Shmuel II Perek 21

Note: Many meforshim learn that this perek is not in the chronological order of the rest of Sefer Shmuel II. However, Abarbanel learns that this perek is indeed in the correct chronological order.

• There was a famine in the land for 3 years.

• Dovid prayed to Hashem to find out the reason for the famine.

• Hashem responded:

• for not mourning properly for the death of King Shaul.

• for King Shaul’s having killed the Givonim.

The Givonim had deceived Yehoshua by dressing up as if they were from a far land. The Givonim did this in order that they shouldn’t be killed when Yehoshua was conquering Eretz Yisrael. After their deception was uncovered, Yehoshua did not break the peace treaty that he had made with them. Instead, Yehoshua demoted the Givonim to the positions of woodchoppers and water carriers.

• King Dovid approached the Givonim to find out how he could make a tikkun (fix the sin of King Shaul.)

• King Dovid was told to hand over seven of King Shaul’s children to be hanged publicly.

• King Dovid agreed to do so. (Yevomos 79a: Dovid did not personally select which children would be killed. Rather, the children of King Shaul passed in front of the Aron and the Aron selected which children would die.)

• After they were hanged, Ritspa, the mother of two of the children, stayed by their bodies for an entire season to protect their bodies from animals and weather.

• King Dovid heard about what Ritspa had done. King Dovid then ordered that the bones of King Shaul and Yonason be reburied with the bodies that had been recently hanged, in an honorable fashion.

• King Dovid proceeded to fight and win four wars against the Plishtim, and several giants are listed as having been killed.