2 Samuel 21:15-22--War with the Philistines

2 Samuel 21:15-22
English Standard Version

War with the Philistines
15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

​18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. 19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

---

The Philistines have been quiet for many years, but given the chaos that has ensued recently they think now would be the perfect time to make their move and once again make war against Israel.  David, though he is quite old by this time, gathers his servants (the army of Israel) and they fight against the Philistines, but David grew weary--again, this is probably at least partially due to how old his is now.

The Philistines have once again employed giants to fight for them, this time the giant's name was Ishbi-benob, and and he had a spear that weighed three hundred shekels of bronze (about seven and a half pounds) and he also had a new sword with which he planned to kill King David.

Abishai, the brother of Joab, came to David's aid though and attacked "the Philistine," that is Ishbi-benob, and killed him.  After this incident, David's men made David swear that he would no longer go out to battle with them, because he was too important to Israel for them to lose him on the field of battle.  I'm sure this was something that was hard for David to admit, but there comes a point in everyone's life when they get older and they have to admit that they shouldn't try to do everything that they did when they were younger.  So, David had to entrust the fighting to his young "mighty men" (men of valor that he fought alongside, entrusted with his life, and had entrusted the safety and protection of Israel to).

The Philistines do not stop here even with their champion giant defeated.  They continue to make war and attack at Gob.  There was another descendant of the giants there named Saph, and the Israelites also defeated this giant.  Then again war broke out at Gob and Elhananthe, the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down and killed Goliath the Gittite (a different Goliath than Goliath of Gath that David killed in his youth).  Like Goliath of Gath, Goliath the Gittite had a spear whose shaft was like a weaver's beam, so he was probably of similar size and stature to Goliath of Gath.

Speaking of Gath, that is the next place where war broke out, and like Goliath, he also had six digits on each hand and foot (a trait of many of the giants like Goliath, so it is assumed this person is also a giant, though it only says he was descended from giants, so he may have had some of their traits without actually being big and tall).  He came out to blaspheme and taunt Israel in the same kind of way that Goliath of Gath had done in 1 Samuel, only this time, Israel did not hide from the giant, but Jonathan, the son of Shimei, David's brother, struck him down.  It is great to see the faith that so many in Israel now have to be giant-slayers (not in their own strength, but in the strength of the LORD) like David was against Goliath in 1 Samuel.

All four of these champions were descended from the giants of Gath, meaning that they were all relatives, maybe even close relatives, of Goliath of Gath.  While David himself didn't fight the battles, he is named alongside his servants here as receiving credit for the victory, and I believe that has to do with what we just talked about before, as he was the one that passed his faith along to so that they probably had back-and-forth with these giants that sounded much like the words exchanged between David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:44-47.


1 Samuel 17:44-47
English Standard Version
44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand.”