The Meaning of 2 Samuel 21:9 Explained

2 Samuel 21:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: and giveth them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hang them in the hill before Jehovah; and the seven fall together, and they have been put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, the commencement of barley-harvest.

Darby: and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before Jehovah. And they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the first days of the harvest, in the beginning of barley harvest.

ASV: And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Jehovah, and they fell all'seven together. And they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 21:9 Mean?

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 21:9 mean?

And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites and they hanged them on the hill before Yahweh so they fell seven [all] seven together and they and they were put to death in the days of harvest in the first [days] - in the beginning of harvest barley
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם בְּיַ֣ד הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים וַיֹּקִיעֻ֤ם בָּהָר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיִּפְּל֥וּ [שבעתים] (שְׁבַעְתָּ֖ם) יָ֑חַד [והם] (וְהֵ֨מָּה) הֻמְת֜וּ בִּימֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים [תחלת] (בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת‪‬) קְצִ֥יר שְׂעֹרִֽים

וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֞ם  And  he  delivered  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּיַ֣ד  into  the  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַגִּבְעֹנִ֗ים  of  the  Gibeonites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: גִּבְעֹונִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Gibeon.
וַיֹּקִיעֻ֤ם  and  they  hanged  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַע  
Sense: to be dislocated, be alienated.
בָּהָר֙  on  the  hill 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּפְּל֥וּ  so  they  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
[שבעתים]  seven 
Parse: Number, fd
(שְׁבַעְתָּ֖ם)  [all]  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
יָ֑חַד  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
[והם]  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
(וְהֵ֨מָּה)  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הֻמְת֜וּ  were  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בִּימֵ֤י  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
קָצִיר֙  of  harvest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים  in  the  first  [days] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
[תחלת]  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
(בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת‪‬)  in  the  beginning  of 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּחִלָּה  
Sense: beginning, first.
קְצִ֥יר  harvest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
שְׂעֹרִֽים  barley 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שְׂעֹרָה  
Sense: barley.