2 Samuel 21:12

10 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,

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.

13 So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.

14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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.
KJV
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:
WEB
So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
ASV
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul in Gilboa;
DARBY
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the open place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, the day the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;
BLB
And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them there after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa.
ÅB
tok han avsted og hentet Sauls og hans sønn Jonatans ben fra mennene i Jabes i Gilead, som hemmelig hadde tatt dem bort fra torvet i Betsan; der hadde filistrene hengt dem opp den dag de slo Saul på Gilboa.
OTB
gikk David og tok knoklene til Saul og knoklene til Jonatan, hans sønn, fra mennene i Jabesj-gilead, som hadde stjålet dem fra torget i Bet-Sjan, hvor filisterne hadde hengt dem, den dagen filisterne drepte Saul i Gilboa.
B1930
tok han avsted og hentet Sauls og hans sønn Jonatans ben fra mennene i Jabes i Gilead, som hemmelig hadde tatt dem bort fra torvet i Betsan; der hadde filistrene hengt dem op den dag de slo Saul på Gilboa.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 31:10–13

    They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.

    Read in context
  • Joshua 17:11

    Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

    Read in context
  • 1 Chronicles 10:1

    Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 1:21

    O mountains of Gilboa, may you have no dew or rain, no fields yielding offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 28:4

    The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 1:6

    “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” he replied, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and the cavalry closing in on him.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 31:1

    Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa.

    Read in context
  • 2 Samuel 2:5–7

    So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.

    Read in context