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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>2 Samuel 21 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_samuel/21.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_samuel/21-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > 2 Samuel 21</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_samuel/20.htm" title="2 Samuel 20">◄</a> 2 Samuel 21 <a href="../2_samuel/22.htm" title="2 Samuel 22">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">The Gibeonites Hang Saul's Descendants</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.1" class="v10_21_1">1</span>While David was king, there were three years in a row when the nation of Israel could not grow enough food. So David asked the <span class="nd">Lord</span> for help, and the <span class="nd">Lord</span> answered, “Saul and his family are guilty of murder, because he had the Gibeonites killed.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.2" class="v10_21_2">2</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.2!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were descendants of the Amorites. The people of Israel had promised not to kill them,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.2!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> but Saul had tried to kill them because he wanted Israel and Judah to control all the land.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_2">David had the Gibeonites come, and he talked with them. </span><span class="v10_21_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.3" class="v10_21_3">3</span>He said, “What can I do to make up for what Saul did, so that you'll ask the <span class="nd">Lord</span> to be kind to his people again?”<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.3!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.4" class="v10_21_4">4</span>The Gibeonites answered, “Silver and gold from Saul and his family are not enough. On the other hand, we don't have the right to put any Israelite to death.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_4">David said, “I'll do whatever you ask.”<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.4!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_5"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.5" class="v10_21_5">5</span>They replied, “Saul tried to kill all our people so that none of us would be left in the land of Israel. </span><span class="v10_21_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.6" class="v10_21_6">6</span>Give us seven of his descendants. We will hang<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.6!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> these men near the place where the <span class="nd">Lord</span> is worshiped in Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s chosen king.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_6">“I'll give them to you,” David said.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.7" class="v10_21_7">7</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.7!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> David had made a promise to Jonathan with the <span class="nd">Lord</span> as his witness, so he spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul. </span><span class="v10_21_8"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.8" class="v10_21_8">8</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.8!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But Saul and Rizpah the daughter of Aiah had two sons named Armoni and Mephibosheth. Saul's daughter Merab<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.8!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> had five sons whose father was Adriel the son of Barzillai from Meholah.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.8!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> David took Rizpah's two sons and Merab's five sons and </span><span class="v10_21_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.9" class="v10_21_9">9</span>turned them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.9!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> all seven of them on the mountain near the place where the <span class="nd">Lord</span> was worshiped. This happened right at the beginning of the barley harvest.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.9!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><h3 class="s1">Rizpah Takes Care of the Bodies</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.10" class="v10_21_10">10</span>Rizpah spread out some sackcloth<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> on a nearby rock. She wouldn't let the birds land on the bodies during the day, and she kept the wild animals away at night. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it started to rain.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.10!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><h3 class="s1">The Burial of Saul and His Descendants</h3><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.11-2Sam.21.12" class="v10_21_11">11-12</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.11-2Sam.21.12!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Earlier the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa and had hung their bodies in the town square at Beth-Shan. The people of Jabesh in Gilead had secretly taken the bodies away, but David found out what Saul's wife<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.11-2Sam.21.12!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Rizpah had done, and he went to the leaders of Jabesh to get the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. </span><span class="v10_21_13"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.13-2Sam.21.14" class="v10_21_13">13-14</span>David had their bones taken to the land of Benjamin and buried in a side room in Saul's family burial place. Then he gave orders for the bones of the men who had been hanged<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.13-2Sam.21.14!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> to be buried there. It was done, and God answered prayers to bless the land.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The Descendants of the Rephaim</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="1CH 20:4-8">1 Chronicles 20.4-8</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.15" class="v10_21_15">15</span>One time David got very tired when he and his soldiers were fighting the Philistines. </span><span class="v10_21_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.16" class="v10_21_16">16</span>One of the Philistine warriors was Ishbibenob, who was a descendant of the Rephaim,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.16!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and he tried to kill David. Ishbibenob was armed with a new sword,<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.16!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and his bronze spearhead<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.16!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> alone weighed about three and a half kilograms. </span><span class="v10_21_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.17" class="v10_21_17">17</span><a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.17!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> But Abishai<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.17!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> came to the rescue and killed the Philistine.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_17">David's soldiers told him, “We can't let you risk your life in battle anymore! You give light to our nation, and we want that flame to keep burning.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.18" class="v10_21_18">18</span>There was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, where Sibbecai from Hushah killed a descendant of the Rephaim named Saph.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.19" class="v10_21_19">19</span>There was still another battle with the Philistines at Gob. A soldier named Elhanan killed Goliath<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.19!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> from Gath, whose spear shaft was like a weaver's beam.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.19!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Elhanan's father was Jari<a href="#fn" id="link_2Sam.21.19!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> from Bethlehem.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.20" class="v10_21_20">20</span>There was another war, this time in Gath. One of the enemy soldiers was a descendant of the Rephaim. He was as big as a giant and had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. </span><span class="v10_21_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.21" class="v10_21_21">21</span>But when he made fun of Israel, David's nephew Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David's brother Shimei.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v10_21_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Sam.21.22" class="v10_21_22">22</span>David and his soldiers killed these four men who were descendants of the Rephaim from Gath.</span></p></div> </div> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.2 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">promised … them: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See Joshua 9.3-27.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.3 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">ask … again: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Saul's guilt had become a curse on Israel that had resulted in famine. For the effects of this curse to be removed, the Gibeonites would have to ask the <char style="nd">Lord</char> to be kind to Israel.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">I'll … ask: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “What are you asking me to do for you?”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">hang: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Merab: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Some Hebrew manuscripts and some manuscripts of one ancient translation. Most other manuscripts have “Michal,” Saul's daughter who was one of David's wives, but she never had any children (see 2 Samuel 6.23). According to 1 Samuel 18.19, Merab was Saul's daughter, and she married Adriel from Meholah.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.8 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Meholah: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Also known as Abel-Meholah.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">hanged: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.9 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">This … harvest: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This would have been late in April.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">sackcloth: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 3.31.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">started to rain: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This may have been the beginning of the rainy season in September or October. It usually didn't rain from May to September. Or, it may have been a sign that now there would be enough rain again.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.11,12 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">wife: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 3.7.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.13,14 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">hanged: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.16 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Rephaim: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This may refer to a group of people that lived in Palestine before the Israelites and who were famous for their large size.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.16 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">new sword: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.16 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">spearhead: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “helmet.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.17 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Abishai: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">David's nephew, the brother of Joab.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Goliath: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">According to 1 Chronicles 20.5, Elhanan killed the brother of Goliath.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">weaver's beam: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">A large wooden rod used by a weaver when making cloth.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">21.19 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Jari: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “Jaare.”</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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