27. The Gibeonites and the Raphites (2 Samuel 21:1–22)

As the book of Samuel nears its final chapters, the story of David approaches the end. It conveys the message of God’s ongoing covenant faithfulness: for the least acknowledged group in society (within) and against their everlasting enemies, the Raphites (without).

👉 Read 2Samuel 21:1 - 22

Q1. At the time of David’s reign, a famine came for three consecutive years because Saul tried to annihilate the Gibeonites. Why did he do that? And what was wrong with it?

Out of his zeal for Israel, he did so.

Saul broke the covenant with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:18–19).

Other insights: Faithfulness matters more than zeal. The first is mandatory, the second is voluntary. Saul often made mistakes out of zeal. For example, he ordered his soldiers not to eat anything until they defeated the Philistines in 1 Samuel 14, which turned out to be a bad decision. Regarding the oath with the Gibeonites, even though it was made by their lie, it had to be kept because it was sworn in the Lord’s name.

Q2. They replied to the king, ‘Let ( ) of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute them before ( ) in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s ( ).’ The king showed mercy on ( ) because of the oath with Jonathan. He took ( ) sons and ( ) grandsons of Saul and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They executed them on a hill before ( ). As the corpses were laid on a rock without burial, ( ) mourned for her sons and protected the corpses from wild animals. David went to ( ), took the bones of ( ) and ( ), and buried them together with the corpses in the grave of their father Kish. Then, ( ) responded to their prayer for the land.

They replied to the king, ‘Let ( seven ) of his male descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute them before ( the Lord ) in Gibeah of Saul, who was the Lord’s ( chosen one ).’ The king showed mercy on ( Mephibosheth ) because of the oath with Jonathan. He took ( two ) sons and ( five ) grandsons of Saul and handed them over to the Gibeonites. They executed them on a hill before ( the Lord ). As the corpses were laid on a rock without burial, ( Rizpah ) mourned for her sons and protected the corpses from wild animals. David went to ( Jabesh Gilead ), took the bones of ( Saul ) and ( Jonathan ), and buried them together with the executed in the grave of their father Kish. Then, ( God ) responded to their prayer for the land.

‘Lord’s chosen one’: The Gibeonites pleaded their affliction by the injustice done by the Lord’s chosen one and asked the Lord’s intervention for that.

Why did the Lord not correct the problem at Saul’s time? Probably the Lord had been waiting for Israel to fix the problem, but they did not. Then, why in David’s time? David was the chosen one who could resolve Israel’s sin of unfaithfulness in breaking the covenant and restore God’s dishonored reputation among the people, especially the Gibeonites, since no action had been taken to uphold an oath made in His name. 

On the side, Saul’s seven descendants became an innocent sacrifice, though this in itself created another problem of injustice. When David buried the bodies of the executed together with Saul and Jonathan in their ancestral grave, that injustice was heard in some measure. Thus, when all injustice was resolved as much as possible in that time—though full restoration will only come when the Lord returns—the Lord was able to restore the land. 

Such providence of God resembles what He accomplished on the cross: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26).

Q3. What are the names of the four giant descendants of Rapha who were killed by David and his soldiers?

Ishbi-Benob, Saph, the brother of Goliath, and the six-fingered man.

David’s story began with the defeat of Goliath (1 Sam 17), showing that victory comes by God’s power, not human strength. As 2 Samuel closes, 21:1–14 and 21:15–22 echo this theme from two sides: God requires covenant justice, for only by dealing with sin can His mercy restore the land, and His deliverance continues through David’s men when the king grows weary. These accounts remind Israel that God’s purposes are not tied to one leader but extend through generations. The true safeguard of Israel’s future is not David’s hand but God’s enduring faithfulness. The people in 2 Samuel 21:17 call David “the lamp of Israel,” but ultimately Scripture makes clear that the true lamp is the Lord Himself.