2 Samuel 21:14-22 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

David's Heroes (first section). Cf. above. (J). These verses are probably from the same source as 2 Samuel 23:8 ff., and the source is no doubt ancient. The events in 2 Samuel 21:15 ff. and 2 Samuel 23:8 ff. belong to various periods in the life of David.

2 Samuel 21:15-17. Abishai Rescues David. The text of 2 Samuel 21:16 is corrupt; the general sense seems to have been:

At Gob, some place otherwise unknown, David was in danger from a giant whose name has been lost through corruption of the text.

2 Samuel 21:18-22. David's warriors slay three Philistine giants one of them Goliath, who is slain by Elhanan the son of Jair (so with 1 Chronicles 20:5). Note the varying tradition as to Goliath; it seems more likely that the exploit of an obscure individual should be credited to David than vice versa. Ch. removes the discrepancy by altering Bethlehemite into Lahmi the brother of (Goliath), and AV has made a similar alteration.

Related Commentaries of 2 Samuel 21:14

2 Samuel 21:14-22

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,d 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 lighte 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.f

19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim,g 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.h

21 And when he defiedi Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea 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.