2 Samuel 21 6

2 Samuel 21:6 kjv

Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

2 Samuel 21:6 nkjv

let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD chose." And the king said, "I will give them."

2 Samuel 21:6 niv

let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul?the LORD's chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you."

2 Samuel 21:6 esv

let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."

2 Samuel 21:6 nlt

So let seven of Saul's sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the LORD at Gibeon, on the mountain of the LORD. " "All right," the king said, "I will do it."

2 Samuel 21 verses

2 Samuel 21 6 Meaning

This verse records the Gibeonites' grim demand to King David for retribution concerning King Saul's massacre of their people. They request seven men from Saul's descendants to be handed over, whom they would then "hang up unto the LORD" in Gibeah, Saul's former capital. This act was intended as a public, ritualistic execution and display to appease divine wrath and end the severe famine that had afflicted the land for three years, attributed by God to Saul's breaking of a solemn covenant with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites specify "whom the LORD did choose," emphasizing the tragic consequence of a divinely anointed king's sin.

2 Samuel 21 6 Context

The famine lasting three years prompts King David to inquire of the LORD. God reveals the reason: "for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites" (2 Sam 21:1). This refers to Saul's earlier, unrecorded persecution and massacre of the Gibeonites, likely an attempt to show zeal for Israel by purging those outside the covenant, yet violating the sworn covenant made by Joshua. Upon hearing God's verdict, David asks the Gibeonites what "satisfaction" they require to make atonement. They explicitly state they want no silver or gold from David or Israel, nor anyone killed (referring to general retribution from other Israelites). Instead, their focus is specifically on Saul's lineage, demanding seven men from his house to be publicly executed in Gibeah as a propitiatory sacrifice to the LORD, thus releasing the nation from the curse and the famine.

Historically, covenants in the ancient Near East, especially those sworn by divine names, were binding and highly sacred. Their violation was seen as an offense against the deity and could bring dire national consequences, such as famine or plague. Bloodguilt, particularly for unprovoked murder, was considered to defile the land and required a public act of justice or ritual cleansing for the land to be purified and divine favor restored. This cultural understanding sheds light on the extreme nature of the Gibeonites' demand and David's subsequent fulfillment of it.

2 Samuel 21 6 Word analysis

• seven men: In Hebrew, shiv'ah anashim (שִׁבְעָה אֲנָשִׁים). The number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in biblical thought. Here, it likely signifies a sufficient or complete appeasement for the severity of Saul's sin. It is not an arbitrary number but ritualistically significant for atonement.
• his sons: bānāw (בָּנָיו). This Hebrew term broadly encompasses direct male offspring, grandsons, and even male descendants in general. In this context, it refers to those belonging to Saul's immediate and extended household who carried his name and lineage, representing his "bloody house" that shared in the consequence of his sin.
• be delivered unto us: yunnāthanu lanu (יֻנָּתְנוּ לָנוּ). The verb is nathan (נָתַן), meaning "to give, to deliver, to hand over." It's in the Niphal (passive) form, indicating that they are to be formally given over, emphasizing David's role in the transfer and the Gibeonites' authority granted by divine judgment.
• we will hang them up: wehoqaʿnu'em (וְהוֹקַעֲנוּם). This verb is yaqaʿ (יָקַע), meaning "to impale, hang up, expose." This act typically involved the corpse being left exposed on a stake or tree, rather than simply execution by strangulation. It was a public display of shame and divine judgment, specifically associated with the curse mentioned in Deut 21:22-23 ("hanged on a tree is accursed of God"). The goal was to placate divine wrath by showing utter contempt for the punished party, making them a spectacle unto God and men.
• unto the LORD: la-YHWH (לַיהוָה). This crucial phrase indicates that the act was not merely human vengeance, but a consecrated ritual action directed towards Yahweh. It was a means of propitiating God, publicly acknowledging His justice and making atonement for the nation's bloodguilt. It implies that the demand itself, though coming from the Gibeonites, was divinely sanctioned and intended as a national atonement.
• in Gibeah of Saul: begibʿat Sha'ul (בְּגִבְעַת שָׁאוּל). Gibeah was Saul's hometown and capital (1 Sam 10:26). Performing the act there strongly links the retribution to the very heart of Saul's power and lineage, maximizing the public disgrace and connection to the original offense committed by him.
• whom the LORD did choose: asher bāḥar YHWH bo (אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר יְהוָה בּוֹ). This statement highlights the profound irony and tragedy. Even though Saul was chosen and anointed by Yahweh as king, his actions, particularly the breach of a solemn covenant, were met with severe divine judgment. It emphasizes God's absolute holiness and the consequences of sin, even for His chosen ones, reinforcing that no one is above divine justice.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us": This phrase conveys the specific nature of the demand. It is numerical, focuses solely on Saul's lineage, and requires official action from the state (David) to be carried out, establishing it as a sanctioned public justice, not a rogue act of vengeance.
• "and we will hang them up unto the LORD": This emphasizes the dual nature of the act: a public, severe punishment carried out by the aggrieved party (Gibeonites) for the purpose of divine appeasement (unto the LORD). The public display on a tree signified a divine curse and served as a clear message.
• "in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose": This establishes the critical location for the execution – Saul's home territory – reinforcing the connection to his "bloody house." The final clause "whom the LORD did choose" provides a theological commentary on the profound seriousness of the matter, illustrating that divine favor does not exempt one from accountability for sin and its consequences.

2 Samuel 21 6 Bonus section

• The particular nature of this judgment—visiting the "bloody house" of Saul—highlights that while individuals are generally responsible for their own sins (Ezek 18), there can be severe national and generational consequences for certain high-profile, covenant-breaking acts by leaders (Exod 20:5). This is not an ordinary execution for private wrongdoing, but a unique case of national atonement for a defiling covenant breach.
• The fact that it was the Gibeonites who dictated the terms of restitution, rather than David offering terms, underscores the gravity of their grievance and God's apparent endorsement of their terms for full propitiation.
• The symbolic action of "hanging them up" strongly echoes the "cursed is he who hangs on a tree" concept from Deuteronomy 21:23. This is a vital theological prefigurement, ultimately fulfilled in the curse taken upon Jesus Christ on the cross to redeem humanity from the curse of sin (Gal 3:13). The desperate act of atonement by the Gibeonites and David foreshadows the ultimate atonement God Himself would provide through Christ.

2 Samuel 21 6 Commentary

The Gibeonites' demand in 2 Samuel 21:6, accepted by David, provides a stark insight into biblical justice and the consequences of covenant-breaking. This dramatic act underscores the absolute seriousness with which oaths and covenants were held, even when deceptively secured (as in Josh 9). The severe famine indicated a national crisis, directly attributed by God to Saul's actions, demonstrating that unatoned bloodguilt could have far-reaching communal consequences, polluting the land and interrupting divine blessings.

The phrase "hang them up unto the LORD" implies a ritualistic, post-mortem public exposure, rather than simple execution. This was designed to be a complete and highly visible propitiation, effectively appealing to God to lift the curse from the land. While appearing harsh to modern sensibilities, this incident must be viewed through the lens of ancient Near Eastern legal and religious understanding of communal responsibility and divine judgment, where the shedding of innocent blood required public cleansing. It stands as a profound example of God's unyielding standard for justice and holiness, and His expectation that even His chosen leaders fulfill their obligations. Importantly, David, despite his general covenant kindness to Jonathan's house, here acts as a faithful steward of the nation by obeying the divine directive revealed through the Gibeonites' request, prioritizing national appeasement of God.