II Samuel 21
Dear RTB’ers,
Having read about Absalom’s desire for revenge – and David’s reaching out with compassion instead of revenge – today we see another act of revenge, the Gibeonites demanding seven deaths in place of Saul’s rampage against them. Isn’t it strange that dying in battle is so different from execution? Saul died in battle, albeit at his own hand (I Samuel 31:1-6), but now seven of his descendants are hung – with no guilt upon themselves, only a revenge motive by the Gibeonites. And mothers weep for their lost children, no matter how they die. (v. 10)
Presumably we go back in time with the second portion of today’s reading, to Philistines rising up against Israel, and we see victories by David’s men over Goliath’s relatives (actually, “descendants of the giants”, (II Samuel 21:16,18,20). You may be confused by the mention of “Goliath the Gittite” in verse 19. Didn’t David kill Goliath back in I Samuel 17? Thankfully, our companion STS book has a footnote directing us to I Chronicles 20:5, which clarifies that the text should read “the brother of Goliath the Gittite”.
Blessings!
See also: April 16 (2023) / II Samuel 21.