2 Samuel 21:13 kjv
And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.
2 Samuel 21:13 nkjv
So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
2 Samuel 21:13 niv
David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
2 Samuel 21:13 esv
And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
2 Samuel 21:13 nlt
So David obtained the bones of Saul and Jonathan, as well as the bones of the men the Gibeonites had executed.
2 Samuel 21 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 21:22-23 | "If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death...you must surely bury him on that same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God." | Mandates burial by day's end for the hanged. |
| Josh 9:15-20 | "Joshua made peace with them... But afterward... Israel leaders would not strike them, because of the oath..." | Covenant made by Joshua with Gibeonites. |
| 1 Sam 20:14-17 | "If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever..." | Jonathan's covenant with David. |
| 2 Sam 9:1-7 | "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" | David's kindness to Mephibosheth. |
| Gen 23:19 | "After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave..." | Importance of proper burial. |
| Gen 47:29-30 | "And when the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph...‘You shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.’" | Jacob's desire for burial in ancestral land. |
| Eccl 6:3 | "...yet gets no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he." | Lack of burial seen as a great misfortune. |
| Jer 8:1-2 | "...they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah... and spread them before the sun and the moon..." | Exposing bones as divine judgment. |
| 1 Kgs 13:21-22 | "Because you have transgressed the word of the LORD...your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers." | Disobedience linked to lack of proper burial. |
| Amos 2:1 | "Because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom." | Moab's desecration of enemy king's bones. |
| Matt 27:57-60 | "Joseph of Arimathea...took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb..." | Burial of Jesus. |
| 2 Sam 21:1 | "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.’" | Context for the famine and God's judgment. |
| Num 35:33-34 | "You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that has been shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it." | Land defiled by bloodshed. |
| Lev 26:19-20 | "And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze, and your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase..." | Famine as consequence of breaking covenant. |
| Hag 1:6-11 | "...and there is a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil..." | Famine due to neglect. |
| Isa 5:24-25 | "Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people...and the mountains quaked..." | Divine anger causing devastation. |
| 1 Kgs 17:1 | "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word." | Elijah's prophecy of drought. |
| Ps 106:36-39 | "...and they defiled themselves by their actions and went whoring in their deeds." | Innocent bloodshed and defiling the land. |
| 2 Sam 21:14 | "And after that God responded to the plea for the land." | God's response after righteous action. |
| Ps 72:1-4 | "May he judge your people with righteousness...May he defend the cause of the poor of the people..." | King's role in justice and mercy. |
| Prov 14:34 | "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." | Righteous actions elevate a nation. |
| Ezek 37:12 | "Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves..." | Metaphorical resurrection/restoration from a state of spiritual death/despair. |
2 Samuel 21 verses
2 Samuel 21 13 Meaning
2 Samuel 21:13 describes David's righteous act of gathering the remains of King Saul and his son Jonathan, previously buried in Jabesh-Gilead, along with the bones of the seven descendants of Saul who had recently been executed by the Gibeonites. This action was crucial in bringing closure to the long-standing covenant violation committed by Saul against the Gibeonites and subsequently ending the famine that afflicted Israel, signifying the appeasement of God's judgment and restoration of honor to the deceased.
2 Samuel 21 13 Context
Chapter 21 of 2 Samuel opens with a three-year famine afflicting Israel, which David discovers is a result of Saul's unlawful slaughter of the Gibeonites. Centuries prior, Joshua had sworn an oath of protection to the Gibeonites, which Saul later violated. To atone for this bloodguilt, the Gibeonites demanded that seven of Saul's descendants be given to them to be executed. David, honoring his covenant with Jonathan, spared Mephibosheth but handed over two of Rizpah's sons and five of Merab's sons (though often attributed to Michal due to textual confusion or adoptive circumstances). These seven were executed and left exposed "before the LORD" from the beginning of harvest until rain fell, signifying the severity of the offense. Rizpah, mother of two, kept a vigilant vigil over the bodies, protecting them from scavenging birds and beasts. Moved by her unwavering devotion, and the implications for national atonement, David then undertakes the act described in verse 13.
2 Samuel 21 13 Word analysis
- and gathered (וַיֶּאֱסֹף, wayye’ĕsōf): This Qal consecutive imperfect verb implies a deliberate and decisive action on David's part. It signifies his proactive role in bringing order and respect, which was a royal duty to uphold proper religious and social customs. The act of gathering the remains of the deceased for burial was deeply significant in ancient Israel, demonstrating care for the dead and adherence to cultural and spiritual norms regarding honoring life, even after death.
- the bones (אֶת־עַצְמוֹת, et-ʻaṣmōṯ): The plural noun refers to the skeletal remains. In biblical thought, "bones" often represent the entire person, the essence of their mortal being (cf. Job 10:11; Ezek 37:1-14). Proper handling of bones was crucial for repose and honor, while defilement or exposure of bones was considered a grave indignity and curse (Jer 8:1-2; Amos 2:1).
- of Saul and his son Jonathan: David's act honors not only Saul, his predecessor and a figure cursed for his Gibeonite actions, but crucially, also Jonathan, his covenant friend. This demonstrates David's steadfast loyalty to the covenant (1 Sam 20) even beyond death, rising above personal animosity towards Saul to fulfill both a moral and theological duty. Their original hurried burial in Jabesh-Gilead (1 Sam 31:11-13) now finds its proper, dignified completion in the family tomb.
- and with them (וְאִתָּ֔ם, wə’ittām): This preposition indicates that the bones of Saul and Jonathan are joined together with the bones of the executed seven. This unification is significant, suggesting a communal reinterment that acknowledges their shared fate and relationship, while simultaneously acting as a collective atonement for the nation. It reflects a theological point: the consequences of Saul's sin impacted his lineage.
- the bones of those who had been hanged (אֶת־עַצְמוֹת הַתְּלוּאִֽים, et-ʻaṣmōṯ hat-təlu’îm): Refers to the seven descendants of Saul executed and left exposed by the Gibeonites as recompense for Saul's actions. The term telu'im means "those who are hanged." According to Deut 21:22-23, anyone hanged on a tree was considered "cursed by God" and had to be buried by evening. Their extended exposure was meant to emphasize their accursed status and the gravity of the bloodguilt. David's act of gathering them for burial, alongside Saul and Jonathan, removes this shame and ritual impurity, bringing rest to the land and relief from the famine.
- words-group: "gathered the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan, and with them the bones of those who had been hanged": This entire phrase describes an act of national reconciliation and spiritual purification. By consolidating these burials in one place, specifically in the ancestral tomb of Kish (Saul's father, mentioned in the following verse), David symbolically resolves the division caused by Saul's sin, appeases divine wrath, and brings communal peace to the living and rest to the dead. It is a profound demonstration of covenant fidelity (to both Gibeonites by rectification, and Jonathan by respect) and proper governance under God.
2 Samuel 21 13 Bonus section
The careful preservation and eventual reburial of the bones of Saul and Jonathan with their ancestors in the tomb of Kish, coupled with the interment of the seven executed individuals, was a powerful symbolic gesture. It effectively "cleaned" the spiritual slate for Israel, demonstrating to the people and to God that the debt of Saul's transgression against the Gibeonites was finally settled. The narrative implicitly conveys that genuine reconciliation and atonement must encompass even the defiled dead to fully heal a nation. Rizpah's tireless vigil (2 Sam 21:10) underscored the severe dishonor of the exposed bodies and stirred David's conscience, emphasizing the powerful witness of even the seemingly helpless. This act ensured both the living and the dead found a degree of rest and proper resolution.
2 Samuel 21 13 Commentary
2 Samuel 21:13 stands as a pivotal moment in the narrative of reconciliation and divine justice. David's decision to gather the bones for proper burial, driven by Rizpah's profound display of devotion, reveals his character as a righteous king attentive to both human suffering and divine mandates. This act fulfills the legal requirement of Deut 21:22-23 for proper burial of the hanged, cleansing the land of its bloodguilt. It simultaneously demonstrates David's enduring loyalty to his covenant with Jonathan by ensuring a dignified burial for Saul and his son. The inclusion of the executed descendants signifies a comprehensive act of atonement, where the honor due to Saul's lineage is restored despite their fate, ultimately leading to God's intervention and the end of the famine, highlighting the interconnectedness between sin, land defilement, righteous action, and divine favor.