· Translation: KJV

2 Samuel 21:13and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son: and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.

The setting

Khirbet Qeiyafa, Israel (ancient Gibeah). David's men carefully gather remains from a public execution site where bodies had hung for months...

The emotion here: recording solemn duty with reverent awe

The original word

qābar (קבר) — to bury with honor and ceremony, not just dispose of

Why it matters

Bodies left hanging were considered cursed by God according to Deuteronomy 21:23

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 21:13

David risked political criticism by honoring his former enemy's remains

Common misconceptionPeople think this was just about proper burial customs, but David was making a profound political and spiritual statement about reconciliation that went against ancient Near Eastern norms of dishonoring enemies.

Bible Genome reading

2 Samuel 21:13 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability30%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone20%
Themes:honorcompletion

In context

No verse stands alone.

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Open 2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21:13 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include honor, completion. Notable phrases: gathered the bones.

Your reflection

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