“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. enquired: Heb. sought the face, etc”
Hebrew, sought the face of the Lord. Hebrew, year after year. Thinking to gratify the people, because these were not of the seed of Abraham.
“And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)”
Cross references: : Josh. 9:3 , 16 , 17
“Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
Wherewith may your wrath be appeased, that you may pray to God to remove this plague from his people.
“Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them. whom: or, chosen of the LORD”
Of Saul’s kinsmen. To pacify the Lord.
“But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.”
1 Sam. 18:3 ; 1 Sam. 20:8 , 42
“But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: Michal: or, Michal's sister brought: Heb. bare to Adriel”
Here Michal is named for Merab, Adriel’s wife, as appeareth, 1 Sam. 18:19 , for Michal was the wife of Paltiel, 1 Sam. 25:44 , and never had child, 2 Sam. 6:23 .
“And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.”
Which was in the month Abib or Nisan, which contained part of March and part of April. Hebrew, fell.
“And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.”
To make her a tent wherein she prayed to God to turn away his wrath. Because drought was the cause of this famine, God by sending of rain showed that he was pacified. Or, rest.
“And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.”
For where the magistrate suffereth faults unpunished, there the plague of God lieth upon the land.
“And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. the giant: or, Rapha spear: Heb. the staff, or, the head”
Which amount to nine pounds three quarters. That is, of the race of giants.
“But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. light: Heb. candle, or, lamp”
For the glory and wealth of the country standeth in the preservation of the godly magistrate.
“And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. the giant: or, Rapha Saph: or, Sippai”
Called Gezer, and Saph is called Sippai, 1 Chron. 20:4 .
“And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. Jaareoregim: or, Jair”
That is, Lahmi the brother of Goliath, whom David slew, 1 Chron. 20:5 .