The Three Gifts of Israel and David's Rejection of the Gibeonites

David sent and summoned them. He said to them: "What is between you and the house of Saul?" They said: because he killed seven men of theirs — two woodcutters, two water-drawers, a cantor, a scribe, and a beadle — "let seven men of his sons be given to us" (2 Samuel 21:6). He said to them: "And what benefit is there for you in their being killed? Take for yourselves gold and silver." But they said: "We have no silver or gold with Saul or with his house" (ibid. 21:4). He distributed and they each took one piece. He said: "Perhaps they will be appeased." But they were not appeased. At that moment David said: Three good gifts the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Israel — they are compassionate, modest, and doers of loving-kindness. But these have none of all these. He arose and distanced them, "and the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel" (ibid. 21:2). Ezra too distanced them, [as it is said,] "and the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel" (Nehemiah 11:21). In the time to come too the Holy One, blessed be He, distances them, "and they that serve the city shall destroy it" (Ezekiel 48:19). [Another interpretation:] It is written, "and He will give you mercy" (Deuteronomy 13:18) — this is "compassionate." "Modest" — "and that His fear may be upon your faces, that you sin not" (Exodus 20:17); and the sign of a modest person is that he does not sin, and anyone who has no shamefacedness — it is a certain thing that his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai. "Doers of loving-kindness" — from where? "And the LORD your God shall keep for you the covenant and the loving-kindness" (Deuteronomy 7:12).