2 Samuel 21:1
The Gibeonites Demand Revenge During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the LORD. The LORD said,“It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, because he murdered the Gibeonites.”
Additional Resources
Referenced Verses
- Num 27:21 : 21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the decision of the Urim. At his command they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”
- Gen 12:10 : 10 The Promised Blessing Jeopardized There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.
- Gen 26:1 : 1 Isaac and Abimelech There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
- Gen 41:57-42:1 : 57 People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth. 1 Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons,“Why are you looking at each other?”
- Gen 43:1 : 1 The Second Journey to Egypt Now the famine was severe in the land.
- Lev 26:19-20 : 19 I will break your strong pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze. 20 Your strength will be used up in vain, your land will not give its yield, and the trees of the land will not produce their fruit.
- Lev 26:26 : 26 When I break off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven; they will ration your bread by weight, and you will eat and not be satisfied.
- Josh 7:1 : 1 Achan Sins and is Punished But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. The LORD was furious with the Israelites.
- Josh 7:11-12 : 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! They have taken some of the riches; they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions. 12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. I will no longer be with you, unless you destroy what has contaminated you.
- 1 Sam 22:17-19 : 17 Then the king said to the messengers who were stationed beside him,“Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, for they too have sided with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg,“You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, he struck down with the sword men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep– all with the sword.
- 1 Sam 23:2 : 2 So David asked the LORD,“Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The LORD said to David,“Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
- 1 Sam 23:4 : 4 So David asked the LORD once again. But again the LORD replied,“Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
- 1 Sam 23:11 : 11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, please inform your servant!”Then the LORD said,“He will come down.”
- 2 Sam 5:19 : 19 So David asked the LORD,“Should I march up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The LORD said to David,“March up, for I will indeed hand the Philistines over to you.”
- 2 Sam 5:23 : 23 So David asked the LORD what he should do. This time the LORD said to him,“Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.
- 1 Kgs 17:1 : 1 Elijah Visits a Widow in Sidonian Territory Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab,“As certainly as the LORD God of Israel lives(whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”
- 1 Kgs 18:2 : 2 So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab.Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
- 2 Kgs 6:25 : 25 Samaria’s food supply ran out. They laid siege to it so long that a donkey’s head was selling for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a kab of dove’s droppings for five shekels of silver.
- 2 Kgs 8:1 : 1 Elisha Again Helps the Shunammite Woman Now Elisha advised the woman whose son he had brought back to life,“You and your family should go and live somewhere else for a while, for the LORD has decreed that a famine will overtake the land for seven years.”
- Job 5:8-9 : 8 Blessings for the One Who Seeks God“But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would set forth my case. 9 He does great and unsearchable things, marvelous things without number; 10 he gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields;
- Job 10:2 : 2 I will say to God,‘Do not condemn me; tell me why you are contending with me.’
- Ps 50:15 : 15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! I will deliver you, and you will honor me!”
- Ps 91:15 : 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor.
- Jer 14:1-9 : 1 A Lament over the Ravages of Drought This was the LORD’s message to Jeremiah about the drought. 2 “The people of Judah are in mourning. The people in her cities are pining away. They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow. Cries of distress come up to me from Jerusalem. 3 The leading men of the cities send their servants for water. They go to the cisterns, but they do not find any water there. They return with their containers empty. Disappointed and dismayed, they bury their faces in their hands. 4 They are dismayed because the ground is cracked because there has been no rain in the land. The farmers, too, are dismayed and bury their faces in their hands. 5 Even the doe abandons her newborn fawn in the field because there is no grass. 6 Wild donkeys stand on the hilltops and pant for breath like jackals. Their eyes are strained looking for food, because there is none to be found.” 7 Then I said,“O LORD, intervene for the honor of your name even though our sins speak out against us. Indeed, we have turned away from you many times. We have sinned against you. 8 You have been the object of Israel’s hopes. You have saved them when they were in trouble. Why have you become like a resident foreigner in the land? Why have you become like a traveler who only stops in to spend the night? 9 Why should you be like someone who is helpless, like a champion who cannot save anyone? You are indeed with us, and we belong to you. Do not abandon us!” 10 Then the LORD spoke about these people.“They truly love to go astray. They cannot keep from running away from me. So I am not pleased with them. I will now call to mind the wrongs they have done and punish them for their sins.” 11 Judgment for Believing the Misleading Lies of the False Prophets Then the LORD said to me,“Do not pray for good to come to these people! 12 Even if they fast, I will not hear their cries for help. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will kill them through wars, famines, and plagues.” 13 Then I said,“Oh, Sovereign LORD, look! The prophets are telling them that you said,‘You will not experience war or suffer famine. I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’” 14 Then the LORD said to me,“Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind. 15 I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying,‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the LORD, say this about them:‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ 16 The people to whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out on them the destruction they deserve.” 17 Lament over Present Destruction and Threat of More to Come“Tell these people this, Jeremiah:‘My eyes overflow with tears day and night without ceasing. For my people, my dear children, have suffered a crushing blow. They have suffered a serious wound. 18 If I go out into the countryside, I see those who have been killed in battle. If I go into the city, I see those who are sick because of starvation. For both prophet and priest– they go peddling in the land but they are not humbled.’”
Similar Verses (AI)
These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.
- 2 Sam 21:2-65 verses79%
2So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them.(Now the Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel; they were a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul tried to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)
3David said to the Gibeonites,“What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless the LORD’s inheritance?”
4The Gibeonites said to him,“We have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his family, nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” David asked,“What then are you asking me to do for you?”
5They replied to the king,“As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without status throughout all the borders of Israel–
6let 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 replied,“I will turn them over.”
- 1 Chr 21:9-124 verses73%
9The LORD told Gad, David’s prophet,
10“Go, tell David,‘This is what the LORD says:“I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.”’”
11Gad went to David and told him,“This is what the LORD says:‘Pick one of these:
12three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the LORD, during which a plague will invade the land and the LORD’s angel will destroy throughout Israel’s territory.’ Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”
- 2 Sam 24:11-133 verses72%
11When David got up the next morning, the LORD’s message had already come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer:
12“Go, tell David,‘This is what the LORD has said: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.’”
13Gad went to David and told him,“Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me.”
- 72%
13Saul said to him,“Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”
- 1 Chr 10:13-142 verses71%
13So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD and did not obey the LORD’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits.
14He did not seek the LORD’s guidance, so the LORD killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.
- 70%
9He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the LORD. The seven of them died together; they were put to death during harvest time– during the first days of the beginning of the barley harvest.
- 1 Sam 22:10-112 verses70%
10He inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king.
- 70%
1¶ David Learns of the Deaths of Saul and Jonathan After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed at Ziklag for two days.
- 2 Sam 3:28-303 verses70%
28When David later heard about this, he said,“I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!
29May his blood whirl over the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! May the males of Joab’s house never cease to have someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”
30So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.
- 69%
5He risked his life when he struck down the Philistine and the LORD gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you were happy. So why would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”
- 2 Sam 1:15-173 verses69%
15Then David called one of the soldiers and said,“Come here and strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died.
16David said to him,“Your blood be on your own head! Your own mouth has testified against you, saying‘I have put the LORD’s anointed to death.’”
17David’s Tribute to Saul and Jonathan Then David chanted this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan.
- 69%
1However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.
- 69%
17David said to God,“Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep– what have they done? O LORD my God, attack me and my family, but remove the plague from your people!”
- 69%
10Then David said,“O LORD God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.
- 68%
2So David asked the LORD,“Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The LORD said to David,“Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”
- 68%
21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.
- 68%
1Saul Repeatedly Attempts to Take David’s Life Then Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul’s son Jonathan liked David very much.
- 68%
12They lamented and wept and fasted until evening because Saul, his son Jonathan, the LORD’s people, and the house of Israel had fallen by the sword.
- 68%
32May the LORD punish him for the blood he shed; behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he– Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
- 68%
10namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!”
- 68%
4So David asked the LORD once again. But again the LORD replied,“Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
- 68%
28At that time, when David saw that the LORD responded to him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
- 68%
1David Finds Mephibosheth Then David asked,“Is anyone still left from the family of Saul, so that I may extend kindness to him for the sake of Jonathan?”
- 68%
27But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan,“Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?”
- 67%
35Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying,“God will punish me severely if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”
- 67%
21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
- 67%
7God was also offended by it, so he attacked Israel.
- 67%
37So Saul asked God,“Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.
- 67%
4David inquired,“How were things going? Tell me!” He replied,“The people fled from the battle and many of them fell dead. Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!”
- 67%
8The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa.
- 67%
11Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth?”
- 67%
25Saul replied,“Here is what you should say to David:‘There is nothing that the king wants as a price for the bride except a hundred Philistine foreskins, so that he can be avenged of his enemies.’”(Now Saul was thinking that he could kill David by the hand of the Philistines.)
- 67%
57So when David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul. He still had the head of the Philistine in his hand.
- 67%
1David Goes to Nob(21:1) Then David got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the city.(21:2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met David, and said to him,“Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?”