Saul’s broken pledge led to consequences that only humble repentance before the Lord could resolve.
In this passage, we read: “So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them; now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah.” (v.2) Here, “the king” refers to King David (who reigned from around 1010 BC to 970 BC). The Gibeonites lived in Gibeon, a city located about six miles northwest of Jerusalem. They were survivors of the Amorite peoples who once populated the region. In the days of Joshua, Israel made a covenant of protection with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15), making it a sacred commitment that the nation was obligated to honor throughout its history.
Within “but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah” (v.2), we see that Saul, who served as Israel’s first king from about 1050 BC to 1010 BC, tried to exterminate the Gibeonites, breaking Israel’s covenant obligations. By persecuting the Gibeonites, Saul introduced a grave injustice into the land of Israel. This violation likely contributed to the famine in Israel and provided the backdrop for the conflict David is now working to resolve (2 Samuel 21:1). In the biblical narrative, broken covenants often bring serious consequences, reminding Israel—and modern readers—of God’s call not just to make promises but to keep them (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
This verse underscores the importance of covenant faithfulness, a theme that ultimately points to the perfect fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus, who established the new covenant through His sacrifice and resurrection (Luke 22:20). David’s concern for the Gibeonites in “So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them” (v.2) reflects God’s heart for restorative justice, demonstrating that divine covenants and human agreements are to be honored with great care.
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2 Samuel 21:2 meaning
In this passage, we read: “So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them; now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah.” (v.2) Here, “the king” refers to King David (who reigned from around 1010 BC to 970 BC). The Gibeonites lived in Gibeon, a city located about six miles northwest of Jerusalem. They were survivors of the Amorite peoples who once populated the region. In the days of Joshua, Israel made a covenant of protection with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15), making it a sacred commitment that the nation was obligated to honor throughout its history.
Within “but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah” (v.2), we see that Saul, who served as Israel’s first king from about 1050 BC to 1010 BC, tried to exterminate the Gibeonites, breaking Israel’s covenant obligations. By persecuting the Gibeonites, Saul introduced a grave injustice into the land of Israel. This violation likely contributed to the famine in Israel and provided the backdrop for the conflict David is now working to resolve (2 Samuel 21:1). In the biblical narrative, broken covenants often bring serious consequences, reminding Israel—and modern readers—of God’s call not just to make promises but to keep them (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
This verse underscores the importance of covenant faithfulness, a theme that ultimately points to the perfect fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus, who established the new covenant through His sacrifice and resurrection (Luke 22:20). David’s concern for the Gibeonites in “So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them” (v.2) reflects God’s heart for restorative justice, demonstrating that divine covenants and human agreements are to be honored with great care.