging up of the bodies did not take place till the day after the battle ( 1 Samuel 31:8 .). - In 2 Samuel 21:14 the account is abridged, and the bones of the crucified persons are not mentioned again. The situation of Zela is unknown (see at Joshua 18:28 ). After this had been carried out in accordance with the king's command, God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, so that the famine ceased.

23 . for this ] either prayed for this favour, or as in Ezra 9:15 , ‘because of this’, i.e. on the ground of this mingled faith and self-abasement. and he was intreated of us ] This phrase occurs also in Genesis 25:21 ; 2 Samuel 21:14 ; 2 Samuel 24:25 ; 2 Chronicles 33:13 . Ezra 8:23