Rizpah

Biblical Account

Rizpah was the daughter of Aiah and a concubine (a secondary wife alongside a principal wife) of King Saul. She appears in 2 Samuel 3 and 21.

After Saul's death, his son Ish-bosheth confronted Abner, the commander of his army, asking, "Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?" (2 Samuel 3:7). Abner was furious and declared that he would transfer the kingdom to David (3:8–10). The text does not say whether Abner had actually done what he was accused of.

During David's reign there was a famine for three years. When David inquired of the LORD, he was told that it was because Saul had put the Gibeonites to death (21:1). The Gibeonites were the people who had made a treaty of peace with Israel under oath in Joshua 9. At their demand, David handed over seven of Saul's descendants: Armoni and Mephibosheth, the sons Rizpah had borne to Saul, and the five sons whom Saul's daughter had borne to Adriel. Jonathan's son Mephibosheth was spared because of the oath between David and Jonathan (21:7). The seven were executed and hanged on a hill at the beginning of the barley harvest (21:9).

Rizpah spread sackcloth on a rock and remained there. From the beginning of harvest until rain fell from heaven, she kept the birds away from the bodies by day and the wild beasts by night (21:10). When David was told of this, he brought the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead and buried them, together with the bones of those who had been executed, in the tomb of Kish at Zelah in the land of Benjamin. The text records that only then was God's favor restored: "And after that God was intreated for the land" (21:14).

Significance Within Scripture

Many interpreters hold that in the ancient Near East, taking a former king's concubine was regarded as a claim to the throne. On this reading, Ish-bosheth's accusation concerned power more than personal morality. Comparable examples often cited are Absalom's lying with David's concubines (2 Samuel 16:21–22) and Adonijah's request to be given Abishag as his wife (1 Kings 2:13–25).

In chapter 21, Rizpah's actions prompt David to give the house of Saul an honorable burial. The scene is read as the closing episode in the story of Saul's family. Rizpah is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• The execution of descendants: A long-standing question is how this episode can be reconciled with Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:19–20, which forbid putting children to death for the sins of their fathers. Interpretations vary. One explains it in terms of the ancient understanding that the community collectively bears the guilt of a broken covenant. Another emphasizes that it was the Gibeonites, not God, who demanded the executions. Some scholars see a political dimension, in which David eliminated rival claimants to the throne from Saul's house.
• The length of the vigil: The text does not specify how long it lasted. It is commonly taken to have extended over several months, from the barley harvest (spring) to the rainy season (autumn). Some, however, suggest that unseasonable rain may have fallen early, so the length cannot be determined with certainty.
• Michal and Merab: The Hebrew Masoretic Text of 2 Samuel 21:8 names the mother of the five sons as "Michal." Because 1 Samuel 18:19 states that it was Merab who married Adriel, some manuscripts and translations read "Merab."
• The two Mephibosheths: Rizpah's son Mephibosheth is a different person from Jonathan's son Mephibosheth; the two merely share a name.

In the Korean Church

Rizpah is not a frequently discussed figure in the Korean church. She is sometimes cited in sermons on the grief and persistent devotion of a mother who has lost her children, or on questions of covenant and justice. She seems seldom to be treated as a central figure in Sunday school curricula.