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.)

2 SAMUEL 21:2KJV
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2 Samuel 21:2 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 21:2 mean?

2 Samuel 21:2 explains that King David called the Gibeonites to speak with them because they were not Israelites but survivors of the Amorites, and Israel had made a sworn promise to protect them. However, Saul had tried to kill the Gibeonites out of his intense loyalty to Israel and Judah, breaking that promise.

In this verse, David is addressing a wrong done by Saul, who had acted against the Gibeonites despite Israel’s oath to them. The verse highlights the background: the Gibeonites’ non-Israelite origin, the binding nature of Israel’s oath, and Saul’s actions motivated by zeal for his own people. This sets the stage for David’s efforts to make things right and explains why the Gibeonites are involved in the story.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 21:2

  • "Zeal" (קָנָא, qana): This word means passionate jealousy or fervor. Here, it shows that Saul’s actions against the Gibeonites were not casual but driven by intense emotion for Israel and Judah.
  • "Sworn" (שָׁבַע, shava): This word refers to making a solemn oath. The verse emphasizes that Israel’s promise to the Gibeonites was a serious, binding commitment, not just a casual agreement.
  • "Remnant" (יֶתֶר, yether): This word means those left over or survivors. It clarifies that the Gibeonites were the remaining descendants of the Amorites, highlighting their vulnerable position.

Why 2 Samuel 21:2 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the Gibeonites were not Israelites, which is important for understanding the seriousness of Israel’s oath and the gravity of Saul’s violation.
  • It highlights Saul’s zeal as the motivation for his actions, showing that even well-intentioned passion can lead to wrongdoing if it breaks a sacred promise.
  • This background helps explain the cause of the famine described earlier in the chapter, connecting Saul’s actions to the consequences Israel is facing in David’s time.

Where else these words appear

“Gibeonites” Hebrew H1393 · used in 7 verses

  • 2 Samuel 21:1 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.
  • 2 Samuel 21:4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:4 And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,

“zeal” Hebrew H7065 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
  • Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
  • Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

“Amorites” Hebrew H567 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
  • Deuteronomy 1:27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
  • Joshua 24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

“remnant” Hebrew H3499 · used in 95 verses

  • Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
  • 1 Kings 22:45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
  • 2 Chronicles 28:26 Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.