2 Samuel 21:1

The Gibeonites Demand Revenge

21:1 During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. ¹  The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, ²  because he murdered the Gibeonites.”

2 Samuel 21:4

21:4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We ³  have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family, ⁴  nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked, ⁵  “What then are you asking me to do for you?”

[21:1]  ¹ tn Heb “sought the face of the Lord.”

[21:1]  ² tn Heb “and the house of bloodshed.”

[21:4]  ³ tc The translation follows the Qere and several medieval Hebrew mss in reading לָנוּ (lanu, “to us”) rather than the MT לִי (li, “to me”). But for a contrary opinion see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 53, 350.

[21:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[21:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.