2 Samuel chapter 4
Ishbosheth is murdered.
ISHBOSHETH IS MURDERED
VERSE 1. When Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
Saul’s son. That is, Ishbosheth.
his hands became feeble. Ishbosheth was traumatized by this news. He becomes weak.
VERSE 2. Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is considered a part of Benjamin:
Baanah … Recab. They were assassins from the tribe of Benjamin.
VERSE 3. and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until today).
VERSE 4. Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news came about Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse picked him up and fled. As she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
His name was Mephibosheth. Previously he was known as Merib-Baal.
His name was changed from “Baal contends” to “from the mouth of shamefulness.”
VERSE 5. The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he took his rest at noon.
Ishbosheth. His original name was Esh-Baal. That means “fire of Baal.”
But later they wanted to avoid the appearance of connection to Baal and idol-worship. So they changed his name to Ish-Bosheth. It means “man of shame”.
VERSE 6. They came there into the middle of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
They came there into the middle of the house. The two assassins gained access to Ishbosheth’s house at midday.
VERSE 7. Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him, killed him, beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.
they struck him, killed him. In other words, they stabbed him to death.
That is how Joab had murdered Abner:
2 Samuel 3:27. When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
VERSE 8. They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! The LORD has avenged my lord the king today of Saul, and of his offspring.”
his offspring. Or “seed.”
VERSE 9. David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
VERSE 10. when someone told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ thinking that he brought good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.
VERSE 11. How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, and rid the earth of you?”
wicked men have slain a righteous person. Ishbosheth (Ishbaal) was David’s political opponent. But David still saw him as a righteous person.
In our day, our news pundits and politicians go way too far. They describe their opponents as evil. Or they make up false truths about them, so as to mislead people.
However, we Christian believers may NOT do evil in order that good may result:
Romans 3:8. Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.
VERSE 12. David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
2 SAMUEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David and Jonathan
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.