2 Samuel 4:1

2 Samuel 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
• New International Version (NIV)When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled.

Context of 2 Samuel 4:1

Saul's son Ish-Bosheth heard the news that Abner had died in Hebron. Then he felt very frightened. All the people in Israel became afraid. 2Ish-Bosheth had two officers called Baanah and Recab. They were leaders of small groups of soldiers. Their father was Rimmon from Beeroth. He belonged to Benjamin's tribe. At that time, Beeroth was part of Benjamin's land. 3The people from Beeroth had run away to Gittaim. So Beeroth's people still live there as strangers.

2 Samuel 4:1 word by word

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע בֶּן־שָׁא֗וּל כִּ֣י מֵ֤ת אַבְנֵר֙ בְּחֶבְר֔וֹן וַיִּרְפּ֖וּ יָדָ֑יו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִבְהָֽלוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when Saul’sשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• that Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
• was deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• in Hebronחֶבְרוֹןchebrôn · HebronH2275
• his handsיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
• were feebleרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
• and all the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• were troubledבָּהַלbâhal · to dismayH926

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 4:1

• 2 Samuel 17:2Now he will be very tired and weak. So when we attack him, he will be frightened. All his soldiers will run away. But I will kill only the king.
• Ezra 4:4Then the people who lived near them tried to make Judah's people afraid. They tried to stop them building.
• Nehemiah 6:9All our enemies wanted to frighten us. They thought, ‘The Jews will be so afraid that they will not be able to work well. They will not finish building the wall.’ So I prayed to God, ‘Give me strength to continue the work.’
• Isaiah 13:7All the people will become weak with fear. They will no longer be brave.
• Isaiah 35:3If your hands feel weak, now be strong! If your knees are shaking, now be brave!
• Jeremiah 6:24The people say, ‘We have heard news about them, and we are very frightened. We feel too weak to fight. We are afraid and in pain, like a woman who is giving birth.
• Jeremiah 50:43The king of Babylon has heard news about them, and he is very afraid. He feels too weak to fight. He feels pain like a woman who is giving birth.
• Zephaniah 3:16On that special day, this will be my message for Jerusalem. ‘Do not be afraid now! Do not be weak now!
• Matthew 2:2When they arrived there, they asked people, ‘Where is the baby who has been born as the king of the Jews? We saw his special star when it first appeared in the sky. So now we have come here to worship him.’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1All the Israelites were troubled - Abner was their great support; and on him they depended; for it appears that Ish-bosheth was a feeble prince, and had few of those qualities requisite for a sovereign.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Ishbosheth murdered. (1-7) David puts to death the murderers. (8-12) Verses 1-7 See how Ishbosheth was murdered! When those difficulties dispirit us, which should sharpen our endeavours, we betray both our heavenly crowns and our earthly lives. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty and ruin. The idle soul is an easy prey to the destroyer. We know not when and where death will meet us. When we lie down to sleep, we are not sure that we may not sleep…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1all Israel was dismayed: Abner’s true power was evident in Ish-bosheth’s reaction to his death (compare Joshua 2:9–11; 5:1). Ish-bosheth’s lack of courage caused the same weakness among those who followed him.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Abner
• Hebron
• Hebron, Kiriath Arba
• Blood
• Ishbosheth
• Government
• Ish-Bosheth
• Samuel, Books of
• Text of the Old Testament

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary