The Meaning of 2 Samuel 21:7 Explained

2 Samuel 21:7

KJV: But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

YLT: and the king hath pity on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath of Jehovah that is between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul;

Darby: But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

ASV: But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the king  spared  Mephibosheth,  the son  of Jonathan  the son  of Saul,  because of the LORD'S  oath  that [was] between them, between David  and Jonathan  the son  of Saul. 

What does 2 Samuel 21:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 21:1-11 - A Devoted Mother
The time of this famine cannot be fixed with certainty. Probably it took place before Absalom's rebellion. The reason for it was found in Saul's slaughter of the Gibeonites. See 1 Samuel 22:19, etc. Though their fathers had obtained the promise of immunity from Joshua and the princes by fraud, yet it was regarded as binding, and its violation was looked upon as a grave offense, involving the whole nation in the charge of perjury. The remnant of the Gibeonites were therefore allowed to fix their own terms. This tendency to connect a national calamity with a national crime has always obtained. There seems to be a universal consciousness that uncaused judgments do not befall.
Note that Merab should be substituted for Michal, 2 Samuel 21:8; 1 Samuel 18:19. Out of all the scenes of cruelty and blood with which this age was characterized, the love of motherhood shines forth undimmed. It is one of the most precious of God's gifts to man. But what shall we not say of that divine love which clings to us in our most hopeless condition? [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 21

1  The three year Gibeonite famine ceases, by hanging seven of Saul's sons
10  Rizpah's kindness unto the dead
12  David buries the bones of Saul and Jonathan in his father's tomb
15  Four battles against the Philistines, wherein four men of David slay four giants

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 21:7 mean?

But spared the king on Mephibosheth Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan son of Saul because of the oath of Yahweh that [was] between them between David and Jonathan of Saul
וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־ מְפִי־ בֹ֖שֶׁת בֶּן־ יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בֶּן־ שָׁא֑וּל עַל־ שְׁבֻעַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין דָּוִ֔ד וּבֵ֖ין יְהוֹנָתָ֥ן שָׁאֽוּל

וַיַּחְמֹ֣ל  But  spared 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מְפִי־  Mephibosheth 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְפִיבֹשֶׁת 
Sense: grandson of Saul and son of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine; he and his brother Armoni were among the 7 victims surrendered by David to the Gibeonites to avert a famine.
בֹ֖שֶׁת  Mephibosheth 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּשֶׁת  
Sense: shame.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן  of  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׁא֑וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שְׁבֻעַ֤ת  of  the  oath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: oath, curse.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בֵּֽינֹתָ֔ם  between  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
בֵּ֣ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יְהוֹנָתָ֥ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
שָׁאֽוּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.