2 Samuel 21 · Verse 12

2 Samuel 21:12

And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh–gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth–shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:
2 Samuel 21:12, King James Version

2 Samuel 21:12 in other translations

BSBhe went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
WEBSo David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
ASVAnd David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul in Gilboa;
YLTand David goeth and taketh the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the possessors of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-Shan, where the Philistines hanged them, in the day of the Philistines smiting Saul in Gilboa;
DARBYAnd David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the open place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, the day the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;
BBEAnd David went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had taken them away secretly from the public place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had put them, hanging up the bodies there on the day when they put Saul to death in Gilboa:
WebsterAnd David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

What does 2 Samuel 21:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, &c.--Before long, the descent of copious showers, or perhaps an order of the king, gave Rizpah the satisfaction of releasing the corpses from their ignominious exposure; and, incited by her pious example, David ordered the remains of Saul and his sons to be transferred from their obscure grave in Jabesh-gilead to an honorable interment in the family vault at Zelah or Zelzah (1Sa 10:2), now Beit-jala.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Took the bones of Saul - The reader will recollect that the men of Jabesh-gilead burned the bodies of Saul and his sons, and buried the remaining bones under a tree at Jabesh. See 1Sam 31:12, 1Sam 31:13. These David might have digged up again, in order to bury them in the family sepulcher.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 21:10-14

That a guilty land should enjoy many years of plenty, calls for gratitude; and we need not wonder misused abundance should be punished with scarcity; yet how few are disposed to ask of the Lord concerning the sinful cause, while numbers search for the second causes by which he is pleased to work! But the Lord will plead the cause of those who cannot or will not avenge themselves; and the prayers of the poor are of…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 21:10-14 →

2 Samuel 21:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
דָּוִ֗דda.VidDavidH1732
וַיִּקַּ֞חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עַצְמ֤וֹתatz.Mot[the] bones ofH6106
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
עַצְמוֹת֙'atz.mOt[the] bones ofH6106
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
בְּנ֔וֹbe.Noson hisH1121
מֵאֵ֕תme.'Etfrom withH854
בַּעֲלֵ֖יba.'a.Lei[the] citizens ofH1167
יָבֵ֣ישׁya.VeishJabeshH3003
גִּלְעָ֑דgil.'AdGileadH1568
אֲשֶׁר֩'a.SherwhoH834
גָּנְב֨וּga.ne.Vuthey had stolenH1589
אֹתָ֜ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
מֵרְחֹ֣בme.re.Chofrom [the] open square ofH7339
בֵּֽית\־beit-BethH1052
שַׁ֗ןShanShanH1052
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhereH834
תְּלָא֥וּםte.lumthey had hung up themH8511
שָׁ֙מָּה֙sham.hthere <towards>H8033
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםha.pe.lish.tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
בְּי֨וֹםbe.Yomon [the] dayH3117
הַכּ֧וֹתha.Kotstruck downH5221
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֛יםpe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שָׁא֖וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ\׃ba.gil.Bo.a'on <the> GilboaH1533

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 21:12

  • 1 Samuel 31:10-13

    And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth–shan. And when the inhabitants of Jabesh–gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth–shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

  • Joshua 17:11

    And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth–shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

  • 1 Chronicles 10:1

    Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

  • 2 Samuel 1:21

    Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

  • 1 Samuel 28:4

    And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

  • 2 Samuel 1:6

    And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

  • 1 Samuel 31:1

    Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

  • 2 Samuel 2:5-7

    And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh–gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. And now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the bones of Saul.
2:5-7; 1Sa 31:11-13
Beth-shan.
Jos 17:11
Beth-shean.
1Sa 31:10
in Gilboa.
1:6,21; 1Sa 28:4; 31:1; 1Ch 10:1,8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 21:11

    And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

  • 2 Samuel 21:12

    And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh–gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth–shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa:

  • 2 Samuel 21:13

    And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.

Read all of 2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces David fué, y tomó los huesos de Saúl y los huesos de Jonathán su hijo, de los hombres de Jabes de Galaad, que los habían hurtado de la plaza de Beth-san, donde los habían colgado los Filisteos, cuando deshicieron los Filisteos á Saúl en Gilboa:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et David alla et prit les os de Saül et les os de Jonathan, son fils, de chez les habitants de Jabès de Galaad, qui les avaient dérobés de la place de Beth-Shan, où les Philistins les avaient suspendus le jour où les Philistins avaient frappé Saül à Guilboa.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da ging David hin und nahm von den Bürgern von Jabes-Gilead die Gebeine Sauls und die Gebeine seines Sohnes Jonathan, welche sie von dem Marktplatze zu Beth-Schan heimlich weggenommen, wo die Philister sie aufgehängt hatten an dem Tage, da die Philister Saul schlugen auf dem Gilboa.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et abiit David, et tulit ossa Saul, et ossa Jonathæ filii ejus, a viris Jabes Galaad, qui furati fuerant ea de platea Bethsan in qua suspenderant eos Philisthiim cum interfecissent Saul in Gelboë: