2 Samuel 4
English Standard Version
Ish-bosheth Murdered
4 When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, (A)his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth ((B)for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 (C)the Beerothites fled (D)to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
4 (E)Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan (F)came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him (G)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.[a] 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of (H)the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, (I)who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, (J)“As the Lord lives, (K)who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 (L)when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, (M)I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now (N)require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it (O)in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 4:6 Septuagint And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept. So Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in
2 Samuel 4
1599 Geneva Bible
4 5 Baanah and Rechab slay Ishbosheth the son of Saul. 12 David commandeth them to be slain.
1 And when Saul’s [a]son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, then his hands were [b]feeble, and all Israel was afraid,
2 And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the one called Baanah, and the other called Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin: (for [c]Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin,
3 Because the Beerothites fled to [d]Gittaim, and sojourned there, unto this day.)
4 And Jonathan Saul’s son had a son that was lame on his feet: he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Israel: then his nurse took him, and fled away. And as she made haste to flee, the child fell, and began to halt, and his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth (who slept on a bed at noon.)
6 And behold, Rechab and Baanah his brother came into the midst of the house, as they [e]would have wheat, and they [f]smote him under the fifth rib, and fled.
7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got them away through the [g]plain all the night.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth Saul’s son thine enemy, who sought after thy life: and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9 Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all adversity,
10 When one (A)told me, and said that Saul was dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings) I took him and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11 How [h]much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house, and upon his bed? shall I not now therefore require his blood at your hand, and take you from the earth?
12 Then David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulcher of (B)Abner in Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 4:1 That is, Ishbosheth.
- 2 Samuel 4:1 Meaning, that he was discouraged.
- 2 Samuel 4:2 This city Beeroth was in the tribe of Benjamin, Josh. 18:25.
- 2 Samuel 4:3 After the death of Saul, for fear of the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 4:6 They disguised themselves as merchants, which came to buy wheat.
- 2 Samuel 4:6 There is nothing so vile and dangerous, which the wicked will not enterprise in hope of lucre and favor.
- 2 Samuel 4:7 Or, wilderness.
- 2 Samuel 4:11 Forasmuch as neither the example of him that slew Saul, nor duty to their master, nor the innocency of the person, nor reverence of the place, nor time did move them, they deserved most grievous punishment.
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