Rizpah רִצְפָּה
Concubine of Saul; mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth
Who is Rizpah in the Bible?
Rizpah was a concubine of King Saul and mother of two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 3:7, 21:8). During King David's reign, a three-year famine struck Israel, which the Lord revealed was punishment for Saul's persecution of the Gibeonites. To make atonement, the Gibeonites demanded the execution of seven of Saul's male descendants, including Rizpah's two sons (2 Samuel 21:1-9). Rizpah's story is remembered primarily for her remarkable devotion and maternal grief, as she guarded the bodies of her executed sons from desecration by birds and animals (2 Samuel 21:10-11). Her faithful vigil became a powerful testament to a mother's love and has made her a notable figure in biblical narratives about suffering and perseverance.
Biography
Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, was a concubine of King Saul (2Sa.3.7). She bore Saul two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth (2Sa.21.8). After Saul's death, Abner, the commander of Saul's army, had relations with Rizpah, which was seen as a challenge to the authority of Saul's son and successor, Ish-bosheth (2Sa.3.7). Years later, during the reign of King David, a famine struck Israel for three years (2Sa.21.1). The Lord revealed that the famine was a consequence of Saul's attempt to kill the Gibeonites, with whom Israel had made a treaty (2Sa.21.1-2; Jos.9.3-27). To make atonement, the Gibeonites demanded the execution of seven of Saul's male descendants, including Rizpah's sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth (2Sa.21.5-9). Rizpah displayed great devotion and grief by protecting the bodies of her sons from birds and wild animals, staying with them from the beginning of the harvest until the rains came (2Sa.21.10). When David heard of Rizpah's actions, he ordered the proper burial of the bones of Saul, Jonathan, and the seven executed men (2Sa.21.11-14). Rizpah's story highlights the tragic consequences of Saul's disobedience and the depths of a mother's love and grief in the face of loss.
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In Scripture
1 biblical book2 Samuel 4 verses
- 2 Samuel 3:7
"Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”"
- 2 Samuel 21:8
"But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite."
- 2 Samuel 21:10
"And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night."
- 2 Samuel 21:11
"When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | רִצְפָּה |
Rizpah
Rizpah's faithful watch over the bodies of her dead sons Mephibosheth and Armoni (21:10,11). Did this story suggest Tennyson's "Rizpah"? A three years' famine had made David anxious, and in seeking a reason for the affliction he concluded that it lay in Saul's unavenged conduct to the Gibeonites (21:2). To appease Yahweh he gave up to the Gibeonites the two sons of Saul, Mephibosheth and Armoni, as well as Saul's 5 grandsons (whether by Michal or Merab; see MERAB). These seven were hanged at Gibeah. Rizpah watched 5 months over their exposed bodies, but meanwhile the famine did not abate. Word was brought to David of Rizpah's act (21:10,11), and it is possible that her action suggested to David his next step in expiation. At any rate, he remembered the uncared-for bones of Jonathan and Saul lying in ignominy at Jabesh-gilead, whither they had been carried by stealth after the Philistines had kept them hung in the streets of Beth-shan for some time. The bones were recovered and apparently mingled with the bones Rizpah had guarded, and they were together buried in the family grave at Zelah. We are told that then "God was entreated for the land" (21:14).
Henry Wallace
rod the King James Version (1Sa 27:10; compare 1Sa 23:27).
See RAID.
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