2 Samuel 2:5
ESV
David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.
NIV
he sent messengers to them to say to them, "The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him.
NASB
So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, 'May you be blessed of the Lord because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him.
CSB
David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "The Lord bless you, because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.
NLT
he sent them this message: 'May the Lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.
KJV
And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, 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.
NKJV
So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.
What does 2 Samuel 2:5 mean?
Philistines found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on the battlefield at Mount Gilboa. They mutilated and displayed the corpses in celebration of their victory. The bodies were beheaded and fastened to the walls at the nearby city of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:8–10).The people of the Israelite city of Jabesh-gilead could not let this atrocity stand. Many people, including Israelites, believed that not burying a body was the highest insult and could potentially interfere with that person's experience in the afterlife.
In addition, those in Jabesh-gilead felt grateful to Saul for rallying the tribes of Israel to come save them from the Ammonites early in his kingship (1 Samuel 11). So, their valiant men snuck into Beth-shan at night and took the bodies. They brought the mutilated remains of Saul and his sons back home, burned them, respectfully buried the bones under a tamarisk tree, and then fasted for a week (1 Samuel 31:11–13).
Now David has been told about the courageous and honorable action they took (2 Samuel 2:4). He sends a prayer of blessing from the Lord to them by way of a messenger for their loyalty to King Saul.
David is sincere in his appreciation of their actions; no one has shown more devotion to Saul than him. But his message also includes an invitation: Saul, their king, is dead; David is king in Judah (2 Samuel 2:7). David leaves the interpretation to the people of Jabesh.
