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Ishbaal Assassinated

When Saul’s son Ishbaal[a] heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed.(A) Saul’s son had two captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon, a Benjaminite from Beeroth, for Beeroth is considered to belong to Benjamin.(B) (Now the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim and are there as resident aliens to this day.)(C)

Saul’s son Jonathan had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, and in her haste to flee it happened that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.(D)

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 Ishbaal[b] while he was taking his noonday rest.(E) They came inside the house as though to take wheat,[c] and they struck him in the stomach; then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.(F) Now they had come into the house while he was lying on his couch in his bedchamber; they attacked him, killed him, and beheaded him. Then they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night long. They brought the head of Ishbaal[d] to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbaal[e] son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.”(G)

David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity,(H) 10 when the one who told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag—this was the reward I gave him for his news.(I) 11 How much more, then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?”(J) 12 So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal[f] they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.1 Heb lacks Ishbaal
  2. 4.5 Heb Ish-bosheth
  3. 4.6 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 4.8 Heb Ish-bosheth
  5. 4.8 Heb Ish-bosheth
  6. 4.12 Heb Ish-bosheth

The Murder of Ish-bosheth

When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage[a] failed and all of Israel was disturbed. Now Saul’s son had two officers in charge of some raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other was named Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon, a descendant of Benjamin from Beeroth, which was considered to belong to the tribe of[b] Benjamin. (The residents of Beeroth had evacuated to Gittaim and live there as resident aliens to this day.)

Meanwhile, Saul’s son Jonathan had a son whose feet were crippled. When he was five years old, news had arrived about Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up to flee, but in her hurry to leave, he happened to fall and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.[c]

Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, left and arrived during the hottest part of the day at the home of Ish-bosheth while he was taking a noon day nap. They entered the house as though they intended to obtain some grain and stabbed him in the abdomen. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. While they were in the house, they struck him, killed him, and cut off his head while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They took his head, and traveled all night along the Arabah road.

David Punishes the Killers of Ish-bosheth

They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and told the king, “Look! Here’s the head of your enemy Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, who sought your life. Today the Lord has given your majesty the king vengeance on Saul and his descendants.”[d]

David responded to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite: “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life in every adversity, 10 when the man who told me ‘Look! Saul is dead!’ thought he was bringing me good news, I arrested him and had him killed at Ziklag as the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much worse will it be, then, when evil men kill an innocent man on his own bed in his own house! Shouldn’t I avenge his blood—which you are responsible for shedding[e]—by removing you from the earth?” 12 So David commanded his personal guards,[f] and they killed Rechab and Baanah,[g] cut off their hands and feet, and hung up their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. They took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit. hands
  2. 2 Samuel 4:2 The Heb. lacks the tribe of
  3. 2 Samuel 4:4 Cf. 1Chr 8:34; 9:40, where his name is recorded as Merib-baal
  4. 2 Samuel 4:8 Lit. seed
  5. 2 Samuel 4:11 Lit. blood from your hand
  6. 2 Samuel 4:12 Lit. his young men
  7. 2 Samuel 4:12 Lit. killed them