2 Samuel 21 4

2 Samuel 21:4 kjv

And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

2 Samuel 21:4 nkjv

And the Gibeonites said to him, "We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us." So he said, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

2 Samuel 21:4 niv

The Gibeonites answered him, "We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death." "What do you want me to do for you?" David asked.

2 Samuel 21:4 esv

The Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "What do you say that I shall do for you?"

2 Samuel 21:4 nlt

"Well, money can't settle this matter between us and the family of Saul," the Gibeonites replied. "Neither can we demand the life of anyone in Israel." "What can I do then?" David asked. "Just tell me and I will do it for you."

2 Samuel 21 verses

2 Samuel 21 4 Meaning

This verse captures the pivotal exchange between King David and the Gibeonites concerning the famine that had afflicted Israel for three years. The Gibeonites clarify their demand, stating explicitly that their desire is not for monetary compensation (silver or gold) from Saul or his household, nor do they claim the authority to execute anyone in Israel themselves. Their refusal of personal vengeance and their clear limitation regarding capital punishment redirect the request to the king, placing the responsibility for just action solely upon David. David, understanding the implication, then invites them to state their specific petition.

2 Samuel 21 4 Context

2 Samuel chapter 21 opens with a three-year famine during David’s reign, an indication of divine displeasure. David, as king, sought the Lord’s face, and God revealed the cause: Saul and his blood-stained house had committed a heinous act against the Gibeonites by seeking to annihilate them, in direct violation of the sacred covenant sworn centuries earlier by Joshua and the Israelite leaders (Joshua 9). This ancient oath, despite its deceptive origin, was upheld by God's own sanctity concerning covenants. The Gibeonites, as remnant Hivites, had been granted peace and integrated into Israelite life, becoming temple servants. Saul’s massacre was thus an egregious offense against both them and the divine oath. Verses 1-3 set the stage, with David asking the Gibeonites directly what atonement they require for this breach that had brought judgment upon the land. Verse 4 is their crucial response, laying the groundwork for their specific request in the following verses (2 Samuel 21:5-9), where they demand seven male descendants of Saul to be delivered to them for execution as a public display of atonement. This entire narrative emphasizes the gravity of oath-breaking, the communal consequence of a leader's sin, and the necessity of seeking divine justice to lift a national curse.

2 Samuel 21 4 Word analysis

• The Gibeonites (הַגִּבְעֹנִים - ha-Gib'onim): These were a non-Israelite people who, through deception, made a covenant with Joshua, saving themselves from extermination (Josh 9). They became "hewers of wood and drawers of water" for the tabernacle, implicitly integrating into Israelite society under God's protection. Their prominence here highlights God's justice extending even to those outside the primary covenant with Israel when His name is invoked in an oath. Saul's breach against them was an assault on God's covenantal faithfulness.
• said to him (אָמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו - am'ru elav): Direct address to King David. It emphasizes David's role as the intermediary seeking justice from God on behalf of the nation. The king is God's designated authority for administering justice.
• It is not a matter of silver or gold (לֹא־לָ֨נוּ כֶ֤סֶף וְזָהָב֙ - lo-lanu kesef v'zahav): "Silver and gold" universally symbolize material compensation or personal enrichment. The Gibeonites' immediate rejection of wealth demonstrates that their motive is not greed but justice and the spiritual purging of the land from bloodguilt. This elevates their cause beyond mere retribution to a pursuit of divine reconciliation for a covenant breach.
• between us and Saul or his house (עִם־שָׁא֣וּל וְעִם־בֵּית֔וֹ - im-sha'ul v'im-beito): This signifies that the dispute is with the royal house of Saul, extending beyond the deceased king to his surviving descendants, emphasizing dynastic continuity in culpability. This implies a communal and generational responsibility for the covenant violation, a concept found elsewhere in the Old Testament (e.g., Exod 34:7).
• nor is it for us to put anyone to death (וְלֹא־לָ֙נוּ֙ הַמִּ֣ית אִ֔ישׁ - v'lo-lanu hamit 'ish): "To put to death a man." This is a critical statement. The Gibeonites, as non-Israelites and technically not a judicial authority, acknowledge that they lack the legal and moral standing within Israelite law to execute anyone directly. This submission to Israelite jurisprudence prevents their act from being perceived as private vengeance, transferring the authority and responsibility for execution to David as God's anointed king. This reflects the biblical principle that justice, especially capital punishment, is the domain of established authority, not individuals (e.g., Rom 13:4).
• in Israel (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל - b'Yisrael): This emphasizes the jurisdiction. Their lack of authority applies specifically within the land and legal framework of Israel. Their petition therefore becomes an appeal to God's justice executed through the Israelite king within Israelite territory.
• And he said (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר - vayyomer): Marks David's immediate response.
• What do you say that I shall do for you? (מַה־תֹּאמְר֞וּ וְאֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה לָכֶֽם - mah-tom'ru v'e'eseh lakhem): David’s open-ended question shows his readiness to heed God's direction by honoring the Gibeonites' demand, whatever it may be. It confirms that the resolution is now squarely within his royal prerogative to deliver justice. It underscores his submissiveness to divine will revealed through the Gibeonites.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "It is not a matter of silver or gold...nor is it for us to put anyone to death in Israel": This two-part negative declaration is shrewd and strategic. First, it negates any suspicion of avarice or self-interest. Second, it relinquishes any claim to private vengeance, positioning the matter as a legal and theological imperative under God's law. By explicitly declining both money and personal execution, the Gibeonites force David into the position of righteous enforcer of divine judgment. This also cleverly forces the resolution to be public and symbolic rather than transactional.
• "between us and Saul or his house": This phrasing explicitly broadens the scope of the offense and the atonement beyond just Saul's personal sin to encompass his entire lineage and political house. This points to the concept of corporate responsibility within ancient Near Eastern thought and aligns with biblical instances where the sins of forefathers affect descendants until atoned for (e.g., the ban on Achan's family in Josh 7).

2 Samuel 21 4 Bonus section

• Cultural Significance of Covenants: In ancient Near Eastern societies, oaths and covenants were deeply sacred, often invoking deities as witnesses. Violating a sworn oath, especially one that involved YHWH, was an affront to God Himself and could invite severe divine repercussions, as evidenced by the famine here. The Gibeonite oath was considered binding because it was sworn "by the Lord God of Israel," regardless of the deceit used to secure it (Josh 9:18-19).
• Atonement for Land: The concept that land can be defiled by the shedding of innocent blood (Num 35:33-34) and requires specific atonement is a profound theological theme in the Old Testament. The three-year famine underscored that the land itself was bearing the curse of Saul's violation, and only specific expiation—life for life, administered by proper authority—could remove the divine curse and restore blessing.
• No Private Vengeance: The Gibeonites’ explicit statement about not having the right to put anyone to death highlights the biblical prohibition against private vengeance (e.g., Lev 19:18, Deut 32:35). This reinforces that even for justified grievances, justice must be administered through divine or appointed legal channels, preventing chaos and promoting ordered societal norms within the Israelite kingdom.

2 Samuel 21 4 Commentary

This verse serves as a crucial bridge in the narrative of 2 Samuel 21, translating a vague divine pronouncement of "bloodguilt" into a concrete demand for justice. The Gibeonites' response to David is remarkably judicious and aligns perfectly with Israelite theological principles. By refusing material gain ("silver or gold"), they demonstrate their spiritual integrity, signifying that the issue at hand is not financial restitution but the more profound restoration of broken covenant and the purging of bloodguilt from the land. This elevates their request from personal revenge to a sacred demand for justice, which alone could appease God's wrath and end the famine.

Their further clarification—that they do not possess the authority to "put anyone to death"—is also critical. This indicates their respect for Israel's judicial system and God's ordained authority vested in the king. They understand that taking life, especially for a blood feud involving a breach of divine covenant, must be sanctioned by proper authority, not taken into their own hands. This protects the act from being seen as mere vendetta, framing it instead as an official act of propitiation, demonstrating that "vengeance belongs to the Lord" (Deut 32:35) and is administered through His chosen instrument, the king. David's follow-up question, "What do you say that I shall do for you?", indicates his full acceptance of their righteous stand and his commitment to fulfilling God’s requirements for atonement. The weight of divine justice for national cleansing now squarely rests upon David's shoulders, setting the stage for the controversial, yet necessary, action that follows.