2 Samuel 4:2-8 Meaning: Murder from Within the Tribe
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.”
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.
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.
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.'
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.
Meaning in one sentence
Ish-bosheth is assassinated by two captains from his own tribe, Benjamin. The note about Beeroth underscores the deep betrayal.
Context
After Abner was killed in Hebron, Ish-bosheth’s courage drained away. He was Saul’s surviving son, trying to hold together a kingdom that was slipping. The narrator pauses to tell us about two of his own officers, Rechab and Baanah, from the tribe of Benjamin. The detail that they were Beerothites, and that Beeroth was counted among Benjamin, matters. It means these men were his own kinsmen, part of the same tribe he ruled. The writer also slips in the story of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s lame son, to show that with Ish-bosheth’s death, Saul’s house had no able heir. That is the stage for the crime that follows.
Key Words
The word behind “captains of bands” carries the sense of commanders of raiding parties. These were not palace guards or noble officers. They were men of violence, used to taking what they wanted by force. That background helps us understand how they could kill their own king without hesitation.
The verb for “they struck him” appears twice in the passage. It is the same word used for a fatal blow. The narrator does not soften the murder. It was deliberate, and they even beheaded him to prove the deed.
Then there is that small word “reckoned.” In the note that Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, the writer uses a term from accounting. It means “to be thought of as” or “to be counted.” The city had been assigned to Benjamin, even though its Canaanite inhabitants had fled. So legally, these men belonged to Saul’s own tribe. The betrayal is not from outsiders. It cuts to the bone.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have long noted the irony of these assassins. The Cambridge Bible observes that the historian “calls special attention to the fact that Ish-bosheth’s murderers belonged to his own tribe.” Matthew Henry saw it as a betrayal that “aggravated their treachery.” Protestant commentators like Gill pointed out that they were not just soldiers but captains of raiding bands, men accustomed to violence. Catholic tradition readings, represented by the Douay version, treat the narrative as a straightforward historical account of evil and its consequences. Across traditions, the passage is seen as a sober reminder that evil often comes from within, and that God’s anointed king (David) would not accept a crown bought by murder.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume Rechab and Baanah were justified in killing Ish-bosheth because he was David’s enemy. They brought the head expecting a reward. But David saw their act for what it was, cold-blooded murder.
“How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, and rid the earth of you?”
— II Samuel 4:11 (WEB)
In fact, he executed them immediately. The mistake is thinking that a good outcome justifies a sinful method. David would not accept God’s kingdom through human scheming.
Living This Out
These verses ask us to examine how we pursue our goals. Rechab and Baanah thought they were helping God’s anointed by eliminating a rival. They misread both God’s will and David’s character. This week, you might be tempted to cut a corner, to speak a half-truth, or to look the other way while someone else does something wrong, all in the name of a good outcome. The passage calls you to stop. David shows us that the right thing done wrongly is still wrong. Trust God to bring about his purposes without your help in sin. And if you have been betrayed by someone close, remember that David did not take justice into his own hands. He left judgment to the Lord.
Main takeaway: God does not need our sin to accomplish His purposes; He can bring about His will without blood on our hands.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Two men snuck into a king’s house while he was sleeping. They hurt him very badly. That was wrong. God sees everything, even in the dark.
For ages 9, 12
These two men were soldiers who worked for King Ish-bosheth. They killed him in his own bed, then cut off his head and brought it to David. They thought David would be happy to get rid of his enemy. But David was angry. He said they were wicked men, and he had them punished. The lesson: never do something evil even if you think it will help someone good. God’s ways are always right, and He doesn’t need us to sin for Him.
Questions People Ask
Who was Ish-bosheth?
He was Saul’s only remaining son after the battle at Gilboa. He ruled over Israel for two years from Mahanaim, while David ruled in Hebron. He was murdered by his own captains.
Why does the Bible mention that Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin?
It shows that the murderers were legally from Saul’s own tribe, making the betrayal more intimate. The note also explains why a Gibeonite city was counted as Benjaminite.
Why is Mephibosheth mentioned in the middle of this story?
To show that Saul’s dynasty had no able heir left. Mephibosheth was Jonathan’s son, but he was lame in both feet and could not lead. With Ish-bosheth dead, the way was clear for David to become king over all Israel.
How did David respond to the murder?
David did not reward the assassins. He had them executed and their bodies mutilated as a public warning. He also gave Ish-bosheth a proper burial in Abner’s tomb, showing respect for a fallen king.
What can we learn from this passage today?
That God rejects violence done in His name, even when people think they are helping His cause. We must not use sinful means to achieve what we think is good.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study