2 Samuel 21:6 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Unto the Lord; to vindicate his honour, which was injured by Saul's violation of the oath and covenant of God, and to appease his wrath. In Gibeah of Saul; Saul's country, 1 Samuel 10:26, 1 Samuel 11:4, for their greater shame. Whom the Lord did choose; this is added to aggravate Saul's offence, that it was committed not only against them, but also against the Lord, who had chosen and advanced him, and therefore did little deserve this from Saul's hand, to have his laws broken, and his name dishonoured by perjury. I will give them; having doubtless consulted God in the matter, who as he had before declared Saul's bloody house to be the causes of this judgment, so now commanded that justice should be done upon it, and that the remaining branches of it should be cut off; as sufficiently appears from hence, that God was satisfied and well pleased with the action; which he would not have been, if David had done it without his command; for then it had been a sinful action of David s, and contrary to a double law of God, Deuteronomy 21:23, Deuteronomy 24:16, which none but God himself could dispense with.