Let seuen men of his sonnes bee deliuered vnto vs, and wee will hang them vp vnto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whome the Lord did chuse. And the king said, I will giue them. 2 Samuel 21:6 (KJV)
In 2 Samuel 21 we encounter a severe famine that afflicted the land of Israel for three successive years. King David, troubled by the scarcity, sought the Lord’s guidance to discover the cause. The Lord answered that the famine was a direct result of the bloodguilt of Saul and his house. The narrative links this guilt to Saul’s treatment of the Gibeonites, a people with whom Israel had entered a treaty during the time of Joshua (Joshua 9). Although the text does not state it explicitly, the prevailing understanding is that Saul violated that covenant by attempting to destroy the Gibeonites, and the Lord held him accountable for the breach.
In verse 6 the Gibeonites approach David with a demand for retribution. They declare, “We will not eat of any dead body in Israel; but the men of Saul’s house shall give us the children of the famine, which the LORD hath required.” Their request is specific: they will accept no silver or gold from Saul’s house, nor the killing of any Israelite, but they require seven men descended from Saul to be handed over so that they may be hung “unto the LORD” in Gibeah of Saul. This execution is presented as an act of divine justice rather than mere vengeance.
David consents to the Gibeonite demand, saying, “I will give them.” In doing so he seeks to make amends for the sins of his predecessor. Yet he spares Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, honoring the oath he had taken with Jonathan (see 2 Samuel 21:7).
The passage records a historical episode that reflects the cultural and legal practices of ancient Israel. It does not prescribe such actions for contemporary believers, but it does underscore the serious consequences of violating covenants. The account reminds us of the importance of honoring agreements, pursuing reconciliation when injustices occur, and the responsibility of leaders to address the wrongdoing of those who came before them.
