He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites. Quest. How could David do this, when he had sworn that he would not cut off Saul's seed, 1 Samuel 24:21,22 ? Answ. Because he had special warrant and direction from God about it, who, as all confess, can dispense with men's oaths and with his own laws when he sees fit. And that he did so here is manifest, because God was pleased with it, and removed the judgment upon it; whereas otherwise David had been guilty of the same sin with Saul, to wit, of the breach of his oath and covenant, for which this famine was inflicted. See Poole on "1 Samuel 24:22". In the hill, or, in a hill, in or near Gibeah; in a conspicuous place, for their greater infamy, and for the caution and terror of others who should make any attempt upon the Gibeonites for the future. Before the Lord; as a sacrifice offered up to God to appease his wrath; or, unto the Lord, as was said, 2 Samuel 21:6. They fell, i.e. died; for so the word to fall is oft used, as Exodus 19:21 1 Chronicles 21:14 Psalms 91:7 Jeremiah 39:18 Hosea 5:5; or were executed. The barley harvest was before the wheat harvest.
Related Commentaries of 2 Samuel 21:9
2 Samuel 21:9
9 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.