2 Samuel 1:21 kjv

Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

2 Samuel 1:21 nkjv

"O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

2 Samuel 1:21 niv

"Mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, may no showers fall on your terraced fields. For there the shield of the mighty was despised, the shield of Saul?no longer rubbed with oil.

2 Samuel 1:21 esv

"You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

2 Samuel 1:21 nlt

O mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain.
For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled;
the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.

2 Samuel 1 verses

2 Samuel 1 21 Meaning

2 Samuel 1:21 is a line from David's lament, "The Song of the Bow," mourning the deaths of King Saul and his son Jonathan on Mount Gilboa. In this verse, David pronounces a poetic curse upon the mountains of Gilboa, wishing them to receive neither dew nor rain, rendering them barren and unproductive. This deprivation extends to "fields of offerings," implying that the land will yield no produce suitable for sacrifices to God, symbolizing its desolation and God's displeasure. The reason given is that on those very mountains, the "shield of the mighty" (a symbol of royal authority, warrior strength, and divine protection) was treated with utter contempt and cast away—specifically, Saul's shield, implying that he died in dishonor, as if his sacred anointing by God meant nothing or was powerless to protect him.

2 Samuel 1 21 Context

This verse is part of David's eloquent and emotional elegy, "The Song of the Bow" (2 Sam 1:19-27), a tribute composed upon hearing the news of King Saul and his son Jonathan's deaths in battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. The context is one of profound national tragedy and personal grief for David. Although Saul had been a relentless enemy of David, David expresses sincere mourning, respecting Saul as "the anointed of the LORD" and a great warrior, and lamenting Jonathan, his beloved friend. The curse upon Gilboa serves as a symbolic marker of the place where Israel's leaders fell in dishonor, contrasting the shame of defeat with the sacred status of the Lord's anointed. This lament, a lamentation or qinah (a type of Hebrew poetic metre), underscores themes of human frailty, the consequence of disobedience (on Saul's part), and the enigmatic nature of divine sovereignty over both triumph and defeat.

2 Samuel 1 21 Word analysis

• Ye mountains of Gilboa (הָרֵי בַגִּלְבֹּעַ - Harē bagGilbōʿa):
  • Harē (הָרֵי): "Mountains of". Signifies the specific geographical location of the tragic battle.
  • Gilboa (גִּלְבֹּעַ): A range of mountains in the north of Israel, site of Saul and Jonathan's defeat (1 Sam 31). This curse personalizes the landscape, marking it forever as the place of Israel's national disgrace and royal death.
• let there be no dew (אַל-טַל - al-tal):
  • al (אַל): A negative imperative, expressing a strong prohibition or wish for absence.
  • tal (טַל): "Dew." In the semi-arid Middle East, dew, along with rain, was essential for agricultural life, especially during dry seasons. Its absence signifies divine curse, barrenness, and an unfertile, dead landscape.
• neither let there be rain (וְאַל-מָטָר - v'al-māṭār):
  • v'al (וְאַל): "And not." Reinforces the prohibition.
  • māṭār (מָטָר): "Rain." The primary source of water for sustenance. The denial of both dew and rain invokes a total state of desolation, stripping the mountains of all natural blessings.
• upon you (עֲלֵיכֶם - 'ăleikem):
  • 'ăleikem (עֲלֵיכֶם): "Upon you (plural)." Directly addresses the mountains, personifying them as subjects of the curse.
• nor fields of offerings (וּשְׂדֵי תְרוּמוֹת - uśdê tərûmôṯ):
  • uśdê (וּשְׂדֵי): "And fields of." Refers to cultivated land.
  • tərûmôṯ (תְרוּמוֹת): "Offerings." Specifically, heave offerings or contributions, typically referring to agricultural produce designated for God or the priests. The absence implies that the land would become so barren it could not even yield the necessary produce for worship or divine provision. This curses not just the natural landscape but its spiritual productivity.
• for there (כִּי שָׁם - kī shām):
  • kī (כִּי): "For" or "because." Introduces the reason for the curse.
  • shām (שָׁם): "There." Points specifically to the place of the tragedy on Gilboa.
• the shield of the mighty (מָגֵן גִּבּוֹרִים - māḡēn gībbôrīm):
  • māḡēn (מָגֵן): "Shield." A crucial piece of a warrior's equipment, symbolizing protection, power, honor, and courage. Its loss signifies utter defeat.
  • gībbôrīm (גִּבּוֹרִים): "Mighty ones" or "heroes." Refers to great warriors, indicating the collective strength and prowess of Israel's military leaders, particularly Saul.
• is vilely cast away (נִגְעַל - nīg‘al):
  • nīg‘al (נִגְעַל): From the root ga'al, meaning "to loathe, abhor, detest, defile." This passive form ("was treated with contempt" or "was defiled") indicates not merely being dropped or lost, but actively treated with disgust and dishonor. This goes beyond physical defeat; it speaks of the stripping of dignity and respect.
• the shield of Saul (מָגֵן שָׁאוּל - māḡēn Shā’ûl):
  • māḡēn Shā’ûl (מָגֵן שָׁאוּל): "Shield of Saul." Specifies whose shield was dishonored, emphasizing the humiliation of the king himself. Saul's personal disgrace becomes a national shame.
• as though he had not been anointed with oil (בְּלִי מָשִׁיחַ בַּשָּׁמֶן - bĕlī māshīach baśšāmen):
  • bĕlī (בְּלִי): "Without," "as if not." Implies a profound contradiction or negation.
  • māshīach (מָשִׁיחַ): "Anointed." Referring to the king's sacred anointing with oil, symbolizing his divine selection and special status, and God's protective presence.
  • baśšāmen (בַּשָּׁמֶן): "With oil." The literal substance of anointing.
  • Meaning: Saul, despite being God's anointed, suffered a death and dishonor so complete that it was as if his divine commissioning was utterly nullified or had offered no protection. This highlights the severity of the defeat and Saul's ultimate fall from grace, echoing his earlier rejection by God (1 Sam 15:23).

2 Samuel 1 21 Bonus section

The curse in this verse aligns with common Near Eastern laments for the dead, which often invoked divine judgment or poetic curses on the place of death to perpetuate the memory of the sorrowful event. However, David’s lament transcends typical mourning practices by framing Saul’s defeat in theological terms. The absence of "fields of offerings" connects the desolation to a break in the covenant relationship, where the land can no longer sustain ritual purification or express Israel’s devotion to Yahweh, thereby adding a layer of spiritual mourning to the physical one. The vivid imagery serves not only as a eulogy but also as a powerful literary device to solidify the historical moment as a turning point, marking the end of one era of kingship and the inevitable rise of another under David. The mention of "the shield" could also implicitly draw a contrast to Yahweh as Israel's true shield (Gen 15:1), suggesting that relying on human might (Saul's shield) apart from God's full favor ultimately fails.

2 Samuel 1 21 Commentary

2 Samuel 1:21 vividly encapsulates the profound tragedy and dishonor associated with the death of Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa. David's curse upon the mountains, invoking a state of permanent barrenness by denying them dew and rain, is a powerful prophetic imprecation. It symbolizes a judgment upon the place where a great defeat occurred, affecting both natural fertility and the capacity for cultic worship, reflecting national distress. The heart of the lament is the statement that "the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil." This emphasizes the extreme humiliation. Saul, the Lord's anointed, met an ignominious end, his royal shield (a symbol of his kingship, power, and divine protection) treated with contempt by his enemies. The phrase "as though he had not been anointed with oil" suggests a tragic inversion: despite bearing the mark of God's chosen king, Saul’s final disgrace was so complete it negated the honor and assumed invulnerability of his sacred office. This reveals David's complex view of Saul—respecting his anointing even in his death, while lamenting the extent of his fall. It serves as a reminder that divine appointment does not guarantee perpetual favor apart from obedience, and that even a king's symbols of power are fleeting.