Verse Lens · Concise explanation
2 Samuel 21:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence: “And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “Abishai Saves the Exhausted David.”
David waxes faint, and a giant-warrior moves to kill him
This verse is one part of that explanation in 2 Samuel 21:15–17. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 2 Samuel 21:15–17
Read 2 Samuel 21:16 with 21:15–17. The wording “And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred…” supplies one step in the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: In another Philistine battle David becomes faint, a giant warrior seeks to kill him, and Abishai rescues him before the troops bar further royal combat.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “Abishai Saves the Exhausted David,” 2 Samuel 21:16 advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence through the wording “And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: The book now gathers additional Philistine battle memories that qualify the image of David as invulnerable and credit his servants' rescues. Rizpah's vigil is adjacent within the appendix but does not cause the battle notice.
What Remains True
Power remains accountable for the people it exposes, takes, silences, injures, or kills; truthful memory keeps their bodies, testimony, agency, and cost visible. In this unit, that truth is tested by the concrete movement: In another Philistine battle David becomes faint, a giant warrior seeks to kill him, and Abishai rescues him before the troops bar further royal combat. In 2 Samuel 21:16, the concrete line “And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 2 Samuel 21:15–17 — Abishai Saves the Exhausted DavidSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 2 Samuel 21:15-17, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 2 Samuel
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, repeated verbs, names, syntax, and the base text behind translation and textual discussion.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/2Sam.xml, 21:15-17
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: 2 Samuel with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Unit-bounded wording, older-English clarification, textual witnesses, syntax, names, numbers, and major historical or literary notes actually printed for these verses.
Exact location: NET Bible 2 Samuel PDF, printed pp. 574–575, translation and all translator notes attached to 21:15-17
Open source ↗