2 Samuel 21:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David 's brother, struck him down.

NIV: When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.

NASB: When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck and killed him.

CSB: When he taunted Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimei, killed him.

NLT: But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

KJV: And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

NKJV: So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

Second Samuel 21:18–22 records three more battles which David's warriors fight against Philistine giants. This includes a second warrior named Goliath. This information is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 20:4–8. The companion passage in the mirrored structure of 2 Samuel 21—23, in 2 Samuel 23:8–39, gives an extended description of David's mighty men and their exploits in battle.

Second Samuel 21 records several varied stories of David's reign. A famine strikes the land because Saul and his household had attacked the Gibeonites, who had tricked Joshua into a treaty (Joshua 9). The Gibeonites ask for seven of Saul's descendants, whom they kill and hang in their city. Saul's concubine Rizpah protects them from birds and beasts until David orders them removed and buried in the family tomb. Next, David's men forcibly retire him from active military service and go on to slay several giant Philistine warriors. The battles against the giants are also recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:4–8.

Second Samuel 21 presents the first two levels of a mirrored view of David's reign (2 Samuel 21—24). First, David learns a famine is due to Saul's attack on the protected Gibeonites (Joshua 9). David gives them seven of Saul's male descendants, and God lifts the famine. In the second section, David retires from military service, and his men kill Philistine giants. The giants are also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 20:4–8. Section three is David's praise to God (2 Samuel 22:1—23:7). The fourth records David's mighty men's exploits (2 Samuel 23:8–38). The fifth is David's sinful census (2 Samuel 24).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.

Accessed 4/18/2026 8:29:51 AM