2 Samuel 21:14

14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in ¹Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that ²God responded to the plea for the land.

2 Samuel 21:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 21:14

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son
Together with those who had been hanged:

buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah;
a city in the tribe of Benjamin, ( Joshua 18:28 ) ;

in the sepulchre of Kish his father;
the father of Saul, ( 1 Samuel 9:1 1 Samuel 9:2 ) ; and which, according to Fuller ^F23, and the position of it in his map, was not far from the hill on which the seven sons of Saul were hanged:

and they performed all that the king commanded;
that is, David's messengers and servants did; they fetched the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabeshgilead, and buried them with those of his seven sons hanged, in the burying place of his father Kish, and made a general mourning for them; for the Jews say ^F24, that by David's order Saul's coffin was carried through every tribe, and men, women, and children, came out and expressed concern:

and after that God was entreated for the land;
not after the burial of the said persons, but after the seven men were hanged up; by this the wrath of God was appeased, which was seen by his sending rain and fruitful seasons, so that the famine ceased.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Pisgah-Sight, B. 2. c. 12. p. 258.
F24 Bemidbar Rabba, ut supra. (fol. 190. 1.)

2 Samuel 21:14 In-Context

12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa.

13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.

14 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.

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary.

16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David.

Cross References

• 1. Joshua 18:28
• 2. 2 Samuel 24:25