1. Saul broke a covenant that Joshua had made with the Gibeonites hundreds of years earlier by slaying them, which brought a famine upon Israel for three years. 2. David asked the Gibeonites how he could make amends, and they requested seven of Saul's sons be handed over to them to be hanged. 3. Seven of Saul's descendants were hanged by the Gibeonites, ending the famine that had been plaguing Israel as a result of Saul's breaking of the covenant.