The Meaning of 2 Samuel 21:10 Explained

2 Samuel 21:10

KJV: And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

YLT: And Rizpah daughter of Aiah taketh the sackcloth, and stretcheth it out for herself on the rock, from the commencement of harvest till water hath been poured out upon them from the heavens, and hath not suffered a fowl of the heavens to rest upon them by day, or the beast of the field by night.

Darby: Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them out of the heavens, and suffered neither the fowl of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

ASV: And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Rizpah  the daughter  of Aiah  took  sackcloth,  and spread  it for her upon the rock,  from the beginning  of harvest  until water  dropped  upon them out of heaven,  and suffered  neither the birds  of the air  to rest  on them by day,  nor the beasts  of the field  by night. 

What does 2 Samuel 21:10 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 21:10 mean?

And took Rizpah the daughter of Aiah - sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock from the beginning of harvest until poured the late rains on them from heaven and not she did allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night
וַתִּקַּ֣ח רִצְפָּה֩ בַת־ אַיָּ֨ה אֶת־ הַשַּׂ֜ק וַתַּטֵּ֨הוּ לָ֤הּ אֶל־ הַצּוּר֙ מִתְּחִלַּ֣ת קָצִ֔יר עַ֛ד נִתַּךְ־ מַ֥יִם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִן־ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־ נָתְנָה֩ ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם לָנ֤וּחַ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֶת־ חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָֽיְלָה

וַתִּקַּ֣ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
רִצְפָּה֩  Rizpah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִצְפָּה  
Sense: a concubine of king Saul and mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth.
בַת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אַיָּ֨ה  of  Aiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַיָּה  
Sense: a Horite, son of Zibeon.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשַּׂ֜ק  sackcloth 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
וַתַּטֵּ֨הוּ  and  spread  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
לָ֤הּ  for  herself 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הַצּוּר֙  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צוּר 
Sense: rock, cliff.
מִתְּחִלַּ֣ת  from  the  beginning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּחִלָּה  
Sense: beginning, first.
קָצִ֔יר  of  harvest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
עַ֛ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
נִתַּךְ־  poured 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַךְ  
Sense: to pour out or forth, drop (or rain), be poured, be poured out, be melted, be molten.
מַ֥יִם  the  late  rains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נָתְנָה֩  she  did  allow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
ע֨וֹף  the  birds 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם  of  the  air 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
לָנ֤וּחַ  to  rest 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נוּחַ 
Sense: to rest.
עֲלֵיהֶם֙  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
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.
יוֹמָ֔ם  by  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.
וְאֶת־  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
חַיַּ֥ת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה  of  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
לָֽיְלָה  by  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.