Rizpah : Why King David Execute Her Sons? Tragic Bible Stories



In this video, we deep dive into the story of Rizpah, concubine of King Saul, and her devotion to her two sons. After Saul’s death …

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40 thoughts on “Rizpah : Why King David Execute Her Sons? Tragic Bible Stories

  1. The beauty of the bible is finding stories like these, question to God and then realize it leads to a deeper appreciation of the love and sacrifice of our Lord.

    Hundreds of years before Saul, Joshua and the elders had ill advisedly in the conquest of canaan made a league with the gibeonites. Although they did not seek God's guidance in the matter, in ancient times a man bond was sacred and Isreal honored this bond with the Gibeonites for years until King Saul realizing he had lost favor with God ,to use modern terms, executed genocide on the gibeonites outside of Gods command. When David became king and drought on the land of judah was so severe, David sought God on the matter. Read exodus 20 and we realize the awesome responsibility of doing right. From the first act of of murder, God showed the rule, blood must be shed in payment for shedding innocent blood.

    The fact that the drought abatted showed that the penalty was met. David knew of the curses and blessings of doing right. God was honored in this matter as the king sought to set a deep wrong right.

    Rizpah was honored for her devotion to her sons. Some translation called him Isbosheth, however this is not Jonathan son, Mephibosheth. Grandson Mephibosheth was not offered becase of David vow to his friend Jonathan.

    Just a bit of the back story.

  2. The OT shows us how ugly things can be in contrast to what falling into alignment of God's love brings through the crucifixtion of Christ.
    OT in Proverbs 6:31 states that if a thief is caught, they must pay back 👉 seven times what they stole…
    In this case the offspring of Saul represents the death endured at the hands of Saul.
    However in the NT in Matthew 18:21-22, where Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother when he sins against him. Jesus replies, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”. 
    The hearts of men were wicked but now the hearts of God's people are cleansed and recline on the breast of Jesus in a state of fogiveness.

  3. Just because the Israelites had God's favor of being his people didn't give them the right to bully or oppress the Gibeonites. Without consulting GOD first , Joshua made a treaty with the Gibeonites to offer protection. This happened around the time after the fall of Jericho. This treaty was bounding.

  4. Rizpah, King Saul's concubine, had two sons by him, named Mephibosheth (not Saul's grandson Mephibosheth through Jonathan) and Armoni, in which they were NOT innocent as the narrator says, but were complicit in murdering the Gibeonites.

    At 2 Samuel 21, it clears this up, saying: "Now there was a famine in the days of David for three consecutive years, so David consulted Jehovah (God's name, see Isa 12:2, KJV), and Jehovah said: “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his HOUSE, because he put the Gibʹe·on·ites to death.”

    "So the king called the Gibʹe·on·ites and spoke to them. (Incidentally, the Gibʹe·on·ites were not Israelites but Amʹor·ites who remained, and the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul sought to strike them down in his (nationalistic) zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.)"

    "David said to the Gibʹe·on·ites: “What should I do for you, and how can I make atonement, so that you will bless the inheritance of Jehovah ?” The Gibʹe·on·ites said to him: “It is not a matter of silver or gold (or money) for us in connection with Saul and his household; nor can we put any man to death in Israel (having no authority to do so).” At that he said: “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

    "They said to the king: “The man (King Saul) who exterminated us and schemed to annihilate us from living anywhere in the territory of Israel—let seven of his sons (who either helped Saul murder the Gibeonites or gave active support to his wicked "cause", being full of hate, as Saul was, who even attempted to kill innocent David over about ten years until he committed suicide when battling the Philistines, 1 Samuel 18:1-11; 31:1-6) be given to us. We will hang their dead bodies before Jehovah in Gibʹe·ah of Saul, the chosen one of Jehovah.” The king then said: “I will hand them over.”(2 Sam 21:1-6)

    Saul and his "house" or descendants, played a role in murdering the Gibeonites (who were Ammonites), apparently over perhaps some 73 years (or after 2 years into Saul's reign, 1 Sam 13:1, 13, 14, through 38 years to the end of Saul's reign, 1115-1078 B.C.E. + some 35 years into David's reign, 1077-1042 B.C.E.), with Saul "starting it" and his two sons through Rizpah, Mephibosheth and Armoni, and five grandsons through his daughter Merab "finishing it".

    Apparently Merab died not long after her 5th child was born and her younger sister Michal came in and raised them as her own (2 Sam 21:8), so that they absorbed Michal's suspicious character and hatred that she acquired from her father Saul (in which it could be said "like father, like daughter", and "like father, like son" or "grandson", passing "down the line" the suspicious, murderous intent of Saul, in which that is EXACTLY what politics does to anyone involved in it).

    Michal taught them (who were apparently grown, for some 45 years had passed since Merab was given to David as wife, but replaced with Michal when Merab had already been given as a wife to Adriel, 1 Sam 18:17-19, and not many years later, Merab apparently dies after her 5th child is born, perhaps by the time David becomes king in 1077 B.C.E.) to be like their grandfather Saul, full of hatred and murderous intent for anyone not an Israelite, so they were deserving of death.(2 Sam 21:2; see 2 Sam 6:16, 20, that shows Michal despising David and calling David "empty-headed" when he danced before some slave girls upon the arrival of the Ark of the covenant in Jerusalem from Baalejudah)

    The Bible encyclopedia Insight on the Scriptures makes this comment: "Throughout the centuries, the original Gibeonites continued to exist as a people, although King Saul schemed to destroy them. The Gibeonites, however, patiently waited on Jehovah to reveal the injustice. This he did by means of a three-year famine in David’s reign."

    "Upon inquiring of Jehovah and learning that bloodguilt was involved, David interviewed the Gibeonites to ascertain what should be done to make atonement. The Gibeonites rightly answered that it was not “a matter of silver or gold,” because, according to the Law, no ransom could be accepted for a murderer. (Nu 35:30, 31) They also recognized that they could not put a man to death without legal authorization."

    "Therefore, not until David’s further questioning did they request that seven “sons” of Saul be handed over to them. The fact that bloodguilt was upon both Saul and his household suggests that, although Saul probably took the lead in the murderous action, the “sons” of Saul may directly or indirectly have shared in it. (2Sa 21:1-9) In that event this would not be a case of sons dying for the sins of their fathers (De 24:16) but would involve the administration of retributive justice in harmony with the law “soul will be for soul (or "life for life").”—De 19:21."(Vol 1, pg 932)

  5. ‭II Samuel 21:1-14 NKJV‬

    [1] Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.” [2] So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah. [3] Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?” [4] And the Gibeonites said to him, “We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us.” So he said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” [5] Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel, [6] let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord chose.” And the king said, “I will give them.” [7] But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. [8] So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; [9] and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So 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. [10] Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. [11] And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. [12] Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. [13] So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. [14] They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.

    https://bible.com/bible/114/2sa.21.1-14.NKJV

    Saul Family is Not Blameless. His family being described as blood thirsty Is self explanatory.

  6. Well, that's basic and perfectly valid proof of the evil of being God's favorite: to the point that nobody who's ever been endorsed by any "god" is to be permitted to live*, solely because of *this kind of intrinsically wicked dynasty that God Himself has said He endorses; thus solid proof of God's evil personality in His basic nature!

  7. I've never understood this murder in the Bible..I don't at all agree with it and only God knows why He allowed it but somehow I have to BELIEVE GOD WAS RIGHT NO MATTER WHAT I MAY THINK CAUSE HE KNOWS BETTER THAN WE DO

  8. They were both innocent and guilty. The bloodshed of Saul was repaid unfortunately by his decendents because of being his generation. There is a lesson here. This is why we must strive to do good. We might get away with doing very evil things but someone doing our line will be punished. Turn to Jesus and break the curse. ✝️

  9. This is one of the most barbaric acts that I have known in history. Killing innocent children, why did King David allow innocent lives to be taken? I thought he was a godly person. He shouldn't have given in to the demands of the gibeonites. The blood of the innocent is also in his hands.

  10. I wonder what the Lord thought of these men who were hanged. I haven’t read this part of the Bible yet. I know those days were cruel but this is a sad story. 🙁

    The more I learn about the Old Testament the more I understand why Jesus gave up everything to save us. ❤

  11. I had nothing to do with Ham when Ham castrated Noah regardless it was me his great grandson that was punished for my father Hams sin with the seal of the beast that being the curse of drunkenness in Genesis 9:18 which is why I could not sell my soul to Lucifer because my hellfire is Guaranteed that is why I don’t worship because my body is my hell and I’m stuck in hellfire forever

  12. My heart hardens when I hear such stories. And this was the will and decree of Jehovah God!…
    I hope and pray that one day Jehovah God will help me make sense of His will, that requires the blood of many innocent people… 🥺 I know many will comment and say "sin." Yeah, my head may get that…
    But my heart may never understand "His Brutal Ways!… 😖

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