Topical Bible: Saul: King of Israel: Kills the Gibeonites; Crime Avenged by the Death of Seven of his Sons

◄ Saul: King of Israel: Kills the Gibeonites; Crime Avenged by the Death of Seven of his Sons ►

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Background and Reign of Saul

Saul, the first king of Israel, was anointed by the prophet Samuel as described in 1 Samuel 9-10. Saul was chosen by God to lead the Israelites and deliver them from the oppression of their enemies, particularly the Philistines. His reign marked the transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. Saul's kingship, however, was marred by disobedience to God's commands, leading to his eventual rejection by God as king (1 Samuel 15:26).

The Gibeonites and Saul's Crime

The Gibeonites were a group of people who lived in the land of Canaan. During the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, the Gibeonites deceived the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them, as recorded in Joshua 9. Despite the deception, the Israelites swore an oath by the LORD to let them live, and this covenant was honored for generations.

However, during Saul's reign, he violated this covenant by attempting to annihilate the Gibeonites. The specific reasons for Saul's actions are not detailed in the biblical text, but it is clear that his actions were seen as a grave offense against the covenant made before God.

Divine Retribution and the Famine

Years after Saul's death, during the reign of King David, Israel experienced a severe famine that lasted for three years. Seeking the LORD's guidance, David learned that the famine was a result of Saul's bloodshed against the Gibeonites. The LORD said, "It is because of Saul and his bloodstained house, because he put the Gibeonites to death" (2 Samuel 21:1).

Atonement and the Death of Saul's Sons

To atone for Saul's sin and lift the famine, David sought to make amends with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites requested that seven male descendants of Saul be handed over to them to be executed. David agreed, sparing only Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, due to his covenant with Jonathan (2 Samuel 21:7).

David handed over two sons of Saul's concubine Rizpah, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel. These seven were put to death by the Gibeonites and exposed on a hill before the LORD, as a form of retributive justice (2 Samuel 21:8-9).

Aftermath and Burial

Rizpah, the mother of two of the executed sons, displayed a poignant act of mourning and protection over the bodies, preventing birds and wild animals from desecrating them. Her actions moved David to retrieve the bones of Saul and Jonathan from Jabesh-gilead and give them a proper burial along with the bones of the seven sons (2 Samuel 21:10-14).

This act of atonement and the subsequent burial appeased God, and He responded to the plea for the land, ending the famine. The narrative underscores the seriousness with which God regards covenants and the necessity of justice and atonement for wrongdoing.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Samuel 21:1-9
Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... 4790] Saul, as it ... sinned, and the same darkness hung over master and slave, noble
and ignoble, the king and the ... For forty years all Israel toiled and died alike ...
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