This verse from 2 Samuel 21:5 refers to the Gibeonites' complaint to King David about the actions of King Saul. Let's break it down:
"They said to the king..." - "They" refers to the Gibeonites. They are bringing a grievance to King David.
"...“The man who consumed us, and who devised against us..." - "The man" is King Saul, David's predecessor. The Gibeonites are accusing Saul of acting against them, specifically with the intent to harm or destroy them. "Consumed" is a metaphor for exploiting, oppressing, or gradually destroying them. "Devised against us" means he planned actions to harm them.
"...that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel..." - This clarifies the intent and scope of Saul's actions. The Gibeonites felt that Saul aimed to completely eradicate them from all parts of Israel, leaving them no place to live within the country.
Context and Significance
To understand the full weight of this verse, you need to know the backstory. In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into making a covenant with them, promising to protect them. This covenant was made under oath to God. However, Saul, in his zeal for the Israelites, appears to have disregarded this ancient covenant and attempted to wipe out the Gibeonites.
The famine during David's reign (which is the reason for this passage) was interpreted as divine punishment for Saul's broken covenant with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites weren't simply making a casual complaint; they were demanding justice for a broken treaty. David recognized the validity of their claim and sought to atone for Saul's actions.
In short, the verse is a formal accusation by the Gibeonites against the deceased King Saul, stating that he tried to annihilate them from the entire land of Israel, violating an ancient covenant and thus, according to the passage, bringing a divine curse upon the nation.
This verse from 2 Samuel 21:5 refers to the Gibeonites' complaint to King David about the actions of King Saul. Let's break it down:
"They said to the king..." - "They" refers to the Gibeonites. They are bringing a grievance to King David.
"...“The man who consumed us, and who devised against us..." - "The man" is King Saul, David's predecessor. The Gibeonites are accusing Saul of acting against them, specifically with the intent to harm or destroy them. "Consumed" is a metaphor for exploiting, oppressing, or gradually destroying them. "Devised against us" means he planned actions to harm them.
"...that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel..." - This clarifies the intent and scope of Saul's actions. The Gibeonites felt that Saul aimed to completely eradicate them from all parts of Israel, leaving them no place to live within the country.
Context and Significance
To understand the full weight of this verse, you need to know the backstory. In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into making a covenant with them, promising to protect them. This covenant was made under oath to God. However, Saul, in his zeal for the Israelites, appears to have disregarded this ancient covenant and attempted to wipe out the Gibeonites.
The famine during David's reign (which is the reason for this passage) was interpreted as divine punishment for Saul's broken covenant with the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites weren't simply making a casual complaint; they were demanding justice for a broken treaty. David recognized the validity of their claim and sought to atone for Saul's actions.
In short, the verse is a formal accusation by the Gibeonites against the deceased King Saul, stating that he tried to annihilate them from the entire land of Israel, violating an ancient covenant and thus, according to the passage, bringing a divine curse upon the nation.
