The Meaning of 2 Samuel 1:21 Explained

2 Samuel 1:21

KJV: Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

YLT: Mountains of Gilboa! No dew nor rain be on you, And fields of heave-offerings! For there hath become loathsome The shield of the mighty, The shield of Saul -- without the anointed with oil.

Darby: Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, no rain upon you, nor fields of heave-offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, as not anointed with oil.

ASV: Ye mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of offerings: For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye mountains  of Gilboa,  [let there be] no dew,  neither [let there be] rain,  upon you, nor fields  of offerings:  for there the shield  of the mighty  is vilely cast away,  the shield  of Saul,  [as though he had] not [been] anointed  with oil. 

What does 2 Samuel 1:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 1:17-27 - The Song Of The Bow
This noble poem is unrivaled. It is a perfect model of a funeral dirge. It is in poetry what Händel's Dead March in Saul is in music. The psalmist is borne along both by art and affection. He could not have composed this song unless he had been a consummate artist, and unless he had drunk deep of that divine love which believes, bears, hopes and endures all things and never fails.
He forgets all that he has suffered. His love refuses to consider anything but what has been pleasant and lovely in his liege lord. And for Jonathan there is a special stanza. A brother soul! The Philistines had felt David's might, but his friend had tasted his sweetness! Terrible as a whirlwind in flight, yet winsome as a woman! But if human love can impute only good to those who are the objects of its affection, what will not God's love say of us, feel toward us and impute to us! Here is a clue to the exceeding riches of the love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 1

1  The Amalekite who accused himself of Saul's death is slain
17  David laments Saul and Jonathan with a song

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 1:21 mean?

Mountains of Gilboa no [Let there be] dew nor rain upon you nor fields of offerings for there is cast away the shield of the mighty of Saul not anointed with oil
הָרֵ֣י בַגִּלְבֹּ֗עַ אַל־ טַ֧ל וְאַל־ מָטָ֛ר עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וּשְׂדֵ֣י תְרוּמֹ֑ת כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ם נִגְעַל֙ מָגֵ֣ן גִּבּוֹרִ֔ים שָׁא֔וּל בְּלִ֖י מָשִׁ֥יחַ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן

הָרֵ֣י  Mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
בַגִּלְבֹּ֗עַ  of  Gilboa 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּלְבֹּעַ  
Sense: a mountain-ridge at the southeastern end of the plain of Jezreel, site of the death of Saul and Jonathan.
אַל־  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
טַ֧ל  [Let  there  be]  dew 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טַל  
Sense: dew, night mist.
וְאַל־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
מָטָ֛ר  rain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם  upon  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וּשְׂדֵ֣י  nor  fields 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
תְרוּמֹ֑ת  of  offerings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: תְּרוּמָה  
Sense: contribution, offering.
נִגְעַל֙  is  cast  away 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּעַל  
Sense: to abhor, loathe, be vilely cast away, fall.
מָגֵ֣ן  the  shield 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.
גִּבּוֹרִ֔ים  of  the  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: גִּבֹּור  
Sense: strong, mighty.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
מָשִׁ֥יחַ  anointed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: מָשִׁיחַ  
Sense: anointed, anointed one.
בַּשָּֽׁמֶן  with  oil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.