Rizpah — Bible person

Coal; hot stone, the daughter of Aiah, and one of Saul’s concubines. She was the mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 3:7; 21:8, 10, 11).

It happened that a grievous famine, which lasted for three years, fell upon the land during the earlier half of David’s reign at Jerusalem. This calamity was sent “for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” David inquired of the Gibeonites what satisfaction they demanded, and was answered that nothing would compensate for the wrong Saul had done to them but the death of seven of Saul’s sons. David accordingly delivered up to them the two sons of Rizpah and five of the sons of Merab (q.v.), Saul’s eldest daughter, whom she bore to Adriel. These the Gibeonites put to death, and hung up their bodies before the Lord at the sanctuary at Gibeah. Rizpah thereupon took her place on the rock of Gibeah (q.v.), and for five months watched the suspended bodies of her children, to prevent them from being devoured by the beasts and birds of prey, till they were at length taken down and buried by David.

Her marriage to Abner was the occasion of a quarrel between him and Ishbosheth, which led to Abner’s going over to the side of David (2 Sam. 3:17-21).

People and places

Recorded scripture occurrences (4)

References recorded in the source data; this is not an exhaustive list of mentions.

Show passage in OET: SA2 3:7

OET-RV SA2 3:7

7 Now Sha’ul had had a slave-wife named Ritspah (daughter of Ayah) and Avner slept with her. So Ish-Boshet demanded, “Why have you slept with my father’s slave-wife?”

OET-LV SA2 3:7

7 And_belonged_to_Shāʼūl a _concubine and_name _of_her was_Riʦpāh the _daughter _of ʼAy^yāh and_he/it _said to ʼAⱱnēr why have _you _gone into the _concubine _of my _father _of_my.

Show passage in OET: SA2 21:8

OET-RV SA2 21:8

8 Instead he took two of the sons (Armoni and Mefiboshet) of Ritspah (Ayah’s daughter and one of Sha’ul’s slave-wives), as well as five sons of Sha’ul’s daughter Mikal, that she’d bore to Adriel (the son of Barzilay, the Meholati).

OET-LV SA2 21:8

8 And_ the_king _he/it _took DOM the _two _of the _sons _of Riʦpāh the _daughter _of ʼAy^yāh whom she _had _borne to_Shāʼūl DOM ʼArmonī and_DOM Mephiboshet and_DOM the _five _of the _sons _of Mīkāl the _daughter _of Shāʼūl whom she _had _borne to_ˊAdrī^ʼēl the _son _of Barzillay the_Məḩolātī.

Show passage in OET: SA2 21:10

OET-RV SA2 21:10

10 Then Ayah’s daughter Ritspah took coarse, abrasive sackcloth and she spread it on the rock where the corpses were. She kept the birds away during the day and the animals at night—staying there from the beginning of the harvest until the beginning of the rainy season.

OET-LV SA2 21:10

10 And_ Riʦpāh the _daughter _of ʼAy^yāh _she/it _took DOM (the)_sackcloth and_she_spread _it _out to/for_her/it to the_rock from_the_beginning _of harvest until water it _was _poured _out on_them from the_heavens and_not she _permitted the _bird[s]_of the_heavens to_rest on_them by _day and_DOM the _animal[s]_of the_field night.

Jump to OET SA2 3:7 section.

Jump to OET SA2 21:8 section.

Jump to OET SA2 21:10 section.

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