Girl Old Testament Rare
Rizpah
bed; extension; a coal
רִצְפָּה rits.pah
Rizpah (Hebrew: רִצְפָּה, rits.pah) means “bed; extension; a coal”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 4 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Adriel in 2 Samuel 21.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Rizpah
mother of Armoni; son of Aiah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 4 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- United Monarchy
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Samuel 3:7 |
| Last appears | 2 Samuel 21:11 |
| Cross-references | 41 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Aiah co-occurrence Appears with Aiah in 2 Samuel 21.
- Armoni co-occurrence Appears with Armoni in 2 Samuel 21.
- Mephibosheth co-occurrence Appears with Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 21.
- Barzillai co-occurrence Appears with Barzillai in 2 Samuel 21.
- Adriel co-occurrence Appears with Adriel in 2 Samuel 21.
- Meholathites co-occurrence Appears with Meholathites in 2 Samuel 21.
- Merab co-occurrence Appears with Merab in 2 Samuel 21.
- Ish-bosheth co-occurrence Appears with Ish-bosheth in 2 Samuel 3.
Origin & meaning
A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.3.7;
daughter of: Aiah (H0345H); married to Saul (H7586G);
mother of: Armoni (H0764) and Mephibosheth (H4648H)
§ Rizpah = "pavement"
a concubine of king Saul and mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth
Rizpah was a concubine of King Saul and the mother of Armoni and Mephibosheth, who were executed by the Gibeonites.
The biblical story
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.
Key verses
Rizpah appears in 4 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish–bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?
2 Samuel 3:7 -
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
2 Samuel 21:8 -
And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
2 Samuel 21:10 -
And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
2 Samuel 21:11
Show all 4 references
2 Samuel (4)
- 2 Samuel 3:7
- 2 Samuel 21:8
- 2 Samuel 21:10
- 2 Samuel 21:11