The Meaning of 2 Samuel 21:18 Explained

2 Samuel 21:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, then hath Sibbechai the Hushathite smitten Saph, who is among the children of the giant.

Darby: And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines, at Gob; then Sibbechai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the children of Raphah.

ASV: And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 21:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 21:12-22 - More Giants Slain
It was in unsettled weather that Rizpah began her watch; but no hardship daunted her, no cost was too great. She shielded the dear remains from bird and beast till the falling rain gave assurance that the long famine was ended, 2 Samuel 21:10, r.v. Her devotion seems to have aroused David to treat with similar honor the remains of Saul and Jonathan, and all were buried together in the sepulcher of Kish.
Love ignites love, as fire kindles fire, without impoverishment. How often a voice raised in prayerful and passionate affection to Jesus has made volcanic fires leap out where all had seemed extinct! Do not stint your alabaster-boxes, for though they drive a Judas to desperation, they will stimulate a David or a Peter to a forgotten duty.
Monstrous sin stalked the world in the person of these giants, 2 Samuel 21:16-22. They beset the old age of David, as they did his youth, though we may not be assailed by the identical temptations as at first, there never will be a time when the progeny of sin will not molest us-if not passion, then jealousy, or avarice, or pride. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 21

1  The three year Gibeonite famine ceases, by hanging seven of Saul's sons
10  Rizpah's kindness unto the dead
12  David buries the bones of Saul and Jonathan in his father's tomb
15  Four battles against the Philistines, wherein four men of David slay four giants

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 21:18 mean?

And it came to pass after afterward that there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines then killed Sibbechai the Hushathite - Saph who [was] one of the sons of Rapha -
וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־ כֵ֔ן וַתְּהִי־ ע֧וֹד הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה בְּג֖וֹב עִם־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים אָ֣ז הִכָּ֗ה סִבְּכַי֙ הַחֻ֣שָׁתִ֔י אֶת־ סַ֕ף אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּילִדֵ֥י הָרָפָֽה פ

וַֽיְהִי֙  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַֽחֲרֵי־  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
כֵ֔ן  afterward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
וַתְּהִי־  that  there  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ע֧וֹד  again 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה  a  battle 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
בְּג֖וֹב  at  Gob 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוב  
Sense: a place which was the scene of two encounters between David’s warriors and the Philistines (also ‘Gezer’).
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
הִכָּ֗ה  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
סִבְּכַי֙  Sibbechai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סִבְּכַי  
Sense: one of David’s guard and 8th captain for the 8th month of 24,000 men of the king’s army; a Judaite, descendant of Zerah and called the ‘Hushathite’.
הַחֻ֣שָׁתִ֔י  the  Hushathite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֻשָׁתִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Hushah or a descendant of Hushah; the designation given to two of David’s mighty warriors.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
סַ֕ף  Saph 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַף  
Sense: one of the sons of the Philistine giant slain by Sibbechai the Hushathite.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  who  [was]  one 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּילִדֵ֥י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יָלִיד  
Sense: born.
הָרָפָֽה  of  Rapha 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְפָאִים 
Sense: giants, Rephaim.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation