Verse Lens · Concise explanation
2 Samuel 21:3 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 3. 3Wherefore 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?
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: “Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “Famine Leads David to the Gibeonites.”
Read It With
- 2 Samuel 21:1–6
Read 2 Samuel 21:3 with 21:1–6. The wording “Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the…” 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: A three-year famine is attributed to Saul's bloodguilt against the protected Gibeonites, and David asks what violent satisfaction they require.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “Famine Leads David to the Gibeonites,” 2 Samuel 21:3 advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence through the wording “Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: The famine inquiry reaches back to Israel's protected agreement with the Gibeonites and Saul's otherwise unreported attempt to destroy them. The preceding officer list closes Sheba's revolt but does not explain this appended crisis.
What Remains True
Faithful leadership is measured by truth, restraint, justice, repair, and the treatment of people with less power rather than by title, victory, popularity, or narrative prominence. In this unit, that truth is tested by the concrete movement: A three-year famine is attributed to Saul's bloodguilt against the protected Gibeonites, and David asks what violent satisfaction they require. In 2 Samuel 21:3, the concrete line “Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
How It Can Shape Life
- The evidence to keep visible in this verse is “Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the….” Use authority to increase truthful access, protect people with less power, preserve meaningful dissent, and repair concrete harm instead of defending reputation or control. This response follows from the unit's own pattern—A three-year famine is attributed to Saul's bloodguilt against the protected Gibeonites, and David asks what violent satisfaction they require.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read 2 Samuel 21:1–6 — Famine Leads David to the GibeonitesSources 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 21:1-6, 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, 21:1-6
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 21:1-6
Open source ↗