John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites , etc.] The two sons of Rizpah and the five sons of Merab, two sons of Saul and five grandsons: and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord ; in the hill at Gibeah, that they might be seen by all that passed by, and serve to deter from such evils, which brought on them that punishment; gibbetings or crucifixions were commonly made on hills and mountains f354 : the phrase, “before the Lord”, is either the same as “unto the Lord”, ( 2 Samuel 21:6); to make atonement to the Lord, and in his sight; or it denotes that it was done publicly before the sun, and in the sight of it; for it cannot mean before the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, for that was not there: and they fell [all] seven together ; they were hanged together, and died at one and the same time: and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], in the beginning of barley harvest ; which began at the passover, the morrow after the first day of the feast, ( Leviticus 23:10,11); which was the sixteenth of Nisan, on which day, the Jews say f355 , these men were hanged, and which must be about the beginning of our April.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Every affliction arises from sin, and should lead us to repent an humble ourselves before God; but some troubles especially show tha they are sent to bring sin to remembrance. God's judgments often look great way back, which requires us to do so, when we are under his rebukes. It is not for us to object against the people's smarting for the sin of their king; perhaps they helped him. Nor against thi generation suffering for the sin of the last. God often visits the sin of the fathers upon the children, and he gives no account of an matters. Time does not wear out the guilt of sin; nor can we buil hopes of escape upon the delay of judgments. If we cannot understan all the reasons of Providence in this matter, still we have no right to demand that God should acquaint us with those reasons. It must be right, because it is the will of God, and in the end it will be prove to be so. Money is no satisfaction for blood. It should seem, Saul' posterity trod in his steps, for it is called a bloody house. It wa the spirit of the family, therefore they are justly reckoned with for his sin, as well as for their own. The Gibeonites did not require thi out of malice against Saul or his family. It was not to gratify an revenge, but for the public good. They were put to death at the beginning of harvest; they were thus sacrificed to turn away the wrat of Almighty God, who had withheld the harvest-mercies for some year past, and to obtain his favour in the present harvest. In vain do we expect mercy from God, unless we do justice upon our sins. Execution must not be thought cruel, which are for the public welfare.
Original Hebrew ויתנם5414 ביד3027 הגבענים1393 ויקיעם3363 בהר2022 לפני6440 יהוה3068 ויפלו5307 שׁבעתים7651 יחד3162 והם1992 המתו4191 בימי3117 קציר7105 בראשׁנים7223 תחלת8462 קציר7105 שׂערים׃8184
