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2 Samuel
Chapter Four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 4
This
chapter relates the concern the death of Abner gave to Ishbosheth, and the men
of Israel, 2 Samuel 4:1; the
murder of Ishbosheth by two of his captains, who cut off his head, and brought
it to David, 2 Samuel 4:2; by
whom they were rewarded according to their deserts, he putting them to death,
and exposing their bodies to shame and ignominy, 2 Samuel 4:9.
2 Samuel 4:1 When
Saul’s son[a] heard that
Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled.
YLT
1And the son of Saul heareth
that Abner [is] dead in Hebron, and his hands are feeble, and all Israel have
been troubled.
And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron,.... By Saul's
son is meant Ishbosheth, to whom tidings were soon brought of the death of
Abner his general, and that he died in Hebron, where David his rival reigned,
and was there murdered by Joab the general of his army:
his hands were feeble: not only in a natural
sense, being quite dispirited at hearing such news; but in a civil sense,
having lost his main support and strength, he being president of his council,
and commander of his forces, and in whom he placed all his confidence: and if
he knew nothing of his being at Hebron, it must surprise him to hear of his
dying there; from whence he might conclude, that since he was there without his
knowledge, it could not be in his favour, some plot was forming, and schemes
laying with his rival to dethrone him; or if he knew of it, and understood it
in this light, that he was endeavouring to make peace between him and David,
and upon advantageous terms to him, of which now he might entertain no hopes;
he was dispirited, and might conclude that Joab was against any terms at peace,
and therefore had dispatched him:
and all the Israelites were troubled; at the loss
of so great a man in their kingdom, and of whose designs to unite them to
Judah, and put them under the government David, they were not ignorant; but now
were in the utmost confusion, not knowing what step to take, and whom to send
to carry on the treaty, in which Abner was concerned; and whether it would be
safe for any to go upon it, since he who had the management of it was murdered,
and no justice done on the murderer, and therefore might question David's
sincerity and uprightness in this affair; these things greatly distressed and
embarrassed them for the present, but Providence opened a way for their future
establishment and prosperity.
2 Samuel 4:2 2 Now Saul’s son had
two men who were captains of troops. 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 was part of Benjamin,
YLT
2And two men, heads of
troops, have been [to] the son of Saul, the name of the one [is] Baanah, and
the name of the second Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of
Benjamin, for also Beeroth is reckoned to Benjamin,
And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands,.... Of troops
in the army, or of guards about the person of Ishbosheth son of Saul:
the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other
Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin; so that these
men were brethren in nature, as well as in iniquity; they had the same father,
who is described by his name and city, and their names are expressly mentioned
and recorded to their infamy; and they were not only the servants of Ishbosheth,
who had commissions under him, but were of the same tribe with him; all which
is observed as an aggravation of their crime:
for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin; the place
from whom Rimmon their father is denominated, and where he dwelt, as well as
Gittaim, where they had sojourned, as in 2 Samuel 4:3. This
place, Beeroth, originally belonged to the Gibeonites, and fell to the lot of
Benjamin at the division of the land, see Joshua 9:17.
2 Samuel 4:3 3 because the Beerothites
fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
YLT
3and the Beerothites flee to
Gittaim, and are there sojourners unto this day.
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there
until that day. At the death of Saul, when many of the Israelites deserted their
cities, and left them to the Philistines, 1 Samuel 31:7; and
so the inhabitants of Beeroth forsook their city, which was near the
Philistines, and went to Gittaim, a city in the same tribe, though a little
further off, see Nehemiah 11:33.
2 Samuel 4:4 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had
a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the
news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and
fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame.
His name was Mephibosheth.[b]
YLT
4And to Jonathan son of Saul
[is] a son -- lame; he was a son of five years at the coming in of the rumour
of [the death of] Saul and Jonathan, out of Jezreel, and his nurse lifteth him
up, and fleeth, and it cometh to pass in her hasting to flee, that he falleth,
and becometh lame, and his name [is] Mephibosheth.
And Jonathan, Saul's son,.... His eldest son, who
died at the same time with him:
had a son that was lame of his feet; of both feet,
which were broken or bruised by a fall, as later related: and
he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan
out of Jezreel: that is, when the tidings of their death came from Jezreel, the
place where the battle was fought in which they died, to Gibeah, and the royal
palace there; so that he was now twelve years of age:
and his nurse took him up and fled; fearing the Philistines
would come thither and destroy the family of Saul; and this child being the son
of Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, was by birth heir to the crown, his father
and grandfather being both dead, and which might make the nurse the more
solicitous to save his life by flight:
and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and
became lame; in her hurry and fright he dropped out of her arms, and had some
bone broken or dislocated, which was never rightly replaced, or had some
contusion, of which he was never cured:
and his name was Mephibosheth, called
Meribbaal, 1 Chronicles 8:34;
of the change of such names See Gill on 2 Samuel 2:8. This
story of Mephibosheth, and of his nurse's flight with him, and what happened
upon it, is here inserted on occasion of the flight of the Beerothites, 2 Samuel 4:3; but
chiefly to observe in what condition Saul's family now was, and what encouraged
the murderers of Ishbosheth to be guilty of the crime they were, since when he
was taken off, there was none but this lame child of that family; and as the
removal of Ishbosheth would be of so much service to David, they doubted not
but it would be very acceptable to him, and they should be greatly rewarded and
honoured; and which they might do with the greatest safety, since the nearest
kinsman and avenger of blood was so young, and lame of both his feet: or rather
this is mentioned to show that Ishbosheth had no right to the throne, his
eldest brother's son being living; so that those murderers might think they did
the right thing, to take away the life of an usurper.
2 Samuel 4:5 5 Then the sons of Rimmon
the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the
day to the house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon.
YLT
5And the sons of Rimmon the
Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, go, and come in at the heat of the day unto the
house of Ish-Bosheth, and he is lying down -- the lying down of noon;
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah,
went,.... From Gittaim, where they were sojourners, 2 Samuel 4:3; or
from the army, where they had commissions, wherever it was:
and came, about the heat of the day; the middle of the day,
at noon, as follows:
to the house of Ishbosheth; which was at Mahanaim:
who lay on a bed at noon; as was usual in hot
countries, especially for great personages, as kings; so the Targum,"and
he was sleeping the sleep of kings;'or at a time when king's usually slept;
though this is remarked by some as an instance and proof of the sluggishness
and inactivity of this prince, who left the management of all affairs to Abner
his general, and gave himself to sloth and sensuality; which, when indulged,
bring ruin on princes and their kingdoms.
2 Samuel 4:6 6 And they came there, all
the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they stabbed him in
the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
YLT
6and thither they have come,
unto the midst of the house, taking wheat, and they smite him unto the fifth
[rib], and Rechab and Baanah his brother have escaped;
And they came thither into the midst of the house,.... They not
only came unto it, but entered into it, and went into the inmost part of it;
the guards being asleep also perhaps, or not on duty, so that there were none to
obstruct them; or if there were, they deceived them, since they went in
as though they would
have fetched wheat; out of the king's granaries, for the payment and support of the
soldiers under them, who in those days were paid in corn, as were the Roman
soldiersF25Vid. Valtrinum de re militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 15. p. 236.
in later times; and these granaries might not only be in the king's house, but
near his bedchamber; for in those ancient ages of simplicity there was not such
grandeur in the courts of princes as now; the Targum is,"as sellers of
wheat,'
in
the guise and habit of such persons, pretending they came to sell wheat to the
king's purveyors, who were at the granaries; or, as others interpret it, they
went in along with the wheat merchants as if they belonged to them, and so
found their way to the king's bedchamber:
and smote him under the fifth rib; See Gill on 2 Samuel 2:23,
and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped; they got out
of the palace after they had committed the murder undiscovered and unsuspected.
2 Samuel 4:7 7 For when they came into
the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and
killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through
the plain.
YLT
7yea, they come in to the
house, and he is lying on his bed, in the inner part of his bed-chamber, and
they smite him, and put him to death, and turn aside his head, and they take
his head, and go the way of the plain all the night,
For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his
bedchamber,.... This is repeated to give a more particular account of the
murder; though Abarbinel thinks they went in twice; when they went in first
they smote him under the fifth rib, and made their escape; but fearing they had
not left him dead, they returned, and did as follows:
and they smote him, and slew him; so that it was out of
all doubt with them that he was dead:
and beheaded him; to make sure work of it:
and took his head; along with them, perhaps in one of the
sacks they had to fetch wheat in, and so passed undiscovered, to carry to
David, to curry favour with him:
and gat them away through the plain all night; through the
plain of Jordan; all the way from Mahanaim to Hebron being for the most part a
plain country till they came to Hebron, which was mountainous; the way from
Mahanaim to Hebron was a space of sixty eight miles, according to BuntingF26Travels,
p. 145,148. .
2 Samuel 4:8 8 And they brought the head
of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of
Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my
lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”
YLT
8and bring in the head of
Ish-Bosheth unto David in Hebron, and say unto the king, `Lo, the head of
Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah doth
give to my lord the king vengeance this day, of Saul and of his seed.'
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron,.... Supposing
it would have been a very acceptable present to him:
and said to the king, behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; all which, his relation
to Saul, his enmity to David, and his designs upon his life, are artfully put
together to raise the indignation of David against him, and make their present
of his head to him the more agreeable:
and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of
his seed; for all the evils and injuries they had done him; this being the
last of the sons of Saul by a lawful wife, the two remaining were by a
concubine; and these men impiously ascribe to the Lord what they with wicked
hands had done.
2 Samuel 4:9 9 But 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 life from all adversity,
YLT
9And David answereth Rechab
and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saith to them,
`Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite,.... In a manner they did not expect:
and said unto them, as the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed
my soul out of all adversity; spiritual and temporal, especially the
latter is meant, and particularly what he had been brought into by the
persecution of Saul, while living, and by those that adhered to his house since
his death; which he ascribes to the Lord, and doubted not that he would still
deliver him, and complete what he had designed for him, and that he needed not
the assistance of such wicked hands as theirs; the words contain the form of an
oath made to testify the truth of the following narrative, concerning the man
that brought the tidings of Saul's death to him, or for the certainty of what
he would do those persons for the murder of Ishbosheth.
2 Samuel 4:10 10 when someone told me,
saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested
him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him
a reward for his news.
YLT
10when one is declaring to
me, saying, Lo, Saul is dead, and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own
eyes, then I take hold on him, and slay him in Ziklag, instead of my giving to
him [for] the tidings.
When one told me, saying, behold, Saul is dead,.... No more
is related, not that he killed him, or assisted in killing him, only that he
was dead; by which it appears, as Abarbinel thinks, that the Amalekite did not
slay Saul, and that David did not put him to death on that account, but for
what follows:
thinking to have brought good tidings; which would
have been very acceptable to David, that he would have rejoiced and exulted at
it as he did; but he was mistaken; instead of that,
I took hold of him, and slew him at Ziklag; that is,
ordered one of his young men to lay hold on him, and slay him, as he did, 2 Samuel 1:15,
who thought that I would have given him a reward for his
tidings; a handsome present, as the Targum here, a gift, or raised him to
some post of honour and profit.
2 Samuel 4:11 11 How much more, when wicked
men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore,
shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?”
YLT
11Also -- when wicked men
have slain the righteous man in his own house, on his bed; and now, do not I
require his blood of your hand, and have taken you away from the earth?'
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person,.... As
Ishbosheth was in comparison of the wicked men that slew him; though not with
respect to David, if he knew of his divine designation to the throne; nor with
respect to Mephibosheth his eldest brother's son, whose right to the throne was
prior to his, which he must know; though with respect to his conduct towards
David, in assuming the throne of Israel, it might not be owing to any bad
principles of malice and injustice, but to his ignorance of David's having a
right to the throne upon his father's death, and by the advice of his friends
he took it: the sin of these men in murdering him is aggravated, in that they
slew him
in his own palace, upon his bed? in cold blood, and not
in the field of battle, not being engaged in war with him; in his own palace,
where he might justly think himself in safety; on his bed asleep, and so at an
unawares, when insensible of danger, and not in a posture of defence; and now
David argues from the lesser to the greater, that if the man that brought him
the tidings of Saul's death had no reward given him for bringing what he
thought would be reckoned good tidings, then much less would any be given them
who had actually slain their master, and that in such a base and barbarous way;
and if the above person, who only was a bringer of tidings, was taken and
slain, then how much more did they deserve to die, who had been guilty of such
a cruel and barbarous murder?
shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hands, and
take you away from the earth? avenge his blood on them, by putting them
to death, out of the world, and from the land of the living, as men that deserved
to live no longer on it.
2 Samuel 4:12 12 So David commanded his
young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them
by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it
in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.
YLT
12And David commandeth the
young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang
[them] over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken,
and bury [it] in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them,.... He
ordered some of his guards about him to fall on them, and put them to death;
and they accordingly did:
and cut off their hands and their feet; their hands,
which had smote Ishbosheth, and cut off his head; and their feet, which had
been swift to shed his blood, and made haste to bring his head so many miles to
David; this was what the Jews call measure for measure:
and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron; not their
hands and their feet, but the trunks of their bodies, thus mutilated; so
Theodoret; though others think their hands and their feet were hung up, and not
their bodies, because dead bodies were not to hang upon the tree more than a
day; they were hung up over the fish pool in Hebron, because a public place,
and where they were the more exposed to their shame, and the terror of others:
but they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the
sepulchre of Abner in Hebron; by order of David no doubt, who it seems
had made, or ordered to be made, a sepulchre, for Abner, see 2 Samuel 3:38; all
which David did to show his regard to the family of Saul, his abhorrence of
such execrable murders, and to remove all suspicion of his being concerned in
them, and to conciliate the minds of the Israelites to him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)