Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. THen there was a famine in the dayes of David, three years, yeare after yeare, and David enquired of the Lord.] Though this ſtory of the three years famine, be here related after that of Abſaloms rebellion, and Sheba's inſurrection againſt David, yet it is generally held that both this and the following ſtory, chap. 24. happened long before, and indeed if Abſaloms rebellion was in the the fourtieth yeare of his fathers reigne, who reigned in all but fourty years, chap. 5.4. as many gather from chap. 15.7. And it came to paſſe that after fourtie years, Abſalom ſaid unto the King, &c. this conſequently muſt needs be before that, onelyonly becauſe all theſe fore-mentioned troubles that befell David, befell him for his ſinne with Bathſheba, therefore are they there inſerted immediately after that, and theſe that concerned other matters are afterward related by themſelves; the Scripture rather reſpecting the coherence of the matter and argument, then the conſequence of the time, and ſo much methinks the very Text doth imply, giving no other note of the time, but that it was in the dayes of David; though the ſinne was long ſince committed, yet at length God began to puniſh the whole land for it by ſending a famine amongſt them, cauſed as it ſeems, verſ. 10. by want of rain; and how ever at firſt David took it as a puniſhment laid upon them for the common ſinnes of the land, yet when he ſaw that it continued three years together, he concluded there was ſome ſpeciall thing wherewith God was offended, and for which he would be ſatiſfied, and therefore then he enquired of the Lord.
And the Lord anſwered, It is for Saul, and for his bloudy houſe, becauſe he ſlew the Gibeonites.] That is, many of the Gibeonites: in the following verſe it is indeed expreſſed, that he endeavoured to root them all out of the land; Saul ſought to ſtay them in his zeal to the children of Iſrael and Judah, to wit, as pretending that it was neither profitable, nor honourable, nor ſafe for Gods people to ſuffer any of thoſe curſed nations to live amongſt them, whom God hath commanded them utterly to deſtroy. Exod. 23.33. Deut. 7.2. but it ſeems he did not openly profeſſe this which he had purpoſed with himſelf: (for this would have been too manifeſt an act of tryranny and injuſtice, and too palpable a violation of the oath which Joſhua and the Elders of Iſrael had taken, that they ſhould live peaceably amongſt them, Joſh. 9.15. and beſides had he gone this way to work, the poore Gibeonites could never have eſcaped his fury) no, though his intentions were utterly to root them all out of the land, yet the way he took to effect it was by picking quarrells ſeverally againſt them, ſome at one time, and ſome at another, that ſo he might cut them off by degrees, and that under a pretence of Juſtice, either by charging them with forged accuſations, or by aggravating any ſmaller offence, and making it to them capitall, or ſome ſuch other wayes of heavie oppreſſion; and thus intending to proceed in this cloſe politick way though he ſlew many of them as is here expreſſed, yet it ſeems he was ſome way taken off before he could accompliſh what he had determined: however for this cruelty of Sauls againſt the Gibeonites, it was as the Lord here tells David that the famine had been ſo long upon the land. It is for Saul, and for his bloudy houſe, becauſe he ſlew the Gibeonites: Indeed conſidering what an execrable act of cruelty that of Sauls was, when he ſlew foureſcore and five of the Prieſts, and utterly deſtroyed their citie with all that were therein, both men and women, children and ſucklings, &c. It is ſtrange that Sauls poſterity were not called to an account for that cruelty of Sauls againſt the Prieſts of the Lord, as well as for this againſt the Gibeonites: but for this two reaſons may be probably given; firſt that it was to let the Iſraelites ſee that God will be avenged for ſhedding the bloud of the meaneſt, ſuch as the Gibeonites were, who were as bondmen and ſlaves to the Iſraelites, as well as for ſhedding the bloud of the greateſt: ſecondly, that it was to let the Jewes ſee that thoſe of other Nations, if they were of the faith of Iſrael, and were once received to be his people, were as acceptable to God, and as precious in his ſight as the Jewes were; and thirdly, that it was to diſcover how the Lord abhorres all falſifying of oaths and covenants, in that he proceeded with ſuch ſeverity againſt Sauls poſterity, becauſe he had done the Gibeonites conrary to what Joſhua and the Iſraelites had covenanted and ſworn many hundred years ago; ſo hatefull to God all perſidiouſneſſe is, whatſoever pretences are put upon it.
Verſ. 2. The Gibeonites were not of the children of Iſrael, but of the remnant of the Amorites, &c.] The Gibeonites were Hivites, Joſh. 9.7. And the men of Iſrael ſaid unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, &c. But both Hivites, and generally all the inhabitants of Canaan, are uſually in the Scripture called Amorites, Gen. 15.16. For the iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full. Ezek. 16.3. Thy Father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
Verſ. 3. Wherefore David ſaid unto the Gibeonites, What ſhall I do for you?] &c. It ſeems by this, that when David enquired of the Lord, he did not onelyonly tell him wherefore this famine was ſent, but alſo enjoined him to ſatiſfie the Gibeonites for the wrong which had been done them: for why elſe ſhould he allow them to preſcribe what ſhould be done?
And wherewith ſhall I make the atonement, that ye may bleſſe the inheritance of the Lord?] That is, that ye may pray for the people of God, and the land which God hath given them for their inheritance: becauſe the Lord had pleaded the cauſe of the Gibeonites by ſending a famine upon the whole land of Iſrael, David looked upon them as men highly favoured of God, and therefore was the more deſirous that they ſhould pray for them.
Verſ. 4. We will have no ſilver nor gold of Saul, nor of his houſe, neither for us ſhalt thou kill any man in Iſrael.] That is, ſave onelyonly of his family that did oppreſſe us.
Verſ. 6. Let ſeaven men of his ſonnes be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord, &c.] That is, to ſatisfie his juſtice, and appeaſe his wrath, and that others by this example may learn to keep covenant, and not to oppreſſe the ſtranger that is taken under Gods protection: See the note Numb. 25.4.
Verſ. 8. But the King tooke the two ſonnes of Rizpah, &c. and the five ſonnes of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom ſhe brought up for Adriel, &c.] It is certain that not Michal but Merab her elder ſiſter, was married to this Adriel the ſon of Barzillai, called the Meholathite, becauſe he was of Abel-meholah in the Tribe of Benjamin, Judg. 7.22. and to diſtinguiſh him from Barzillai the Gileadite, chap. 19.31. 1. Sam. 18.19. When Merab Sauls daughter ſhould have been given to David, ſhe was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife; and that Michal had no children to her dying day, 2. Sam. 6.22. Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death; and therefore doubtleſſe theſe five ſonnes of Adriel were the children of Merab Michals ſiſter, and were onelyonly brought up by Michal as her own (ſhe having no children) and therefore called her ſonnes, but are ſaid to be brought up for Adriel her ſiſters husband.
Verſ. 9. And they hanged them in the hil before the Lord.] That is, in a hill in Gibeah of Saul, verſ. 6. that they might be a ſpectacle of Gods indignation againſt Saul for that ſinne of his in ſlaying the Gibeonites, and thus did the Lord, puniſh that cruelty of Saul toward the Gibeonites, and withall did provide for the ſetling of the Kingdome upon David and his ſeed, by cutting off the poſterity of Saul, leſt they ſhould be ſtill plotting and practiſing againſt them.
Verſ. 10. And Rizpah the daughter of Ajah took ſackcloth and ſpread it for her upon the rock, &c.] Rizpah Sauls concubine the mother of two of thoſe that were hanged, knowing it ſeems that the bodies of her ſonnes were to hang up till God ſhould teſtifie that he was appeaſed by giving them rain again (wherein doubtleſſe David had ſpeciall direction from the Lord, for otherwiſe it had been againſt the expreſſe letter of the Law, Deut. 21.23. His body ſhall not all night remain upon the tree, but thou ſhalt bury him that day.) That ſhe might defend their bodies both from birds and beaſts, ſhe reſolved to watch them, and to that end ſhe took ſackcloth and ſpread it for her upon the rock; that is, ſhe ſpread therewith a Tent in the rock next adjoyning, the better to defend her from the heat, and withall perhaps to teſtifie her ſad and mournfull condition, in regard of this ſhamefull death of her children, and ſo continued watching them, untill water dropped upon them out of Heaven; till God ſent rain upon the land as was deſired; ſhe that had been Sauls concubine it is likely had ſervants to have done this; but ſuch was the ſtrength of her affection, that ſhe could not be ſatisfied, unleſſe ſhe did it, or ſaw it done her ſelf.
Verſ. 12. And David went, and took the bones of Saul, &c] Hearing as it is ſaid in the foregoing verſe, what affection Rizaph had ſhown to her ſonnes that were hanged, and how carefull ſhe had been to keep their dead bodies from being torn and mangled, that they might be decently interred, partly as being ſtirred up by the example of Rizpah, to ſhew the like reſpect to the dead bodies of Saul and his family, and partly that this honourable buriall of her ſonnes, might be ſome comfort to that poore ſad woman, he went himſelf and fetched the bones of Saul and Jonathan, and buried them together with the bones of thoſe, that were lately hanged in the Sepulchre of Kiſh the father of Saul.
Verſ. 13. And they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.] That is, after their bodies had been buried for ſome time; or elſe we muſt ſay, that the bodies hanged ſo long ere rain came, that the greateſt part, at leaſt of the fleſh, was conſumed.
Verſ. 15. And David waxed faint.] To wit, as being then grown old, and therefore not ſo well able to hold out in the fight, as formerly he had been.
Verſ. 17. Thou ſhalt go no more out with us to battel, that thou quench not the light of Iſrael.] That is, for fear thou ſhouldeſt be ſlain, in whom conſiſts the conduct, joy, and life of thy people: kings are called in the Scripture the light of their people, 1. Kings 15.4. The Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jeruſalem, to ſet up his ſonne after him: Pſal. 132.17. I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed: partly, becauſe by their wiſdome the people are governed, partly becauſe they are to ſhine as lights by good example; but principally, becauſe they are the means of ſo much joy and comfort to a people, and thence it is that the people here tell David, that by his death the light of Iſrael would be quenched.
Verſ. 18. And it came to paſſe after this, that there was again a battel with the Philiſtines at Gob.] This Gob it ſeems was near unto Gezer, and therefore, 1. Chron. 20 4. it is ſaid that the battel was in Gezer.
Then Sibbechai the Huſhathite ſlew Saph.] Or Sippai, 1. Chron. 20.4. This Sibbechai was one of Davids worthies, as was alſo Elhanan, mentioned in the following verſe ſee 1. Chron. 11.26.…9.
Verſ. 22. Theſe foure were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, And by the hand of his ſervants.] Though David did not kill them himſelf, yet their death is aſcr…bed to David as well as to his captains, and that be… … they fought in his quarrel; and under his command.