Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New Life Version

2 Samuel 21:3

David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? How can I pay for the sin, so you may bring good to the land of the Lord?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Covenant;   David;   Gibeon;   Saul;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Atonement, under the Law;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mephibosheth;   Rizpah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Feasts and Festivals of Israel;   Murder;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Joshua;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adriel;   Beeroth;   Blessing and Cursing;   Court Systems;   Gibeon;   Mephibosheth;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Haggai;   Israel;   Rizpah;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Ransom (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   Gibeonites ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Gibeon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Charm;   Heredity;   Magic;   Salvation;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Atonement;   Crime;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the Lord’s inheritance?”
Hebrew Names Version
and David said to the Giv`onim, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
King James Version
Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord ?
Lexham English Bible
So David asked the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you, and with what can I make amends that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?"
English Standard Version
And David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord ?"
New Century Version
He asked, "What can I do for you? How can I make up for the harm done so you can bless the Lord 's people?"
New English Translation
David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless the Lord 's inheritance?"
Amplified Bible
So David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? How can I make it good so that you will bless the LORD'S inheritance (Israel)?"
New American Standard Bible
David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? And how can I make amends, so that you will bless the inheritance of the LORD?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid said vnto the Gibeonites, What shall I doe for you, and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may blesse the inheritance of the Lord?
Legacy Standard Bible
Thus David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?"
Contemporary English Version
He said, "What can I do to make up for what Saul did, so that you'll ask the Lord to be kind to his people again?"
Complete Jewish Bible
David said to the Giv‘onim, "What should I do for you? With what should I make atonement, so that you will be able to bless Adonai 's heritage?"
Darby Translation
And David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with what shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah?
Easy-to-Read Version
David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you? What can I do to take away Israel's sin, so that you can bless the Lord 's people?"
George Lamsa Translation
Wherefore David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make an atonement to you, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?
Good News Translation
So David summoned the people of Gibeon and said to them, "What can I do for you? I want to make up for the wrong that was done to you, so that you will bless the Lord 's people."
Literal Translation
And David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I atone, and you bless the inheritance of Jehovah?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Dauid to the Gibeonites: What shal I do vnto you? And where withall shal I make the attonement, that ye maye blesse ye enheritaunce of ye LORDE?
American Standard Version
and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah?
Bible in Basic English
So David said to the Gibeonites, What may I do for you? how am I to make up to you for your wrongs, so that you may give a blessing to the heritage of the Lord?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherefore Dauid saide vnto the Gibeonites: What shall I do for you, & wherewith shall I make the attonement, that ye may blesse ye inheritaunce of the Lorde?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and David said unto the Gibeonites: 'What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?'
King James Version (1611)
Wherefore Dauid said vnto the Gibeonites, What shall I doe for you? and wherwith shall I make the atonement, that ye may blesse the inheritance of the Lord ?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David said to the Gabaonites, What shall I do to you? and wherewithal shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?
English Revised Version
and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
Berean Standard Bible
So David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
therfor Dauid seide to Gabaonytis, What schal Y do to you, and what schal be youre amendis, that ye blesse the eritage of the Lord?
Young's Literal Translation
yea, David saith unto the Gibeonites, `What do I do for you? and with what do I make atonement? and bless ye the inheritance of Jehovah.'
Update Bible Version
and David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?
Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with what shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
World English Bible
and David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?
New King James Version
Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"
New Living Translation
David asked them, "What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the Lord 's people again?"
New Revised Standard
David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the Lord ?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites - What shall I do for you, and wherewith shall I make propitiation, so that ye may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?
Douay-Rheims Bible
David therefore said to the Gabaonites: What shall I do for you? and what shall be the atonement or you, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?
Revised Standard Version
And David said to the Gib'eonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?"
THE MESSAGE
David addressed the Gibeonites: "What can I do for you? How can I compensate you so that you will bless God 's legacy of land and people?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"

Contextual Overview

1 While David was king there was a time without food for three years. David went to the Lord. The Lord said, "It is because of Saul and his house of blood, for he put the Gibeonites to death." 2 So the king called the Gibeonites. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the people who were left of the Amorites. The sons of Israel had made an agreement with them. But Saul had wanted to kill them because he thought so much of the sons of Israel and Judah.) 3 David said to the Gibeonites, "What should I do for you? How can I pay for the sin, so you may bring good to the land of the Lord?" 4 The Gibeonites said to him, "We will take no silver or gold from Saul or his family. And it is not for us to put any man to death in Israel." David said, "I will do for you whatever you say." 5 So they said to the king, "Saul destroyed us and planned to keep us from staying in any land of Israel. 6 Let seven men from his sons be given to us. We will hang them before the Lord at Gibeon on the Lord's mountain." And the king said, "I will give them." 7 But the king kept alive Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because David had made a promise to Saul's son Jonathan before the Lord. 8 The king took the two sons of Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had born to Saul. And he took the five sons of Saul's daughter Merab, whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 He gave them to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the Lord. The seven of them died together. They were put to death in the first days of gathering time, when the barley was ready to gather.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wherewith: Exodus 32:30, Leviticus 1:4, 1 Samuel 2:25, Micah 6:6, Micah 6:7, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 10:4-12

bless: 2 Samuel 20:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:15 - give less than Numbers 25:13 - atonement 2 Samuel 24:21 - the plague 1 Kings 1:47 - bless Psalms 28:9 - bless Galatians 3:13 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever.
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. All who hear will laugh with me."
Genesis 21:12
But God said to Abraham, "Do not be full of sorrow because of the boy and the woman who serves you. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you. For your children and all their children's children after you will be given a name through Isaac.
Genesis 22:2
God said, "Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love. And go to the land of Moriah. Give him as a burnt gift on the altar in worship, on one of the mountains I will show you."
Joshua 24:3
Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River. I led him through all the land of Canaan. I gave him many children, and I gave him Isaac.
Matthew 1:2
Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Acts 7:8
"He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.
Romans 9:7
Not all of Abraham's family are children of God. God told Abraham, "Only the family of Isaac will be called your family."
Hebrews 11:18
God had said to Abraham, "Your family will come from Isaac."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, what shall I do for you,.... By way of satisfaction for the injuries done them:

and wherewith shall I make the atonement; for the offences committed, that so the wrath that was gone forth against the land in a famine might be appeased:

that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord? pray for a blessing upon the land which the Lord had chosen for his inheritance, and given as such to the people of Israel, that rain might descend upon it, and make it fruitful.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 21:3. Wherewith shall I make the atonement — It is very strange that a choice of this kind should be left to such a people. Why not ask this of God himself?


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile