II Samuel 4:2-8 · Bible study
2 Samuel 4:2-8 Commentary: Ish-bosheth Murdered
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A scholarly study of 2 Samuel 4:2-8, exploring the murderers' Benjamite and Beerothite identity, the Mephibosheth aside, and David's refusal to accept politically
Research Summary
- Meaning: Two Benjamite captains assassinate Ish-bosheth to curry favor with David, but David executes them, affirming that violence against the Lord's anointed is unacceptable.
- Key words: "Captains of bands" (H1416, marauding bands); "Beerothite" (H0886, from Beeroth, a Gibeonite city); "sojourners" (H1481, resident aliens).
- Main debate: Whether the Beerothite parenthetical suggests a motive (vengeance for Saul's Gibeonite massacre) or simply explains tribal geography.
- Theological theme: Divine justice cannot be manipulated by human violence; God advances his purposes without requiring his servants to sin.
- Best use: A case study in political ethics, the danger of claiming God's endorsement for self-serving acts, and David's restraint as a model of trusting God's timing.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
2Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.
4And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.
6They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed, and having stabbed and killed him, they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.
8They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
2Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. 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 is considered a part of Benjamin;
3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until today).
4Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news came about Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse picked him up and fled. As she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went out and came at about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth as he took his rest at noon.
6They came there into the middle of the house as though they would have fetched wheat, and they struck him in the body; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7Now when they came into the house as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him, killed him, beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.
8They brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! Yahweh has avenged my lord the king today of Saul and of his offspring.”
KJV King James Version 1769
2And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: 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: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
3And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish–bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.
8And they brought the head of Ish–bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish–bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
2And Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin:
3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day).
4Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon.
6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.
8And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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,
3and the Beerothites flee to Gittaim, and are there sojourners unto this day.
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.
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;
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;
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,
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.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
2And Saul's son had two men, captains of bands: the name of the 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 reckoned to Benjamin.
3And the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.
4And Jonathan Saul's son had a son that was lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jizreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in about the heat of the day into the house of Ishbosheth, who was taking his noonday rest.
6And they came thither into the midst of the house, [as though] they would fetch wheat; and they smote him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7They came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him; and they took his head, and went by the way of the plain all night.
8And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, thine enemy who sought thy life; and Jehovah has given to my lord the king to be avenged this day of Saul and of his seed.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
2Now the son of Saul had two men captains of his bands, the name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Remmon a Berothite of the children of Benjamin: for Beroth also was reckoned in Benjamin.
3And the Berothites fled into Gethaim, and were sojourners there until that time.
4And Jonathan the son of Saul had a son that was lame of his feet: for he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan from Jezrahel. And his nurse took him up and fled: and as she made haste to flee, he fell and became lame: and his name was Miphiboseth.
5And the sons of Remmon the Berothite, Rechab and Baana coming, went into the house of Isboseth in the heat of the day: and he was sleeping upon his bed at noon. And the doorkeeper of the house, who was cleansing wheat, was fallen asleep.
6And they entered into the house secretly taking ears of corn, and Rechab and Baana his brother stabbed him in the groin, and fled away.
7For when they came into the house, he was sleeping upon his bed in a parlour, and they struck him and killed him and taking away his head they went off by the way of the wilderness, walking all night.
8And they brought the head of Isboseth to David to Hebron: and they said to the king: Behold the head of Isboseth the son of Saul thy enemy who sought thy life: and the Lord hath revenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 4:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the passage recounts the assassination of Saul's son Ish-bosheth by two of his own captains, Baanah and Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite. The narrative deliberately highlights the murderers' Benjamite heritage, they belonged to the same tribe as their victim. The parenthetical note about Beeroth (verses 2-3) explains how these Beerothites came to be counted as Benjaminites: Beeroth was a Gibeonite city (Joshua 9:17) but "considered part of Benjamin" after the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and lived there as resident aliens. Barnes suggests this flight may have followed Saul's violent attack on the Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21), giving the brothers a motive for vengeance against Saul's house. Cambridge notes the term "captains of bands" means leaders of predatory troops, men accustomed to violence. The aside about Mephibosheth's lameness (verse 4) signals that with Ish-bosheth dead, Saul's dynastic hopes rest on a crippled child, a political dead end. The murderers bring Ish-bosheth's head to David claiming "Yahweh has avenged my lord the king" (verse 8), but David rejects their logic and executes them (4:9-12).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical-ethnic motive: Beeroth was a Gibeonite city; Saul attacked Gibeon; the murderers may have sought revenge.
- Political opportunism: The brothers saw Ish-bosheth weakened and hoped David would reward them for removing a rival.
- Narratological preparation: The details (Beeroth's status, Mephibosheth's lameness) explain why Saul's dynasty collapsed and prepare for later stories.
What is clear: All interpreters agree the murder was a treacherous act, the killers claimed divine endorsement falsely, and David rejected their gift and executed them.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Significance of the Beerothite parenthetical | All major commentaries note that the narrator explains Beeroth's status as part of Benjamin and the flight to Gittaim to clarify the murderers' tribal identity. | Some (Barnes) suggest the flight was due to Saul's massacre of Gibeonites (2 Samuel 21), giving the brothers a motive for revenge. Others (Gill) connect the flight to the panic after Saul's death. The text is ambiguous, so both views remain possible. |
| The Mephibosheth aside (verse 4) | Commentators agree this shows the hopelessness of Saul's dynasty, only a crippled child remains. | Christians from different traditions see this as either a historical note that prepares for later chapters (2 Samuel 9) or a theological comment on God's judgment on Saul's house. Both readings are held within the wider Christian tradition. |
| David's refusal of the head | All traditions note David rejected the murderers' gift and executed them, establishing his principle of respecting the Lord's anointed. | Some emphasize David's political wisdom (avoiding the taint of regicide); others stress his righteous character. These are complementary, not contradictory. |
| Divine vengeance claimed by the murderers | Every tradition agrees the murderers' claim that 'Yahweh has avenged' is self-serving and false. | Interpreters differ on whether the murderers believed their own claim or were cynically using religious language for political gain. The text does not specify their inner state. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Israel's transition from Saul's dynasty to David's was bloody and uncertain. After Saul and Jonathan died at Gilboa (1 Samuel 31), Abner made Ish-bosheth king over the northern tribes while David ruled Judah from Hebron. The civil war dragged on until Abner's murder by Joab (2 Samuel 3), which left Ish-bosheth powerless, literally "his hands became feeble" (4:1).
The murderers' hometown, Beeroth, was one of four Gibeonite cities that tricked Israel into a treaty during Joshua's conquest (Joshua 9:17). By David's time it was administratively considered part of Benjamin, but its Canaanite/Gibeonite origins lingered. The parenthetical note that "the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until today" explains why these Beerothite brothers were present in Ish-bosheth's court, they were sojourners, rootless men who had abandoned their ancestral city. Clarke suggests they were captains of banditti, implying familiarity with raids and violence. The timing, "the heat of the day" (noon), reflects the common Eastern custom of a midday siesta, when guards were likely relaxed or asleep. They gained entry under the pretense of fetching wheat from the king's storehouse, a routine errand for military suppliers (Poole).
The route of escape, "by the way of the Arabah all night," took them through the Jordan Valley from Mahanaim in Transjordan to Hebron, a forced march of some 80-90 miles. They presented Ish-bosheth's head to David expecting reward, misreading his character as badly as the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul (2 Samuel 1). David instead ordered them executed and their bodies mutilated, a public statement that he would not legitimize political murder.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this passage. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The main interpretive difficulty lies in verse 6, where the syntax is compressed and some translations supply explanatory words ("as though they would have fetched wheat") to clarify the pretense. The repetition of the murder account in verses 6-7 (first a brief version, then a fuller one) likely reflects Hebrew narrative style rather than a textual corruption.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions as a cautionary tale about political violence. Early church fathers (e.g., Chrysostom) used David's refusal to profit from assassination as a model of Christian forbearance. Medieval commentators saw in the murderers' fate a warning against betraying legitimate authority. Reformation-era writers, including Calvin and Luther, emphasized David's respect for the Lord's anointed as a lesson for all rulers. In more recent centuries, the passage has been preached to illustrate the difference between trusting God's timing and seizing power by human schemes. The Mephibosheth aside has been taken as a type of the humble who are preserved through God's covenant faithfulness. Across traditions, the story resonates with themes of justice, patience, and the danger of assuming God's endorsement for our plans.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Bad alliances collapse. Ish-bosheth trusted Abner, then trusted captains from a troubled clan. When strong leaders fall, weaker ones become vulnerable.
- Violence dressed as piety is still violence. The murderers claimed God's vengeance, but David saw through it. Religious language can mask ambition.
- God's anointed need not seize the throne. David refused to benefit from assassination. He trusted God's timing, not human scheming.
Five-point outline
- Context of weakness (vv.1-4). Ish-bosheth's feeble hands; Mephibosheth's lameness, the house of Saul is broken.
- The murderers' identity (vv.2-3). Benjamites, Beerothites, sojourners, outsiders who became insiders with access.
- The crime (vv.5-7). Pretense, midday vulnerability, repeated blows, beheading.
- The claim (v.8). "Yahweh has avenged my lord the king", a theological lie.
- David's response (vv.9-12, context). Justice, not reward; the anointed's death is sacred, even when politically convenient.
Illustration hooks
- A political campaign that uses opponents' scandals for advantage, even when the scandals weren't sought. The temptation to profit from others' wrongdoing.
- A worker who sabotages a colleague and then presents the result to the boss as "helping the company." The boss fires him for disloyalty.
- The discomfort of watching someone fall, and the inner whisper that says "this is good for me."
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible include such brutal political history? What is it for?
- Was David right to execute men who killed his enemy? What about mercy?
- How do we know when someone is using "God's will" to justify their own agenda?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows political violence at its ugliest, men killing their own king and claiming God did it. As you study, notice how the narrator piles up details: the murderers' tribe, their hometown's history, the lame child left behind, the gruesome beheading. Nothing is accidental. Think about what the writer wants you to see about power, loyalty, and the kind of king David is becoming.
Discussion questions
- What do the parenthetical notes in verses 2-3 add to the story? Why does the narrator pause to explain Beeroth's tribal status and the flight to Gittaim?
- Why is the Mephibosheth story inserted here? How does it change your view of Saul's family?
- The murderers entered "as though they would have fetched wheat." What does this detail suggest about how evil often works in ordinary life?
- Verse 8 ends with the killers claiming "Yahweh has avenged my lord the king." Why is that claim so dangerous, even if David did want Ish-bosheth dead?
- How does David's response in verses 9-12 (the surrounding context) reveal his character? What does he teach us about refusing to benefit from sin?
- Have you ever been tempted to justify a wrong action because the outcome seemed good? How does this passage address that temptation?
- What does this story teach about trusting God's timing rather than forcing events?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 9:17 | The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. |
| Joshua 18:25 | Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, |
| II Samuel 3:22 | Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. |
| II Kings 5:2 | The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little girl, and she waited on Naaman’s wife. |
| II Kings 6:23 | He prepared a great feast for them. After they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel. |
| I Samuel 31:7 | When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. |
| Nehemiah 11:33 | Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, |
| I Samuel 29:1 | Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek; and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the detail about the assassins coming to fetch wheat needs no textual correction: it was a natural pretext, since these men routinely went to the king's stores for provisions. He also notes that, like the Amalekite before them, they mistakenly thought beheading an enemy would earn David's favor.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests Baanah and Rechab may have killed Ish-bosheth to avenge Saul's cruel attack on their Gibeonite countrymen. He also clears up the obscure detail: the brothers entered the house by joining the servants who were carrying grain inside, pretending to be wheat carriers.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew text gives a general account of the murder first, then repeats it with fuller details—a distinctive feature of Hebrew historical writing. It also highlights a variant reading where the doorkeeper fell asleep while cleaning wheat, allowing the assassins to enter undetected.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses the aggravating details: the murderers were Benjaminites like Ishbosheth, his own officers, and they killed him in his midday sleep. He notes that Ishbosheth was a usurper because Jonathan's son Mephibosheth still lived, which the murderers may have used to justify their crime. Yet they impiously claimed God's vengeance for what they did with wicked hands.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that Jonathan's son was considered unfit to rule because physical lameness disqualified a prince in Eastern custom. Rechab and Baanah came at midday to fetch wheat for the soldiers, a routine errand that aroused no suspicion. They believed David would reward them for removing a usurper.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress the heinousness of the crime: two Benjaminite captains murdered their own tribal king, using a pretext of fetching wheat to enter his house at noon. They then claimed God had avenged David, but their real motive was hope of a reward.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that Ish-bosheth's strength was entirely borrowed from Abner. Once Abner died, Ish-bosheth had no spirit left and his hands grew feeble. The whole weight of Saul's failing house rested on one man, and without him it collapsed completely.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley criticizes David's delay in punishing Joab and Abishai as carnal political calculation, not mercy. He argues this hesitation betrayed distrust in God's power to protect David's kingdom and violated God's law requiring justice for murderers. Had the law been carried out, later bloodshed might have been prevented.