שמואל ב, פרק כ״א, פסוק א׳

In the Land of Israel, which relies entirely on rainfall rather than large water reserves, three consecutive years of drought and famine amount to a devastating national disaster. Such a prolonged crisis prompts deep national introspection [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Recognizing that this is not a random natural occurrence but a divine decree requiring correction, King David and the nation engaged in a process of self-examination. The delay until the third year stemmed from this gradual search. During the first year, the people attributed the famine to the sin of idolatry. In the second year, they suspected sexual immorality, and in the third, bloodshed. When none of these widespread sins were found among the populace, David understood that the responsibility to uncover the cause rested on him [מלבי״ם, רד״ק, אלשיך, אברבנאל]. Consequently, he turned to God through the Urim and Thummim to discover the precise reason for the decree [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אלשיך].

God’s response reveals a complex reality, demanding the correction of two seemingly contradictory wrongs associated with the previous monarch, King Saul. On one hand, God demands that Saul's honor be upheld; the nation is being punished for failing to properly eulogize him, as he was buried hastily and in secret. On the other hand, God demands justice for Saul's sins, specifically the bloodshed committed by his royal house during the massacre at the priestly city of Nob [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אלשיך].

The central transgression identified is Saul's killing of the Gibeonites. The primary approach among commentators is that this tragedy occurred during the destruction of Nob. The Gibeonites served there as woodchoppers and water drawers, and they were slaughtered alongside the priests [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Several commentators within this approach add that by killing the priests, who provided the Gibeonites with their food and water, Saul effectively murdered the Gibeonites by cutting off their livelihood [רש״י, רד״ק, אלשיך]. An alternative perspective suggests that Saul's actions went beyond the massacre at Nob. Driven by a misguided nationalistic zeal, and perhaps using the ancient deception of Joshua as a pretext, Saul actively persecuted the Gibeonites throughout the borders of Israel, expelling them and shedding their blood [רלב״ג, מלבי״ם].

This raises the question of why the punishment arrived so many years after Saul's death, and why the entire nation had to suffer for the king's sins. While Saul was already punished for killing the priests when he died in battle, the retribution for harming the Gibeonites was suspended [אברבנאל]. The famine struck the entire nation because the people had stood silently by, failing to protest when Saul shed the blood of the Gibeonites or exiled them [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, even during David's reign, no one took the initiative to right the wrongs done to these vulnerable, marginalized converts, which further angered God [מלבי״ם].

Delaying the punishment until David's era serves to broadcast a powerful message regarding the sanctification of God's name. It publicly demonstrates that God champions the cause of the weak and the convert, refusing to show favoritism even to the royal family [אלשיך]. Additionally, the timing of this retribution is intended to comfort David following his own recent family tragedies. By witnessing how God's profound justice spans decades and operates in hidden ways, David is reassured of the ultimate fairness of divine judgment [אברבנאל].