2 Samuel 21:17-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:15-22

We have here the story of some conflicts with the Philistines, which happened, as it should seem, in the latter end of David's reign. Though he had so subdued them that they could not bring any great numbers into the field, yet as long as they had any giants among them to be their champions, they would never be quiet, but took all occasions to disturb the peace of Israel, to challenge them, or make incursions upon them. I. David himself was engaged with one of the giants. The Philistines began... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:17

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him ,.... Observing him in danger, made haste to his relief: and smote the Philistine, and killed him ; it seems as if Abishai engaged with the Philistine, and killed him; but inasmuch as it will bear to be interpreted of David, and since the four giants here and hereafter mentioned are said to fall by the hand of David and his servants, 2 Samuel 21:22 , it may be thought that this man fell by his hand; seeing it is clear that all the rest fell... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:18

And it came to pass after this ,.... After the former battle: that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob ; in 1 Chronicles 20:4 it is called Gezer; either the place had two names, or these two places were near each other; so that the battle may be said to be fought both at the one and at the other, being fought equally near to both: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant ; who is called Sippai, 1 Chronicles 20:4 ; he had his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:19

And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines ,.... Another battle with them in the same place: where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite ; the word "brother" is rightly supplied from 1 Chronicles 20:5 ; where his name is said to be Lahmi, for not Goliath himself was slain, though some so interpret it, and take Elhanan to be David; so Jarchi, and with which agrees the Targum; but he was slain not at Gob, but in the valley... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:20

And there was yet a battle in Gath ,.... Besides the battles in the above place or places; for this does not necessarily suppose that one of the said battles had been there, only that this, which was another battle, had been there: where was a man of great stature ; for so the sense of the word appears to be from 1 Chronicles 20:6 ; though here it signifies a man of strife and contention, a man of war, and both were true of him: that had on every hand six fingers, and on every... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 21:17

That thou quench not the light of Israel - David is here considered as the lamp by which all Israel was guided, and without whom all the nation must be involved in darkness. The lamp is the emblem of direction and support. Light is used in this sense by Homer: - Ουδε τι Πατροκλῳ γενομην φαος, αυδ ' ἑταροισιπ Τοις αλλοις, οἱ δη πολεες δαμεν Ἑκτορι διῳ. Iliad, lib. xviii. ver. 102. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 21:18

A battle - at Gob - Instead of Gob, several editions, and about forty of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., have Nob; but Gezer is the name in the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 20:4 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 21:19

Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim - slew - Goliath the Gittite - Here is a most manifest corruption of the text, or gross mistake of the transcriber; David, not Elhanan, slew Goliath. In 1 Chronicles 20:5 , the parallel place, it stands thus: "Elhanan, the son of Jair, slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear-staff was like a weaver's beam." This is plain; and our translators have borrowed some words from Chronicles to make both texts agree. The corruption... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 21:20

On every hand six fingers - This is not a solitary instance: Tavernier informs us that the eldest son of the emperor of Java, who reigned in 1648, had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. And Maupertuis, in his seventeenth letter, says that he met with two families near Berlin, where sedigitism was equally transmitted on both sides of father and mother. I saw once a young girl, in the county of Londonderry, in Ireland, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 21:15-22

The difficulty of establishing the kingdom of God in the world. The facts are: 1 . In one of his wars with the Philistines David waxes faint in personal conflict with a giant, and is succoured by the intervention of Abishai. 2 . Observing the failing strength of the king, his people deprecate his going forth with them to battle, lest by personal failure he should be a means of general discouragement. 3 . On each of three subsequent occasions of battle, a Philistine giant is... read more

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