2 Samuel 4
Expanded Bible
Ish-Bosheth’s Death
4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died at Hebron, ·he was shocked [he lost his courage; L his hands grew limp] and all Israel ·became frightened [was alarmed/dismayed]. 2 ·Two men who were captains in Saul’s army came to Ish-Bosheth [Saul’s son had two leaders of raiding parties]. One was named Baanah, and the other was named Recab. They were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, who was a Benjaminite. (The town Beeroth belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. 3 The people of Beeroth ran away to Gittaim, and they still live there as ·foreigners [resident aliens] today.)
4 (Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was ·crippled [lame] in both feet. He was five years old when the ·news [report] came from Jezreel ·that Saul and Jonathan were dead [about Saul and Jonathan]. Mephibosheth’s nurse had picked him up and run away. But as she hurried to leave, she dropped him, and now he was lame.)
5 Recab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ish-Bosheth’s house in the ·afternoon [L heat of the day] while he was taking ·a nap [his midday rest].
9 David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, “As surely as the Lord lives, he has ·saved [L ransomed; redeemed] me from all ·trouble [danger; adversity; or my enemies]! 10 Once a man thought he was bringing me good news. When he told me, ‘Saul is dead!’ I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news [1:1–16]! 11 ·So even more I must [L How much more must I…?] put you evil men to death because you have killed an ·innocent [righteous] man on his own bed in his own house!”
12 So David commanded his men to kill Recab and Baanah. They cut off the hands and feet of Recab and Baanah and hung ·them [their bodies] ·over [beside] the pool of Hebron. Then they took Ish-Bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s ·tomb [grave] at Hebron.
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2 Samuel 4
New American Standard Bible
Ish-bosheth Murdered
4 Now when [a]Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that (A)Abner had died in Hebron, [b](B)his courage failed, and all Israel was horrified. 2 And Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of troops: 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 (C)Beeroth is also considered (D)part of Benjamin, 3 and the Beerothites fled to (E)Gittaim and have lived there as strangers until this day).
4 Now (F)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when the (G)news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. But it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and could no longer walk. And his name was [c](H)Mephibosheth.
5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of (I)Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest. 6 [d]And they came to the interior of the house as if [e]to get wheat, and (J)they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. 7 Now when they had come into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him, and they beheaded him. And they took his head and [f](K)traveled by way of the Arabah all night. 8 Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth (L)the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; so the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his [g]descendants.”
9 But David replied to Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, (M)who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10 (N)when the one who informed me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ also [h]viewed himself as the bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in 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 (O)require his blood from your hands and eliminate you both from the earth?” 12 Then (P)David 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 (Q)and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
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- 2 Samuel 4:1 As in some mss; MT he
- 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit his hands dropped
- 2 Samuel 4:4 In 1 Chr 8:34 and 9:40, Merib-baal
- 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit And here they
- 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit takers of wheat
- 2 Samuel 4:7 Lit went
- 2 Samuel 4:8 Lit seed
- 2 Samuel 4:10 Lit was as a bearer of good news in his own eyes
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