2 Samuel 21:14

Translations

Modern

And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

Traditional

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

Literal

And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they performed all that the king commanded, and God heeded the prayer for the land after that.

Latin

…sepelierunt ea cum ossibus Saul et Jonathæ filii ejus in terra Benjamin, in latere, in sepulchro Cis patris ejus: feceruntque omnia quæ præceperat rex, et repropitiatus est Deus terræ post hæc.

Interlinear

Hebrew

English

And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.

Notes

2 Samuel 21:14

We do not know the exact location of Zela.
prayers for the land: This refers to the famine described earlier in the story in 2 Samuel 21:1–2.

2 Samuel 21:1–24:25

The final chapters of 2 Samuel form a coda (a concluding section). This section brings together and summarizes the main themes from earlier chapters.

These chapters are thematic, not chronological (arranged by topic, not by time). Because of this, not all the events happened at the end of David’s reign (for example, 2 Samuel 22:1).

The material is arranged using a common Hebrew literary pattern called a chiasm (a mirror-like structure). In a chiasm, the first and last sections match, and the middle section is the focus.

The structure of this chiasm is as follows:

A: Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites and the punishment that affected the whole community (2 Samuel 21:1–14)
- B: David’s warriors and their heroic deeds (2 Samuel 21:15–22)
  - C: David’s Psalm (2 Samuel 22:1–51)
  - C′: David’s Psalm (2 Samuel 23:1–7)
- B′: David’s warriors and their heroic deeds (2 Samuel 23:8–39)
A′: David’s sin involving the census and the punishment that affected the whole community (2 Samuel 24:1–25)

A chiasm draws attention to the center section. Here, the center is David’s hymns. These hymns do not focus on David himself. Instead, they focus on David’s God.

Theme notes and profiles

David

Events

Reign of Davidc. 1055 BC

Related verses

Joshua 18:28
Zelah, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities, along with their villages. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.
Joshua 7:26
And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
2 Samuel 24:25
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.
Numbers 25:13
It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
1 Kings 18:40–41
Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
Amos 7:1–6
This is what the Lord GOD showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts just after the king’s harvest, as the late spring crop was coming up.
1 Samuel 10:2
When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
Exodus 32:27–29
He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”
Zechariah 6:8
Then the LORD summoned me and said, “Behold, those going to the land of the north have given rest to My Spirit in the land of the north.”
Jeremiah 14:1–7
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
2 Samuel 4:12
So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
2 Samuel 3:32
When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.

People

Benjamin: Youngest son of Jacob and Rachel Jonathan: Eldest son of King Saul and friend of David Kish: Father of Saul, the first king of Israel Saul: First king of Israel, anointed by Samuel

Places

Zela: A city in Benjamin where Saul's family was buried

Glossary

Avenger of Blood Beth-Shan, Beth-Shean Kish Mephibosheth Rephaim Samuel, Books of First and Second Zela, Zelah

Topics

David: Consigns Seven Sons of Saul to the Gibeonites to be Killed to Atone for Saul's Persecution of the Gibeonites David: King of Israel: Buries Saul's Bones, and the Bones of his Sons David: King of Israel: Death and Burial of Saul and his Sons Jabesh-Gilead: Bones of Saul and his Sons Removed From, by David, and Buried at Zelah Jonathan: Son of Saul: Killed in the Battle with the Philistines Kish: Father of Saul Zelah: Saul Buried In

2 Samuel 21:14

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Interlinear?

Notes?

Events?

Related verses?

People

Places

Glossary?

Topics?

Translations

Interlinear

Notes

Events

Related verses

Glossary

Topics