New American Standard Bible 1995

2 Samuel 4

Ish-bosheth Murdered

1Now when 1Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that 2Abner had died in Hebron, 3 4he lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed. 2Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for 5Beeroth is also considered 6part of Benjamin, 3and the Beerothites fled to 7Gittaim and have been aliens there until this day).

4Now 8Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the 9report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was 10 11Mephibosheth.

5So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of 12Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest. 6 13They came to the middle of the house as 14if to get wheat, and 15they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and 16 17traveled by way of the Arabah all night. 8Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth 18the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his 19descendants.”

9David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, 20who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10 21when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and 22thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now 23require his blood from your hand and 24destroy you from the earth?” 12Then 25David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth 26and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Notes

1. 2 Samuel 4:1 So some ancient mss; M.T. he ↩
2. 2 Samuel 4:1 2 Sam 3:27 ↩
3. 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit his hands dropped ↩
4. 2 Samuel 4:1 Ezra 4:4 ↩
5. 2 Samuel 4:2 Josh 9:17 ↩
6. 2 Samuel 4:2 Josh 18:25 ↩
7. 2 Samuel 4:3 Neh 11:33 ↩
8. 2 Samuel 4:4 2 Sam 9:3, 6 ↩
9. 2 Samuel 4:4 1 Sam 31:1-4 ↩
10. 2 Samuel 4:4 I.e. Merib-baal ↩
11. 2 Samuel 4:4 1 Chr 8:34; 9:40 ↩
12. 2 Samuel 4:5 2 Sam 2:8 ↩
13. 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit And here ↩
14. 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit takers of wheat ↩
15. 2 Samuel 4:6 2 Sam 2:23 ↩
16. 2 Samuel 4:7 Lit went ↩
17. 2 Samuel 4:7 2 Sam 2:29 ↩
18. 2 Samuel 4:8 1 Sam 24:4; 25:29 ↩
19. 2 Samuel 4:8 Lit seed ↩
20. 2 Samuel 4:9 Gen 48:16; 1 Kin 1:29; Ps 31:7 ↩
21. 2 Samuel 4:10 2 Sam 1:2, 4, 15 ↩
22. 2 Samuel 4:10 Lit he was as a bearer of good news in his own eyes ↩
23. 2 Samuel 4:11 Gen 9:5; Ps 9:12 ↩
24. 2 Samuel 4:11 Lit burn ↩
25. 2 Samuel 4:12 2 Sam 1:15 ↩
26. 2 Samuel 4:12 2 Sam 3:32 ↩

Ish-bosheth Murdered

Notes

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 4