2 Samuel 21:6let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh." The king said, "I will give them."
The setting
Jerusalem, ~1000 BC. King David agrees to hand over seven of Saul's descendants to be executed to satisfy justice for the Gibeonites. Modern-day Israel/Palestine region.
The emotion here: torn between mercy and justice as king
The original word
natan (נָתַן) — to give, deliver, surrender - David's final decision to hand them over
Why it matters
David protected Mephibosheth from this fate because of his covenant with Jonathan
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 21:6
David chose justice for the oppressed over protecting his predecessor's family
Common misconceptionMany see David as cruel here, but he's actually choosing to break the cycle of injustice that caused three years of famine - sometimes justice requires painful decisions.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 21:6
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 21:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 21:6 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Gibeonites and David. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include blood vengeance, divine justice. Notable phrases: seven men; hang them up to Yahweh. This verse contains a promise of God.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 21:6 mean to you, today?
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