Synopsis of the Chapter
The descendants of Saul, because of his having killed the Gibeonites against the pledge given to them, are crucified by God's command. Then, verse 15, four battles of David against the Philistines are recounted.
Verse 1: The Three-Year Famine ¶
1. NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE DAYS OF DAVID FOR THREE YEARS. — God sent this famine upon all Israel because its king Saul had unjustly killed the Gibeonites. Now the king is a public person and represents the commonwealth. What therefore the king sins, the commonwealth sins; and therefore God punished the public sin of the king with a public famine.
AND DAVID CONSULTED THE ORACLE OF THE LORD — through Zadok or Abiathar the High Priest, wearing the Breastplate in which were the Urim and Thummim as an oracle, as I discussed in Exodus 28:30.
AND THE LORD SAID: IT IS BECAUSE OF SAUL AND HIS HOUSE OF BLOOD, BECAUSE HE KILLED THE GIBEONITES — that is: This famine has been sent as punishment for sin, because Saul and his family unjustly shed much blood. Hence this sin must be expiated by blood, and the killing family must be killed.
Verse 2: Saul's Zeal Against the Gibeonites ¶
2. AND SAUL SOUGHT TO STRIKE THEM DOWN OUT OF ZEAL, AS THOUGH FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. — This zeal of Saul was that he wanted to add the houses, villages, and lands of the Gibeonites to the tribe of Judah and the other tribes. But this zeal was foolish and stupid, both because it was against the pledge given to the Gibeonites by Joshua and the Hebrews; and because the Gibeonites had voluntarily entered into the Hebrew commonwealth, as well as their religion and faith. Therefore in this zeal of Saul the saying was true: "The highest law is the highest injustice."
Verse 3: David's Offer of Atonement ¶
3. THAT YOU MAY BLESS THE LORD'S INHERITANCE — that is, that you may pray well for Israel; and thus God may avert from it the three-year famine which He brought upon it on their account.
Verse 5: The Gibeonites' Demand ¶
5. THE MAN (Saul) WHO CONSUMED US AND OPPRESSED US UNJUSTLY, WE MUST SO DESTROY THAT NOT EVEN ONE SHALL REMAIN OF HIS DESCENDANTS. — Nine survived of Saul's line, namely Mephibosheth and his son, five sons of Michal by Adriel, and two sons of Saul by Rizpah his concubine. All of these the Gibeonites initially demanded to be given to them for execution; but seeing David intercede for Mephibosheth and his son, as being descended from Jonathan, to whom David had sworn friendship and loyalty, they therefore spared both and demanded the remaining seven for crucifixion.
On God's part this demand was just and holy. For God had sent this famine upon Israel precisely so that the descendants of Saul might be killed as atonement for Saul's sin; since Saul himself, being already dead, could not be punished and killed. For God is Lord of the life and death of all, both the guilty and the innocent; therefore He can punish guilty fathers through their innocent children, according to Deuteronomy 5:9: "I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation."
Verse 8: The Sons of Rizpah and Michal ¶
SO THE KING TOOK THE TWO SONS OF RIZPAH. — David did not sin in handing over the sons of Saul, even the innocent ones, to the Gibeonites for crucifixion, because he saw that this was the will of God, who had sent the famine upon Israel for this purpose. So Abulensis, Cajetan, and others.
AND THE FIVE SONS OF MICHAL THE DAUGHTER OF SAUL, WHOM SHE HAD BORNE TO ADRIEL. — These were the sons not of Michal but of Merab, Michal's sister, whom Michal, being childless, had adopted as her own sons; for Merab was the wife of Adriel, but Michal was David's wife. But all the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin manuscripts have Michal, not Merab. The Chaldean, however, has: and the five sons of Merab, whom Michal the daughter of Saul had raised.
Verse 9: The Crucifixion on the Mountain ¶
THEY CRUCIFIED THEM ON THE MOUNTAIN BEFORE THE LORD — namely to appease the Lord, as through a public atoning sacrifice and sin-offering. Note here that God is honored and glorified by the execution of justice. ON THE MOUNTAIN — namely on the hill of Gibeah, which had been the homeland and residence of Saul, so that the sin might be punished in the place where it had been committed by Saul.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BARLEY HARVEST — that is, at the beginning of spring at Passover, to indicate that they remained on the cross as an expiatory sacrifice for several months.
Verse 10: Rizpah's Vigil ¶
And Rizpah (the mother of two of the crucified, and a relative of the others) TAKING SACKCLOTH, SPREAD IT FOR HERSELF UPON THE ROCK, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE HARVEST UNTIL WATER DROPPED UPON THEM FROM HEAVEN — so that, remaining and lying on sackcloth, she might continually guard the bodies of her sons, lest they be torn apart by birds, dogs, and wild beasts. The Hebrews hand down that these bodies remained on the cross for six months, namely from March to September. See here therefore and marvel at the devotion and patience of Rizpah, who for so long remained unmoved under the open sky, by day and by night, to keep the bodies of her sons untouched. These are the depths of maternal devotion.
Mystically, Rizpah represents the pious solicitude of holy Pastors and spiritual Fathers, who guard the children they have begotten for Christ, crucified to the world, and help them with the rigor of fasting and the persistence of prayer. Hence Rizpah in Hebrew means the same as a live coal, or a burning ember, which is a symbol of ardent love.
Verse 12: David Gathers Saul's Bones ¶
12. AND DAVID WENT AND TOOK THE BONES OF SAUL. — David, stirred by the example of Rizpah's devotion, arranged for their bones, as well as those of Saul and Jonathan, to be collected and honorably buried in the tomb of Kish his father; to show that he bore no memory of the injuries Saul had inflicted upon him, and that he repaid such great wrongs with extraordinary kindnesses — which is an act of heroic charity.
Verse 15: The Four Battles Against the Philistines ¶
15. NOW THERE WAS WAR AGAIN. — Next four battles of David against the Philistines are recounted, which seem to have occurred in the order in which they are narrated here.
AND WHEN DAVID GREW FAINT — when David, now growing old, fighting in battle, exhausted by labor, heat, hunger, and thirst, was failing in strength; then Ishbi-benob, a giant of the line of Rapha, rushed upon him. But Abishai came to David's aid and killed the giant.
Verse 17: The Lamp of Israel ¶
LEST YOU EXTINGUISH THE LAMP OF ISRAEL — that is, lest through your death the splendor and glory of Israel be extinguished, such as was King David: the Chaldean has: lest the kingdom of Israel perish with you.
Verse 19: Elhanan Kills Goliath's Brother ¶
IN WHICH ELHANAN THE SON OF JAARE-OREGIM THE BETHLEHEMITE STRUCK DOWN GOLIATH THE GITTITE. — More correctly, Vatablus, Abulensis, Pagninus, Cajetan, Serarius, Sanchez, Salianus, and others think that Elhanan was a different person from David. The same man killed "Goliath the Gittite," that is, the brother of Goliath the giant whom David killed, as is expressly stated in 1 Chronicles 20:5. The brother of Goliath was therefore also called "Goliath" because in stature, strength, and might he was similar to the Goliath whom David slew. Thus we commonly say of an extraordinarily strong man: He is another Hercules, or another Samson.
Verse 22: The Four Giants of Gath ¶
THESE FOUR WERE BORN OF RAPHA IN GATH. — "Arapha" is not a woman, as some suggest, but a man, namely "Rapha," from whom the "Rephaim," the giants, were born and named.
THESE FOUR FELL BY THE HAND OF DAVID AND OF HIS SERVANTS — for although David killed none of these himself, he killed them all through his servants and soldiers. For what the soldier does, the commander does. Add that David had trained these soldiers and gone before them by his example in killing Goliath the giant. So Eucherius and others.