2 Samuel

2 Samuel 21:1–2

1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD.

And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

2At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

Read all of 2 Samuel 21

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 21:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
During the reignבִּימֵ֨יbî·mêPreposition-b; Noun - masculine plural constructH3117 day
of Davidדָוִ֜דḏā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
there wasוַיְהִ֣יway·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a famineרָעָב֩rā·‘āḇNoun - masculine singularH7458 famine, hunger
for threeשָׁלֹ֣שׁšā·lōšNumber - feminine singularH7969 a three, triad
successive yearsשָׁנִ֗יםšā·nîmNoun - feminine pluralH8141 year
and Davidדָּוִ֖דdā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
soughtוַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁway·ḇaq·qêšConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1245 seek
the faceפְּנֵ֣יpə·nêNoun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
of the LORDיְהוָ֑הסyə·h·wå̄·hsNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
And the LORDיְהוָ֗הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
It is because ofאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the bloodהַדָּמִ֔יםhad·dā·mîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH1818 blood
shed by Saulשָׁאוּל֙šā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
andוְאֶל־wə·’el-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH413 motion to
his familyבֵּ֣יתbêṯNoun - masculine singular constructH1004 house
becauseאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
he killedהֵמִ֖יתhê·mîṯVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularH4191 die
the Gibeonitesהַגִּבְעֹנִֽים׃hag·giḇ·‘ō·nîmArticle; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH1393 Gibonite

2 Samuel 21:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
At thisהַמֶּ֛לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
Davidהַמֶּ֛לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
summonedוַיִּקְרָ֥אway·yiq·rāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7121 call, proclaim, read
the Gibeonitesוְהַגִּבְעֹנִ֞יםwə·hag·giḇ·‘ō·nîmConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH1393 Gibonite
and spokeוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
to themאֲלֵיהֶ֑ם’ă·lê·hemPreposition; third person masculine pluralH413 motion to
Now the Gibeonitesלַגִּבְעֹנִ֖יםlag·giḇ·‘ō·nîmPreposition-l, Article; Noun - proper - masculine pluralH1393 Gibonite
wereהֵ֗מָּהhêm·māhPronoun - third person masculine pluralH1992 they, them
notלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
Israelitesמִבְּנֵ֧יmib·bə·nêPreposition-m; Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
butכִּ֚יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
a remnantמִיֶּ֣תֶרmî·ye·ṯerPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH3499 remainder, excellence, excess
of the Amoritesהָאֱמֹרִ֔יhā·’ĕ·mō·rîArticle; Noun - proper - masculine singularH567 Amorites
The Israelitesוּבְנֵ֤יū·ḇə·nêConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
had taken an oath concerning themנִשְׁבְּע֣וּniš·bə·‘ūVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralH7650 swear
but in his zealבְּקַנֹּאת֥וֹbə·qan·nō·ṯōwPreposition-b; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person masculine singularH7065 be jealous, zealous
for Israelלִבְנֵֽי־liḇ·nê-Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
and Judahוִיהוּדָֽה׃wî·hū·ḏāhConjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
Saulשָׁאוּל֙šā·’ūlNoun - proper - masculine singularH7586 Shaul
had soughtוַיְבַקֵּ֤שׁway·ḇaq·qêšConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH1245 seek
to kill themלְהַכֹּתָ֔םlə·hak·kō·ṯāmPreposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine pluralH5221 smite

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Samuel 21:1 Joshua 7:11–12

2 Samuel 21:2 Joshua 9:3–21

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.