John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 21:9

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

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”, (<102106>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, (<032310>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.

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