2 Samuel 21:14 kjv
And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.
2 Samuel 21:14 nkjv
They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.
2 Samuel 21:14 niv
They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul's father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.
2 Samuel 21:14 esv
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land.
2 Samuel 21:14 nlt
Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land.
2 Samuel 21 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 31:11-13 | When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men...took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons...and burned them... and buried their bones under the tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. | Saul's first burial place |
| 2 Sam 21:1 | Now there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites." | Cause of famine and David's inquiry |
| Num 35:33 | So 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 is shed in it, except by the blood of him who shed it. | Blood defilement requiring atonement |
| Jos 9:15, 19-20 | And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live... We swore to them by the Lord, the God of Israel... we must fulfill our oath to them. | Covenant with Gibeonites |
| Deut 21:22-23 | "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree... for a hanged man is cursed by God. You must not defile your land." | Command for proper burial after execution |
| Jos 7:25-26 | And Joshua said, "Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him... and they raised over him a great heap of stones. Then the Lord turned from His burning anger. | Corporate guilt and turning God's anger |
| 2 Chr 7:14 | If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. | God hears and heals the land after repentance |
| Jer 26:19 | Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord change His mind about the disaster that He had pronounced against them? | Entreating the Lord's favor |
| Joel 2:18-19 | Then the Lord became jealous for His land and had pity on His people. The Lord answered and said to His people, "Behold, I am sending you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied." | God shows pity and blesses after turning |
| Ex 32:14 | And the Lord relented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people. | God's willingness to relent |
| 1 Sam 10:2 | "When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah... And there a man of Benjamin with you... from his family, a family that will receive honor because he is buried in the tombs of their fathers, the place called Tzelzah. Kish’s burial is significant and will cause a future encounter, the family's integrity is linked with it. | Reference to Kish's proximity/significance |
| Gen 23:19 | After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. | Importance of proper burial sites |
| 2 Sam 5:19 | And David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand." | David's consistent practice of inquiring of the Lord |
| Ps 106:28-30 | Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead... Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. | Divine judgment and intervention |
| Gen 6:7 | So the Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." | God's judgment affecting the land |
| Hos 4:1-3 | There is no faithfulness or steadfast love... Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea vanish. | Land affected by national sin |
| Zec 8:12 | "For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew." | Divine blessing on the land |
| Is 66:1 | Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; what is the house that you would build for Me, and what is the place of My rest?" | God's omnipresence |
| Ez 39:11-16 | "On that day I will give to Gog a burial place in Israel, in the Valley of the Travelers east of the sea, and it will block the travelers. There Gog and all his hordes will be buried." | Prophecy of future burial |
| Jer 7:33 | And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, with no one to frighten them away. | Improper burial as judgment |
| Is 26:19 | Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is as the dew of dawn, and the earth will give birth to the dead. | Hope of resurrection related to burial |
2 Samuel 21 verses
2 Samuel 21 14 Meaning
This verse signifies the conclusion of a significant episode concerning a three-year famine that plagued Israel. It describes the respectful burial of King Saul, his son Jonathan, and the seven sons of Saul who had been executed to atone for Saul's violation of the covenant with the Gibeonites. This act of proper burial, carried out precisely as King David commanded, served as the final step in national appeasement. Immediately following this dutiful act, God responded by bringing an end to the famine, demonstrating His restoration of blessing upon the land.
2 Samuel 21 14 Context
The immediate context of 2 Samuel 21:14 begins with a severe three-year famine (v. 1). When King David inquired of the Lord about its cause, he was told it was due to Saul and his "bloody house" for unjustly killing the Gibeonites (v. 1-2). This refers to a breach of a solemn oath made to the Gibeonites during Joshua's time (Jos 9). To make atonement for this breaking of covenant, the Gibeonites demanded that seven male descendants of Saul be put to death. These seven were delivered, killed, and their bodies publicly displayed (v. 6-9).
Saul's concubine, Rizpah, then kept a remarkable vigil over the bodies, protecting them from scavenging animals for many months, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell (v. 10). David, hearing of Rizpah's profound act of devotion, took the bones of Saul and Jonathan (which had previously been buried in Jabesh-Gilead, 1 Sam 31) and brought them together with the bodies of the seven executed sons (v. 11-13). Verse 14 culminates this narrative, describing the proper, respectful burial of all these individuals in Saul's ancestral tomb in Benjamin. The verse emphasizes that only "after that"—after this specific act of redressing the past wrong and honoring the dead with proper burial—did God turn His favor towards the land and end the famine. This entire episode highlights the seriousness of covenant faithfulness, the enduring nature of corporate consequences for national sin, and God's response to righteous action.
Historically, burial rites were highly significant in ancient Israel. Leaving bodies unburied or unproperly dealt with was considered a curse or a deep dishonor, especially for those executed or kings. The actions of David in meticulously bringing all the remains to the family tomb demonstrate a deep respect for human dignity and an understanding of the divine requirement for justice, even extending to the dead. This also symbolically brings a closure to Saul's troubled reign and validates David's just leadership.
2 Samuel 21 14 Word analysis
- And they buried them: "They" refers to King David's men acting under his direct command. This was not a spontaneous action but a deliberate, organized act initiated and orchestrated by David to address the national crisis. "Them" refers to the remains of Saul and Jonathan (whose bones David had retrieved from Jabesh-Gilead) and the seven executed sons of Saul (mentioned in the preceding verses).
- in the country of Benjamin: This signifies Saul's tribal homeland. Burial in one's tribal territory was important for identity and continuity. It affirmed that despite the severe judgment against Saul's house, a proper familial interment was being conducted.
- in Zela: (Hebrew: צֵלָא, Tsela’) A specific town within the territory of Benjamin. The mention of this particular location indicates that it was a known, possibly consecrated, family burial ground. This detail underscores the precision and respect given to the burial.
- in the tomb of Kish his father: Kish (קִישׁ, Qish) was Saul's father. Burying Saul in his ancestral tomb was a profound act of honoring his legacy, however troubled it may have been. It signifies placing him back among his forefathers, granting him rest and dignity according to custom. This was crucial, especially for one who had met such a tragic end and whose line had been cursed. This also re-establishes a connection to a specific land/family ownership.
- and they performed all that the king commanded: This highlights David's meticulous attention to fulfilling divine requirements and providing appropriate burial honors. It emphasizes obedience, order, and David's righteous leadership in ensuring that all necessary rituals for atonement were carried out correctly. This confirms David's role as a pious leader, ensuring both divine justice and human dignity were upheld.
- After that: (Hebrew: אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, ‘achar-ken) This phrase indicates a clear sequential and causal relationship. The proper burial act, the culmination of the atonement process, directly preceded the divine intervention. It signifies that God's favor was contingent upon this specific, final act of righteousness.
- God was intreated for the land: (Hebrew: יֵעָתֵר אֱלֹהִים לָאָרֶץ, yĕ‘āthar ’Ĕlōhîm lā’āreṣ). The verb "intreated" (עָתַר, ‘athar) implies a response to prayer, supplication, or appeasement. When used with God as the subject, it often means He "responded favorably" or "was entreated" or "listened" and answered positively. This is not passive but an active divine response. "For the land" indicates that the famine, which had afflicted the entire nation and its produce, was now lifted. This demonstrates God's immediate and gracious response to Israel's repentance and their leaders' obedient actions in administering justice and seeking reconciliation for a past wrong. The lifting of the famine was the tangible sign that divine wrath was appeased and blessing restored. This emphasizes God's active involvement in the affairs of the nation and His responsive nature to acts of piety and justice.
2 Samuel 21 14 Bonus section
This verse subtly reveals King David's character as a man after God's own heart, even amidst dealing with the difficult legacy of his predecessor, Saul. By ensuring Saul's burial in his family tomb alongside Jonathan, David not only brings dignity to the deceased but also exemplifies a king who respects ancient customs, familial ties, and the spiritual well-being of the nation. This action likely served to further unite the tribes under his rule by demonstrating piety and justice, appealing to both the Saulide faction (by honoring Saul's house) and the rest of Israel (by resolving the famine). The fact that the famine ended "after that" highlights a foundational theological truth: God’s justice is not merely punitive but restorative. Once the sin's consequence is borne and proper atonement or restitution is made, God is ready to shower blessing. The specific act of gathering the bones from different locations and ensuring a singular, honorable resting place underscores the importance of proper handling of the dead in Israelite culture, tying it directly to divine favor for the living land.
2 Samuel 21 14 Commentary
2 Samuel 21:14 provides a powerful culmination to a difficult national crisis. The persistent famine revealed an unresolved covenant violation from Saul's reign, underscoring the serious consequences of breaking sacred oaths. David, acting as a righteous king, sought divine wisdom, applied the principle of justice for the Gibeonites, and then ensured a solemn, dignified burial for Saul, Jonathan, and Saul's seven sons. This multi-layered act—seeking God, executing justice, and providing proper burial—was not merely a human gesture but a necessary step in national atonement. The verse highlights that the precise moment of divine favor, the cessation of the famine, came "after that" everything David commanded for the respectful interment was completed. It serves as a testimony to God's commitment to justice, His remembrance of covenants, and His readiness to restore blessing when national sin is acknowledged and appropriately dealt with. It teaches that true healing and reconciliation, both between God and man, and among men, require dealing thoroughly with the root causes of affliction, upholding truth and justice, and reverently attending to all aspects of divine law.