Poole on 2 Samuel 21:1: The Three Years' Famine

[circa 1021 BC]  Verse 1:[1]  Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD (Heb. sought the face of the LORD;[2] see Num. 27:21).  And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.

[A famine happened, etc.]  At what time these things happened is uncertain; whether after the killing of Sheba (whose sedition some maintain happened in the third year of this famine), or verily, far earlier, as others maintain, while the sedition of Sheba happened toward the end of David’s life (Martyr).  Just as in the following part the writer gathers the wars of David against the Philistines, because there was nothing now left of the wars to commit to history; so also because he had related the calamities whereby God had chastened the sins of David, he wished to add this also, although not in its proper place.  I see nothing certain here, but I would prefer that the matters here be narrated in the order in which they were conducted (Sanchez).  This famine proceeded from drought; see verse 10 (Piscator).

Then there was a famine:  when?  Either, first, after Absalom’s and Sheba’s rebellion, as it is here related; or rather, secondly, in some other time before.  It is well known and confessed that the particle then doth not always note that the thing was done in that order in which it is mentioned, but is oft of an indefinite signification; as also that the Scripture in its histories and relations doth not always observe the order of time, but the order of things, putting that after which was done before, as occasion requires.  And so it seems to be here.  The things related here and 2 Samuel 24 are by the most and best interpreters conceived to have been done long before Absalom’s rebellion.  And this opinion is not without sufficient grounds.  First, This particle then is here explained, in the days, that is, during the life and reign of David; which general and indefinite words seem to be added as an intimation that these things were not done after the next foregoing passages, for then the sacred writer would rather have added, after these things, or some such expression, as it is 2 Chronicles 32:1, and in many other places.  Secondly, Here are divers passages which it seems very improbable to ascribe to the last years of David’s reign:  such as these, first, That Saul’s sin against the Gibeonites should so long remain unpunished.  And indeed that this was done, and Saul’s seven sons hanged by David’s order before that time, seems plainly to be intimated by that passage, 2 Samuel 16:8, where he is charged with the blood of the house of Saul; for which there was not the least colour till this time.  Secondly, That David should not remove the bones of Saul and Jonathan to their proper place, here, 2 Samuel 21:12-14, till that time.  Thirdly, That the Philistines should wage war with David again and again, 2 Samuel 21:15, etc., so long after he had fully subdued them, 2 Samuel 8:1; and that David in his old age should attempt to fight with a Philistine giant, or that his people should suffer him to do so.  Fourthly, That David should then have so vehement a desire to number his people, 2 Samuel 24:1, etc., which being an act of youthful heat and vanity, seems not at all to agree with his old age, nor with that state of deep humiliation and great affliction in which he then was.  And the reason why these matters are put here out of their proper order is plainly this, because David’s sin being once related, it was very convenient that David’s punishments inflicted for it should immediately succeed; this being very frequent in Scripture story, to put those things together which belong to one matter, though they happened at several times.  And this is the more considerable, because it tends to the clearing of that great difficulty, 2 Samuel 15:7.

[David consulted the oracle]  Why not sooner?  Response 1:  Perhaps he was hitherto supposing that the famine proceeded from a natural cause, not sent because of sins.  Response 2:  Or God was hitherto unwilling to respond to inquiries; either because He was voicing disapproval of the sin in the camp; or because God had determined to punish the people with famine for three years (Sanchez).

David inquired of the Lord concerning the reason of his displeasure, and this judgment.

[Because of Saul (thus Pagnine, Jonathan, Syriac, Arabic [and all our interpreters])]  ‎אֶל־שָׁאוּל, to Saul (Montanus).  אֶל/to is sometimes put in the place of עַל/upon, for the sake of, as in Genesis 37:35, I will go down ‎אֶל־בְּנִי, because of my son; 1 Samuel 4:21, the glory is departed from Israel ‎אֶל־הִלָּקַח֙ אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים, because to be taken the ark of God (that is, because it was taken); compare verse 22.  To this pertains 1 Samuel 1:27, ‎אֶל־הַנַּ֥עַר הַזֶּ֖ה, because of this child, I prayed.  Thus in Ezekiel 6:9 the ל is taken;[3] see also verse 11[4] (Glassius’ “Grammar” 529).

[And his house of bloods, ‎וְאֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַדָּמִ֔ים]  And because of his bloody family (or that house [Syriac]) (Pagnine, Junius and Tremellius, etc.), that is, because of Saul, a bloody man, who shed innocent blood (Vatablus).  Because of Saul, and his family, who shed bloods (Arabic).  Because Saul was bloody, and his family, which was also contaminated in some way with his crime (Osiander).  But it does not seem fair, that, because of the sin of one, the people, David, and the posterity of Saul should be afflicted (Martyr).  Response:  The king is a public person, and he represents the republic.  Therefore, what sin the king commits, this the republic commits (Lapide).  God willed that there should be the closest possible bonds between men.  An assembly of men is as one body; with one member afflicted, the rest are unwell.  Sometimes God, when He punishes the impious, also involves saints; and in turn He spares the wicked because of the good men involved:  thus He willed men to be closely connected to each other.  Thus it comes to pass, that each has the care of his neighbor.  Moreover, neither are the pious punished as innocents: they have their failures; they do not sufficiently reform, repent, pray.  Objection:  But the fathers were not to be executed for the children, nor the children for the fathers.[5]  1.  Kimchi responds, that God sets forth a law to magistrates, but He does not prescribe it to Himself.  2.  Adversities are inflicted for diverse reasons, either for correction; or for trial; or for the preservation either of the sinner, or of others from crimes.  3.  The posterity of Saul were, as the text says, men of bloods; their souls were inclined to this.  Kimchi says, that they were the assistants of Saul in persecuting the Gibeonites.  4.  The people are punished, because they were rejoicing over this deed, and were hoping that they would be able to enjoy their goods.  5.  David also appears to have neglected the matter:  he, having gotten possession of the kingdom, was not helping the oppressed (Martyr).

[Because he slew the Gibeonites]  Question:  When?  Response 1:  When he slaughtered the priests at Nob.[6]  For the Gibeonites were in the presence of the Priests, hewing wood for them, etc. (certain interpreters in Munster).  This does not satisfy:  1.  Then he would have made mention of the priests in this place.  2.  This would have been said to have been done, not out of zeal,[7] but out of a disposition of revenge (Mariana out of Junius).  Response 2:  He slew them, so that he might deliver their cities and possessions to the Israelites, regarding it as intolerable, that that excellent portion of the land should be occupied by foreigners (certain interpreters in Malvenda, similarly Vatablus, Sanchez).  Response 3:  This was done, when he banished those with familiar spirits and soothsayers from the land, 1 Samuel 28:3, 9, for to him it was a common property of that zeal to remove nations, and the studies of nations, from their midst (Malvenda out of Junius).  The counsel of God here was:  1.  that the kingdom of David might be established, and those removed, who could agitate the kingdom of David.  2.  God wanted to show Himself to be he helper of the oppressed, and delighted with the conversion of those nations, which were a type of the nations to be called.  3.  He willed to punish perjury (Martyr).  From this passage it is evident that this oath, with the fraud of the Gibeonites not withstanding, obliged both Joshua and the princes, etc.,[8] and also their successors (Estius).

Because he slew the Gibeonites; which was not only an act of cruelty, but also of perfidiousness and perjury, because it was a direct and public violation of that solemn oath given to them for their security by Joshua and the princes, in the name of all the Israelites, of that and of succeeding generations, and consequently a great scandal to the true religion, and the professors of it, and a mean to discourage others from embracing it, as the Gibeonites had done.  Question:  Why did not God punish Saul whilst he was alive for this fault, but his innocent children, and David, and the Israelites of this age?  Answer:  First, God did severely punish Saul for this and his other sins.  Secondly, As God may justly inflict temporal punishments upon any offender, either in his person or in his posterity, when he pleaseth; so it is meet he should take his own time for it; and it is folly and wickedness in us to quarrel with God for so doing.  Thirdly, The Israelites might sundry ways make themselves guilty of Saul’s sin, though it be not particularly mentioned in Scripture; advising or encouraging him to it; or by assisting him in the execution of it; or by conniving at it; or by rejoicing in it for some worldly advantage which they received or expected from it; or by not repairing the injuries which Saul had done them as far as they might.  And some of these ways David himself might be involved in the guilt, although indeed this evil fell principally upon the people.  And whereas many of the people probably were innocent of that crime, yet they also were guilty of many other sins, for which God might punish them, though he took this occasion for it.  And it may be further observed, that God is pleased many times severely to punish lesser delinquents, and to suffer the greater for the present to go unpunished; and that not only to manifest his own sovereign power and liberty, but also to give the world thereby assurance of a future judgment, and punishments reserved for the next life.

[1] Hebrew:  ‎וַיְהִ֣י רָעָב֩ בִּימֵ֙י דָוִ֜ד שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים שָׁנָה֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י שָׁנָ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ דָּוִ֖ד אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־שָׁאוּל֙ וְאֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַדָּמִ֔ים עַל־אֲשֶׁר־הֵמִ֖ית אֶת־הַגִּבְעֹנִֽים׃

[2] Hebrew:  אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה—וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ.

[3] Ezekiel 6:9:  “And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols:  and they shall lothe themselves for the evils (‎אֶל־הָרָעוֹת) which they have committed in all their abominations (‎לְכֹ֖ל תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃).”

[4] Ezekiel 6:11:  “Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations (‎אֶ֛ל כָּל־תּוֹעֲב֥וֹת רָע֖וֹת) of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”

[5] See Ezekiel 18.

[6] See 1 Samuel 21:1-9; 22:6-23; Psalm 52.

[7] Verse 2.

[8] See Joshua 9.