The Meaning of 2 Samuel 21:8 Explained

2 Samuel 21:8

KJV: But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

YLT: and the king taketh the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul whom she bare to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite,

Darby: And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of the sister of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;

ASV: But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bare to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the king  took  the two  sons  of Rizpah  the daughter  of Aiah,  whom she bare  unto Saul,  Armoni  and Mephibosheth;  and the five  sons  of Michal  the daughter  of Saul,  whom she brought up  for Adriel  the son  of Barzillai  the Meholathite: 

What does 2 Samuel 21:8 Mean?

Study Notes

sons
CF. 2 Samuel 6:23 . The "five sons" were children of Michal's sister Merab, wife of Adriel, "whom she brought up for Adriel". 1 Samuel 18:19 .

Context Summary

2 Samuel 21:1-11 - A Devoted Mother
The time of this famine cannot be fixed with certainty. Probably it took place before Absalom's rebellion. The reason for it was found in Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites. See 1 Samuel 22:19, etc. Though their fathers had obtained the promise of immunity from Joshua and the princes by fraud, yet it was regarded as binding, and its violation was looked upon as a grave offense, involving the whole nation in the charge of perjury. The remnant of the Gibeonites were therefore allowed to fix their own terms. This tendency to connect a national calamity with a national crime has always obtained. There seems to be a universal consciousness that uncaused judgments do not befall.
Note that Merab should be substituted for Michal, 2 Samuel 21:8; 1 Samuel 18:19. Out of all the scenes of cruelty and blood with which this age was characterized, the love of motherhood shines forth undimmed. It is one of the most precious of God's gifts to man. But what shall we not say of that divine love which clings to us in our most hopeless condition? [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 21:8 mean?

So took the king - two the sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah whom she bore to Saul - Armoni and Mephibosheth five the sons of Michal the daughter of Saul she brought up for Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite
וַיִּקַּ֣ח הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־ שְׁ֠נֵי בְּנֵ֨י רִצְפָּ֤ה בַת־ אַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלְדָ֣ה לְשָׁא֔וּל אֶת־ אַרְמֹנִ֖י וְאֶת־ מְפִבֹ֑שֶׁת חֲמֵ֗שֶׁת בְּנֵי֙ מִיכַ֣ל בַּת־ שָׁא֔וּל יָלְדָ֛ה לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל בֶּן־ בַּרְזִלַּ֖י הַמְּחֹלָתִֽי

וַיִּקַּ֣ח  So  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
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.
שְׁ֠נֵי  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
בְּנֵ֨י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
רִצְפָּ֤ה  of  Rizpah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִצְפָּה  
Sense: a concubine of king Saul and mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth.
בַת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אַיָּה֙  of  Aiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַיָּה  
Sense: a Horite, son of Zibeon.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָלְדָ֣ה  she  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לְשָׁא֔וּל  to  Saul 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
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.
אַרְמֹנִ֖י  Armoni 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְמֹנִי  
Sense: a son of Saul.
מְפִבֹ֑שֶׁת  Mephibosheth 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְפִיבֹשֶׁת 
Sense: grandson of Saul and son of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine; he and his brother Armoni were among the 7 victims surrendered by David to the Gibeonites to avert a famine.
חֲמֵ֗שֶׁת  five 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
בְּנֵי֙  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מִיכַ֣ל  of  Michal 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִיכַל  
Sense: daughter of king Saul, sister of Jonathan, wife of king David, and mother of five; given to David as wife for the bride price of 00 Philistine foreskins; while still married to David, her father gave her in marriage to another, Phaltiel; at the death of Saul, David forced her to return.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
יָלְדָ֛ה  she  brought  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל  for  Adriel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַדְרִיאֵל  
Sense: son of Barzillai, and the man to whom Saul gave his daughter Merab in marriage although she was already promised to David.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בַּרְזִלַּ֖י  of  Barzillai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזִלַּי  
Sense: a Gileadite leader who helped David defeat Absalom’s rebellion.
הַמְּחֹלָתִֽי  the  Meholathite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְחֹלָתִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of a place evidently named ‘Meholah’.

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