2 Samuel 21:10

Faithfulness and loyalty Grief Love for others Death and loss

⁸ But 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.

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.

And 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.

¹¹ When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,

¹² he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And 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.
KJV: 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.
WEB: Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night.
ASV: And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
DARBY: Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them out of the heavens, and suffered neither the fowl of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
BLB: And Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

ÅB: Men Rispa, Ajas datter, tok sin sørgedrakt og bredte den ut på klippen fra høstens begynnelse inntil det strømmet vann ned på dem fra himmelen[^2]; og hun lot ikke himmelens fugler få slå ned på dem om dagen eller markens ville dyr om natten.
OTB: Så tok Rispa, datter av Aja, sekkestrie og bredte det ut for seg på klippen, fra begynnelsen av innhøstingen til det regnet på dem fra himmelen; og hun tillot ikke fuglene i luften å hvile på dem om dagen, eller de ville dyrene om natten.
B1930: Men Rispa, Ajas datter, tok sin sørgedrakt og bredte den ut på klippen fra høstens begynnelse inntil det strømmet vann ned på dem fra himmelen; og hun lot ikke himmelens fugler få slå ned på dem om dagen eller markens ville dyr om natten. / < de blev hengende inntil Gud gav regn igjen, 2SA 21, 1.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 21:23
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.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:7
Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
Read in context
1 Kings 18:41–45
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”
Read in context
Joel 2:23
Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
Read in context
1 Kings 21:27
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
Read in context
Zechariah 10:1
Ask the LORD for rain in springtime; the LORD makes the storm clouds, and He will give everyone showers of rain and crops in the field.
Read in context
Jeremiah 14:22
Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.
Read in context
Hosea 6:3
So let us know— let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
Read in context