Which character of the Bible is the most pitiable?

 

"Which character of the Bible is the most pitiable?"

My choices are the seven Sons of Benjamin that were handed over to the Gibeonites to end a three-year drought. 

The Gibeonites lied to seal a covenant with Joshua, but a covenant is a man’s word, and in this case, God’s word. It must stand.

But when the inhabitants of Giv‘ah heard what Y’hoshua had done to Yericho and ‘Ai, they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces. Then they went to Y’hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra’el, “We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us.” The men of Isra’el said to the Hivi, “How do we know that you don’t live here among us? If you do, we don’t want to make a covenant with you.” Joshua 9:3–7 (CJB)

King Saul zealously attacked and murdered the Gibeonites. Their spilt blood had to be avenged to keep God’s word undefiled. 

In David’s time there was a famine that lasted three years, and David consulted Adonai. Adonai said, “It is because of Sha’ul and his bloodstained house, because he put to death the people of Giv‘on.” The king summoned the Giv‘onim and said to them — these Giv‘onim were not part of the people of Isra’el but from the remnant of the Emori; and the people of Isra’el had sworn to them; but Sha’ul, in his zeal for the people of Isra’el and Y’hudah, had sought to exterminate them — David said to the Giv‘onim, “What should I do for you? With what should I make atonement, so that you will be able to bless Adonai’s heritage?” The Giv‘onim said to him, “Our dispute with Sha’ul can’t be resolved with silver or gold; and we don’t have the right to put anyone in Isra’el to death.” He said, “So, what do you say that I should do for you?” They answered the king, “The man who ruined us, who schemed against us so that we would cease to exist anywhere in Isra’el’s territory — have seven of his male descendants handed over to us, and we will put them to death by hanging before Adonai in Giv‘ah of Sha’ul, whom Adonai chose.” The king said, “I will hand them over.” But the king spared M’fivoshet, the son of Y’honatan the son of Sha’ul, because of the oath before Adonai between David and Y’honatan the son of Sha’ul. The king took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she bore to Sha’ul, Armoni and M’fivoshet; and the five sons of Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, whom she bore to Adri’el the son of Barzillai the Mecholati. 2 Samuel 21:1–8 (CJB)

In the Bible, its very rare to execute the sons for the sins of their fathers.

"Fathers are not to be executed for the children, nor are children to be executed for the fathers; every person will be executed for his own sin.  Deuteronomy 24:16 (CJB)

The person who sins is the one that will die - a son is not to bear his father's guilt with him, nor is the father to bear his son's guilt with him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked will be his own. Ezekiel 18:20 (CJB)

The seven Benjamites had to die because King Saul broke a covenant that God had instituted. 

God’s word must be kept sanctified.

and handed them over to the Giv‘onim, who hanged them on the hill before Adonai. All seven died; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest season, at the beginning of the barley harvest [just before Passover]. 2 Samuel 21:9 (CJB)

Shalom! 

https://www.quora.com/Which-character-of-the-Bible-is-the-most-pitiable/answer/Joel-Blackford