Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<tladatsi AT charter.net>]

Hello again,

The text I read is this, in English (ASV) and Hebrew:

Now there was a famine in the days of David for three 
years, year after year; and David sought the presence of 
the LORD. And the LORD said, "It is for Saul and his bloody 
house, because * he put the Gibeonites to death." 

$eQbyw hn$ yerx) hn$ eyn$ $l$ dwd yemyB b(r yhyw 
lW)$-l) hwhy rm)Yw hwhy yenP-t) dwD 
. eyn(bGh tymeh-r$)-l( eymDh tyeB

It would seem that there was a famine (drought?) in Isreal. 
David asked Yahweh why there was such a long famine.  
Yahweh answered that the famine was brought on my Saul's 
crimes against the Gibeonites.  It is the Isrealites 
(probably the Gibeonites as well) who are suffering from 
the famine which was the result of Saul's crimes.  Saul is 
of course dead at this point.  David kills Saul's two sons 
and five grandsons both to appease the Gibeonites and 
Yahweh.  This seemed to have been effective as it says at 
the end of 2 Sam 21:14.

and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.

aek-yerx) ur)l eyhl) ret(eYwjlMh hWc-r$) lK 

Once more, I do not mean to offend anyone but the story 
seems quite transparent.  Saul commits a crime.  There is a 
famine as a result of that crime (causing much suffering no 
doubt).  The children and grandchildren of the criminal are 
killed.  The crime is avanged and the famine is lifted.


Jack Tladatsi