2 Samuel 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

◄ 2 Samuel 21:9 ►

New International Version
He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.

New Living Translation
The men of Gibeon executed them on the mountain before the LORD. So all seven of them died together at the beginning of the barley harvest.

English Standard Version
and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Berean Standard Bible
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So 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.

New American Standard Bible
Then he handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

NASB 1995
Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

NASB 1977
Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Yahweh, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

Amplified Bible
He handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD, and the seven died together. They were put to death in the first days of the grain harvest, the beginning of the barley harvest [in the spring].

Christian Standard Bible
and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the LORD; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the hill in the presence of the LORD; the seven of them died together. They were executed in the first days of the harvest at the beginning of the barley harvest.

American Standard Version
and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Jehovah, and they fell all seven together. And they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Contemporary English Version
turned them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged all seven of them on the mountain near the place where the LORD was worshiped. This happened right at the beginning of the barley harvest.

English Revised Version
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, and they fell all seven together: and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king handed them over to the Gibeonites, who executed them on the mountain in the LORD's presence. All seven died together. They were killed at the beginning of the harvest, when people started harvesting barley.

Good News Translation
David handed them over to the people of Gibeon, who hanged them on the mountain before the LORD--and all seven of them died together. It was late in the spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest, when they were put to death.

International Standard Version
Then he turned them over to the custody of the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in the presence of the LORD. All seven of them died at the same time. They were executed during the first days of harvest, just as the barley began to be gathered in.

Majority Standard Bible
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

NET Bible
He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the LORD. The seven of them died together; they were put to death during harvest time--during the first days of the beginning of the barley harvest.

New Heart English Bible
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and all seven of them fell together. And they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of barley harvest.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on 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.

World English Bible
He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites; and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and gives them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hang them in the hill before YHWH; and the seven fall together, and they have been put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], the commencement of barley-harvest.

Young's Literal Translation
and giveth them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hang them in the hill before Jehovah; and the seven fall together, and they have been put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, the commencement of barley-harvest.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will give them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they will hang them in the mountain before Jehovah: and the seven will fall together, and they were put to death in the days of harvest in the first of the beginning of the harvest of barley.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And gave them into the hands of the Gabaonites: and they crucified them on a hill before the Lord: and these seven died together in the first days of the harvest, when the barley began to be reaped.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites. And they crucified them on a hill in the sight of the Lord. And these seven fell together in the first days of the harvest, when the barley is beginning to be reaped.

New American Bible
and delivered them into the power of the Gibeonites, who then executed them on the mountain before the LORD. The seven fell at the one time; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest—that is, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

New Revised Standard Version
he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they impaled them on the mountain before the LORD. The seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And he delivered them to the Gibeonites, and they sacrificed them in the mountain before the LORD; and they fell all seven together, and were slain in the first days of harvest, in the beginning of barley harvest.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he delivered them to the Gebunites and they sacrificed them in the mountain before LORD JEHOVAH, and the seven of them fell as one, and those were killed in the days of harvest on the first of the harvest of barley

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he gave them into the hand of the Gabaonites, and they hanged them up to the sun in the mountain before the lord: and they fell, even the seven together: moreover they were put to death in the days of harvest at the commencement, in the beginning of barley-harvest.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

David Avenges the Gibeonites
…8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest. 10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 21:22-23
If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, / you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Joshua 10:26-27
After this, Joshua struck down and killed the kings, and he hung their bodies on five trees and left them there until evening. / At sunset Joshua ordered that they be taken down from the trees and thrown into the cave in which they had hidden. Then large stones were placed against the mouth of the cave, and the stones are there to this day.

Numbers 25:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Acts 5:30
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.

Acts 10:39
We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,

1 Samuel 31:12-13
all their men of valor set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. When they arrived at Jabesh, they burned the bodies there. / Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

2 Samuel 3:29
May it whirl over the head of Joab and over the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”

2 Samuel 6:23
And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

2 Samuel 16:8
The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!”

1 Kings 2:32-33
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. / Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”

1 Kings 21:13
And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

Esther 9:13-14
Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, may the Jews in Susa also have tomorrow to carry out today’s edict, and may the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” / So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.

Matthew 27:38
Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left.

Mark 15:27
Along with Jesus, they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

before the Lord

2 Samuel 20:6
And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

2 Samuel 6:17,21
And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD…

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

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2 Samuel 21

1. The three year Gibeonite famine ceases, by hanging seven of Saul's sons.
10. Rizpah's kindness unto the dead
12. David buries the bones of Saul and Jonathan in his father's tomb
15. Four battles against the Philistines, wherein four men of David slay four giants.

Berean Study Bible

He handed them over
This phrase indicates a transfer of responsibility and judgment. In the Hebrew context, the act of handing over is often associated with divine justice or fulfillment of a covenant. The Gibeonites had been wronged by Saul, and David, seeking to rectify this, hands over Saul's descendants. This act underscores the importance of covenant faithfulness and the serious consequences of breaking oaths made before God.

to the Gibeonites
The Gibeonites were a group of people who had made a treaty with Israel during the time of Joshua (Joshua 9). Despite their deceptive means of securing the treaty, it was honored by God and Israel. This highlights the sacredness of oaths and covenants in the biblical narrative. The Gibeonites' role here is a reminder of the long-lasting implications of agreements made in God's name.

who killed them
The act of killing here is a form of retributive justice. In the ancient Near Eastern context, justice often involved a life-for-life principle. The Gibeonites executing Saul's descendants is seen as a fulfillment of justice for the bloodguilt Saul brought upon Israel by breaking the covenant with the Gibeonites.

and exposed their bodies
Exposing bodies was a sign of disgrace and a public display of judgment. In Deuteronomy 21:22-23, the law states that a hanged body should not remain on a tree overnight, emphasizing the curse associated with such exposure. This act served as a public testament to the seriousness of Saul's sin and the fulfillment of justice.

on the hill before the LORD
The hill signifies a place of visibility and perhaps a place of worship or judgment. Doing this "before the LORD" indicates that the act was not just a human decision but was carried out in the presence of God, suggesting divine approval or oversight. It underscores the belief that God is the ultimate judge and witness to human actions.

All seven of them fell together
The number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in the Bible. The simultaneous death of all seven descendants signifies the complete fulfillment of the required justice. It also reflects the collective nature of familial and national identity in ancient Israel, where the actions of one could affect many.

they were put to death during the first days of the harvest
The timing of their death during the harvest season is significant. Harvest time is often associated with judgment and reaping what has been sown. This timing may symbolize the reaping of consequences for Saul's actions, aligning with the biblical theme of sowing and reaping.

at the beginning of the barley harvest
The barley harvest marks the start of the agricultural year in Israel, typically around April. This period is also associated with Passover, a time of deliverance and redemption. The juxtaposition of death and the beginning of a new season may symbolize the end of a curse and the potential for new beginnings for Israel after justice is served.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) The beginning of barley harvest.--This was immediately after the Passover (Leviticus 23:10-11), and therefore about the middle of April. The rains of autumn began in October, so that Rizpah's watch must have been about six months. She spread the sackcloth as a tent to form a rough shelter during the long watch. For water dropped read water poured, the word being used for melting, flowing, and hence for heavy rain. It was not until these rains began (which may probably have been somewhat earlier than usual) that the people were assured of the Divine forgiveness, and therefore the bodies of the executed were left unburied until then.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - The beginning of barley harvest. The barley became ripe in April, about the time of the Passover (Deuteronomy 16:9). The wheat was not. ripe till Pentecost.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

and he delivered them
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם (way·yit·tə·nêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

into the hands
בְּיַ֣ד (bə·yaḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of the Gibeonites,
הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים (hag·giḇ·‘ō·nîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 1393: Gibeonites -- inhabitants of Gibeon

and they hanged them
וַיֹּקִיעֻ֤ם (way·yō·qî·‘um)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3363: To sever oneself, to be dislocated, to abandon, to impale

on the hill
בָּהָר֙ (bā·hār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

before
לִפְנֵ֣י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the LORD.
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

So all seven of them
שְׁבַעְתָּ֖ם (šə·ḇa‘·tām)
Number - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

fell
וַיִּפְּל֥וּ (way·yip·pə·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

together;
יָ֑חַד (yā·ḥaḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3162: A unit, unitedly

they
וְהֵ֨מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

were put to death
הֻמְת֜וּ (hum·ṯū)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

in the first
בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים (bā·ri·šō·nîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

days
בִּימֵ֤י (bî·mê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of the harvest,
קָצִיר֙ (qā·ṣîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7105: Severed, harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, a limb

at the beginning
בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת‪‬ (biṯ·ḥil·laṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8462: A commencement, rel, original

of the barley
שְׂעֹרִֽים׃ (śə·‘ō·rîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8184: Barley

harvest.
קְצִ֥יר (qə·ṣîr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7105: Severed, harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, a limb

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OT History: 2 Samuel 21:9 He delivered them into the hands (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)