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Gibeonitternes hævn

21 Mens David var konge, blev landet ramt af en hungersnød, der varede i tre år. David søgte derfor råd hos Herren, som svarede: „Hungersnøden skyldes den synd, som Saul og hans familie begik ved at slå nogle gibeonitter ihjel på trods af, at Israelitterne havde lovet at lade dem være i fred.” (Gibeonitterne var et folk, som ikke tilhørte Israel. De var efterkommere af amoritterne, men israelitterne havde med en højtidelig ed sluttet fredspagt med dem. Ikke desto mindre havde Saul i sin iver efter at styrke sit eget herredømme forsøgt at udrydde dem.)

Da David hørte Herrens svar, sendte han bud efter gibeonitternes ledere og spurgte dem: „Hvad kan jeg gøre for jer, så vi bliver skylden kvit, og I kan velsigne Herrens ejendomsfolk?”

„Vores mellemværende med Saul er ikke noget, hans slægt kan betale sig fra,” svarede de. „Og vi har ikke lov at hævne os på Israels folk.”

„Hvad ønsker I da?” spurgte David. „Sig frem, så jeg kan opfylde jeres ønske.”

5-6 „Lad syv af Sauls efterkommere blive udleveret til os, for han gjorde, hvad han kunne for at udrydde os fra Israels land. Som straf vil vi slå disse syv ihjel og hænge dem op ved Herrens offerhøj i Gibea, Sauls egen by.”

„Godt,” svarede David. „Jeg vil opfylde jeres ønske!”

David skånede Jonatans søn, Mefiboshet, fordi han havde lovet Jonatan at vise godhed imod hans efterkommere. Men han udleverede Sauls to sønner Armoni og Mefiboshet, hvis mor var Ritzpa, datter af Ajja, og de fem sønner, som Sauls datter Merab[a] havde fået sammen med Adriel (en søn af Barzillaj fra Mehola). Gibeonitterne dræbte så de syv mænd og hængte ligene til skue på offerhøjen for Herrens ansigt. Henrettelsen fandt sted ved begyndelsen af byghøsten.

10 Den sørgende Ritzpa, som nu havde mistet sine sønner, bredte noget sækkelærred ud på klippetoppen og satte sig der for at holde vagt ved ligene. Hun blev der hele høsttiden, indtil regntiden begyndte, fordi hun ville beskytte ligene mod gribbene om dagen og mod rovdyrene om natten.

11 Da det kom David for øre, hvordan hun på den måde viste sin sorg og sin respekt for de døde, 12 tog han af sted til Jabesh i Gilead for at få udleveret Sauls og Jonatans knogler. Byens indbyggere havde i sin tid fjernet ligene fra torvet i Bet-Shan, hvor filistrene havde hængt dem op, efter at Saul og Jonatan begge var faldet i slaget på Gilboahøjen. 13 David fik nu bragt de jordiske rester af både Saul, Jonatan og de syv mænd fra Gibea 14 til Zela i Benjamins land, og dér blev de alle begravet på det sted, hvor Sauls far, Kish, lå begravet. Alt dette blev udført på kongens befaling. Derefter forbarmede Gud sig over landet, og hungersnøden endte.

Flere kæmper blandt filistrene bliver dræbt

15 Engang, da filistrene var i krig med Israel, var David blevet helt udmattet under kampen, og da var det lige ved at gå galt for ham. 16 En af filistrene, en kæmpestor mand ved navn Ishbi-Benob af Rafa-slægten, havde et spyd, hvis spids var lavet af bronze og vejede over tre kilo, og alle hans våben var nye. Denne mand satte efter David og skulle lige til at slå ham ihjel, 17 da Abishaj i sidste øjeblik kom David til undsætning og huggede filisteren ned. Bagefter erklærede Davids mænd: „Du må ikke længere deltage aktivt i kampen! Det går ikke, at du bliver dræbt, for hele Israel er afhængig af dig!”

18 Senere, da israelitterne kæmpede mod filistrene ved Gob, dræbte Sibbekaj fra Husha en filister af den frygtede Rafa-slægt, en mand ved navn Saf. 19 Under en anden kamp mod filistrene ved Gob lykkedes det Elhanan, Jairs søn fra Betlehem, at dræbe en bror til Goliat, hvis spydskaft var på størrelse med en vævebom.[b] 20 Og en anden gang, da israelitterne kæmpede mod filistrene ved Gat, var der en kæmpe af Rafa-slægten med seks fingre på hver hånd og seks tæer på hver fod. 21 Han hånede Israel, men Jonatan,[c] en søn af Davids bror Shima, dræbte ham. 22 Disse fire filistre, der tilhørte kæmpeslægten Rafa fra Gat, blev hugget ned af Davids mænd.

Footnotes

  1. 21,8 Nogle håndskrifter har „Mikal”, andre har „Merab”. Det oprindelige „Merab” må være fejlkopieret til „Mikal”, jf. 1.Sam. 18,17-19.
  2. 21,19 Da den masoretiske tekst her er fejlkopieret, er der oversat fra parallelstedet 1.Krøn. 20,5.
  3. 21,21 Sandsynligvis en fejlkopiering af Jonadab, jf. 2.Sam. 13,3.

21 Under Davids Regering blev der Hungersnød tre År i Træk. Da søgte David Herrens Åsyn; og Herren sagde: "Der hviler Blodskyld på Saul og hans Hus, fordi han dræbte Gibeoniterne!" Kongen lod derfor Gibeoniterne kalde og sagde til dem - Gibeoniterne hørte ikke til Israeliterne, men til Levningerne af Amoriterne; og skønt Israeliterne havde givet dem endeligt Tilsagn, havde Saul i sin Iver for Israeliterne og Juda søgt at udrydde dem - David sagde til Gibeoniterne: "Hvad kan jeg gøre for eder, og hvorledes skal jeg skaffe Soning, så at I kan velsigne Herrens Arvelod?" Gibeoniterne svarede: "Det er ikke Sølv eller Guld, der er os og Saul og hans Hus imellem, og vi har ikke Lov at dræbe nogen Mand i Israel!" Han sagde da: "Hvad I forlanger, vil jeg gøre for eder!" Så sagde de til Kongen: "Den Mand, som bragte Ødelæggelse over os og tænkte på at udrydde os, så vi ikke skulde kunne være nogetsteds inden for Israels Landemærke. lad syv Mænd af hans Efterkommere blive udleveret os, for at vi kan hænge dem op for Herren i Gibeon på Herrens Bjerg!" Kongen sagde: "Jeg vil udlevere dem!" Men Kongen skånede Mefibosjet, en Søn af Sauls Søn Jonatan, af Hensyn til den Ed ved Herren, som var imellem David og Sauls Søn Jonatan. Derimod tog Kongen de to Sønnner, som Rizpa, Ajjas Datter, havde født Saul, Armoni og Mefibosjet, og de fem Sønner, som Merab, Sauls Datter, havde født Adriel, en Søn af Barzillaj fra Mehola, og udleverede dem til Gibeoniterne, som hængte dem op på Bjerget for Herrens Åsyn. Således omkom alle syv på een Gang, og de blev dræbt først på Høsten, i Byghøstens Begyndelse.

10 Men Rizpa, Ajjas Datter, tog sit Sørgeklæde, bredte det ud på Klippen og sad der fra Høstens Begyndelse, indtil der atter strømmede Vand fra Himmelen ned over dem; og hun tillod ikke Himmelens Fugle at kaste sig over dem om Da- gen eller Markens Dyr om Natten. 11 Da David fik at vide, hvad Rizpa, Ajjas Datter, Sauls Medhustru, havde gjort, 12 drog han hen og hentede Sauls og hans Søn Jonatans Ben hos Borgerne i Jabesj i Gilead, som havde stjålet dem på Torvet i Bet-Sjan, hvor Filisterne havde hængt dem op, dengang de slog Saul på Gilboa. 13 Og da han havde hentet Sauls og hans Søn Jonatans Ben der, samlede man Benene af de hængte 14 og jordede dem sammen med Sauls og hans Søn Jonatans Ben i Zela i Benjamins Land i hans Fader Kisj's Grav. Alt, hvad Kongen havde påbudt, blev gjort; derefter forbarmede Gud sig over Landet.

15 Da det atter kom til Kamp mellem Filisterne og Israel, drog David med sine Folk ned og kastede sig ind i Gob og kæmpede med Filisterne. 16 Da fremstod Dod, som var af Rafaslægten, og hvis Spyd vejede 300 Sekel Kobber; han var iført en ny Rustning, og han havde i Sinde at slå David ihjel. 17 Men Abisjaj, Zerujas Søn, kom ham til Hjælp og huggede Filisteren ned. Da besvor Davids Mænd ham og sagde: "Du må ikke mere drage i Kamp med os, for at du ikke skal slukke Israels Lampe!"

18 Siden hen kom det atter til Kamp med Filisterne i Gob. Husjatiten Sibbekaj nedhuggede da Saf, som var af Rafaslægten.

19 Atter kom det til Kamp med Filisterne i Gob, Beflehemiten Elhanan, Ja'irs Søn, nedhuggede da Gatiten Goliat, hvis Spydstage var som en Væverbom.

20 Atter kom det til Kamp i Gat. Da var der en kæmpestor Mand med seks Fingre på hver Hånd og seks Tæer på hver Fod, i alt fire og tyve; han var også af Rafaslægten. 21 Han hånede Israel, og derfor huggede Jonatan, en Søn af Davids Broder Sjim'a, ham ned.

22 Disse fire var af Rafaslægten i Gat; de faldt for Davids og hans Mænds Hånd.

The Gibeonites Avenged

21 During the reign of David, there was a famine(A) for three successive years; so David sought(B) the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

The king summoned the Gibeonites(C) and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”(D)

The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.”(E)

“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.

They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed(F) before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen(G) one.”

So the king said, “I will give them to you.”

The king spared Mephibosheth(H) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath(I) before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah,(J) whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,[a] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.(K) He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death(L) during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.(M)

10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.(N) 11 When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul(O) and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead.(P) (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan,(Q) where the Philistines had hung(R) them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)(S) 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela(T) in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that,(U) God answered prayer(V) in behalf of the land.(W)

Wars Against the Philistines(X)

15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines(Y) and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels[b] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai(Z) son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp(AA) of Israel will not be extinguished.(AB)

18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai(AC) the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair[c] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of[d] Goliath the Gittite,(AD) who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(AE)

20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted(AF) Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah,(AG) David’s brother, killed him.

22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal
  2. 2 Samuel 21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  3. 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.
  4. 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.

21 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)

Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.

And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,

Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord did choose. And the king said, I will give them.

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the Lord's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

14 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.

15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.

16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.

17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.

19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.

22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.