2 Samuel 21:3
New International Version
David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the LORD’s inheritance?”

New Living Translation
David asked them, “What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the LORD’s people again?”

English Standard Version
And David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?”

Berean Standard Bible
So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

King James Bible
Wherefore 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?

New King James Version
Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

New American Standard Bible
David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make amends, so that you will bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

NASB 1995
Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

NASB 1977
Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?”

Amplified Bible
So David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make it good so that you will bless the LORD’S inheritance (Israel)?”

Christian Standard Bible
He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the LORD’s inheritance? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement so that you will bring a blessing on the LORD’s inheritance?”

American Standard Version
and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of Jehovah?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to the Gebunites: “What shall I do for you and in what shall I make atonement for you?” And they blessed the inheritance of LORD JEHOVAH

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to the Gabaonites, What shall I do to you? and wherewithal shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

Contemporary English Version
He said, "What can I do to make up for what Saul did, so that you'll ask the LORD to be kind to his people again?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
David therefore said to the Gabaonites: What shall I do for you? and what shall be the atonement for you, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

English Revised Version
and David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and asked them, "What can I do for you? What should I [give you] to make peace with you so that you will bless what belongs to the LORD?"

Good News Translation
So David summoned the people of Gibeon and said to them, "What can I do for you? I want to make up for the wrong that was done to you, so that you will bless the LORD's people."

International Standard Version
So David asked the Gibeonites, "What am I to do for you? How am I to make atonement so that you will bless the LORD's heritage?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
and David said unto the Gibeonites: 'What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?'

Literal Standard Version
indeed, David says to the Gibeonites, “What do I do for you? And with what do I make atonement? And bless the inheritance of YHWH.”

Majority Standard Bible
So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”

New American Bible
David said to the Gibeonites, “What must I do for you and how must I make atonement, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?”

NET Bible
David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will bless the LORD's inheritance?"

New Revised Standard Version
David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?”

New Heart English Bible
And David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with what shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

World English Bible
and David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And with what should I make atonement, that you may bless Yahweh’s inheritance?”

Young's Literal Translation
yea, David saith unto the Gibeonites, 'What do I do for you? and with what do I make atonement? and bless ye the inheritance of Jehovah.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Avenges the Gibeonites
2At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.) 3So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?” 4The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 26:19
Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'

2 Samuel 20:19
I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?"


Treasury of Scripture

Why David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and with which shall I make the atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

wherewith

Exodus 32:30
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

Leviticus 1:4
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

1 Samuel 2:25
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

bless

2 Samuel 20:19
I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

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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.














(3) Make the atonement.--This is the same technical word as is used throughout the Law in connection with the propitiatory sacrifices. It means literally, to cover up, and is here used in that literal sense. David asks what he can do to so cover up the sin of Saul as to remove it from the sight of those against whom it had been committed--the Gibeonites as the earthly sufferers from it, and God Himself as the one against whom he had chiefly offended. Then might God's blessing again return to His people.

Verse 3. - Wherewith shall I make the atonement, etc.? Literally the verb means to "cover up," the idea being that of a veil drawn over the offence to conceal it by means of a gift or offering. Thence gradually it attained to its religious idea of an expiation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So David
דָּוִד֙ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

asked
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the Gibeonites,
הַגִּבְעֹנִ֔ים (hag·giḇ·‘ō·nîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 1393: Gibeonites -- inhabitants of Gibeon

“What
מָ֥ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

shall I do
אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה (’e·‘ĕ·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for you?
לָכֶ֑ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

How
וּבַמָּ֣ה (ū·ḇam·māh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

can I make amends
אֲכַפֵּ֔ר (’ă·ḵap·pêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel

so that you may bless
וּבָרְכ֖וּ (ū·ḇā·rə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

the inheritance
נַחֲלַ֥ת (na·ḥă·laṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion

of the LORD?”
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT History: 2 Samuel 21:3 And David said to the Gibeonites What (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 21:2
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