What happensPermalink
During a famine, David learns from God that it is punishment for Saul’s violation of Israel’s covenant with the Gibeonites. To restore justice, he hands over seven of Saul’s descendants, whom the Gibeonites execute. Rizpah, mother of two of them, guards their bodies in mourning until David gathers and buries them honorably with Saul and Jonathan. After this act of covenant faithfulness, the famine ends. The chapter closes with accounts of Israel’s victories over Philistine giants, recalling David’s own battle with Goliath.
Why it mattersPermalink
The famine reveals that God remembers and enforces His covenants, even generations later. David’s restoration of Saul’s family to proper burial fulfills both divine justice and human compassion. Rizpah’s faithfulness and David’s repentance bring healing to Israel. The renewed victories over giants echo David’s early triumphs, reminding readers that God’s power to save remains constant.
Key versePermalink
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan…and after that God responded to the plea for the land.