Episode 129: Seven of Saul's sons are hung up before the Lord
2 Samuel 21-22
211 There was a famine in David's kingdom for three years. When David asked God why, God said, "It’s because Saul slew the Gibeonites."
3 So David asked the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you to make atonement?"
6 The Gibeonites said, "Give us seven of Saul's sons, and we'll hang them up to the Lord."
8 So David gave two of Saul's sons and five of his grandsons to the Gibeonites.
9 And the Gibeonites hanged them on the hill before the Lord.
10 Rizpah, the mother Saul's two sons who were hanged, chased the flesh-eating birds and the beasts away from her sons' bodies as they hung before the Lord.
13 David gathered and buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan, and the bones of Saul's sons and grandsons that were hung before the Lord.
14 After that God stopped starving people with the famine.
More wars and giant killing
15 Israel and the Philistines had another war. David went along, but he was just too tired to fight.
16 Meanwhile, Ishbibenob, who was the son of a giant, had a spear that weighed 300 shekels and planned to kill David with his new sword. 17 But Abishai killed Ishbibenob.
18 Then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. But Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was also a son of a giant.
19 And then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. In this battle, Elhanan killed [the brother of] Goliath.
20 There was another battle in Gath, where a man of great stature was killed. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot and was also a son of a giant.
22 All four of these sons of the giant were killed by David and/or his men.
David’s song to God
228 When God gets angry, the earth shakes and the foundation of heaven moves.
9 Smoke comes out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth.
10 God split the heavens and came down, with darkness under his feet.
There is nothing in the Bible about Saul killing Gibeonites. Although it might possibly refer to the Saul's slaughter of the priests of Nob, which was in the land of Benjamin, not far from Gibeon. (1 Samuel 22:6-19, Episode 112)
But David spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, because of the oath that he had with Jonathan. (2 Samuel 21:7)
David gave two of Saul's sons (21:8)
The names of the two sons were Armoni and Mephibosheth. This Mephibosheth is the son of Saul and Rizpah, while the Mephibosheth in verse 7 (that was spared) was Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan.
Elhanan killed [the brother of] Goliath. (21:19)
"The brother of" is italicized in the King James Version to indicate that the words were were added by the translators - to avoid the obvious contradiction with the story of David and Goliath. Who killed Goliath?
