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2 Samuel
Chapter Four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 4
This
chapter relates the concern the death of Abner gave to Ishbosheth
and the men
of Israel
2 Samuel 4:1; the
murder of Ishbosheth by two of his captains
who cut off his head
and brought
it to David
2 Samuel 4:2; by
whom they were rewarded according to their deserts
he putting them to death
and exposing their bodies to shame and ignominy
2 Samuel 4:9.
2 Samuel 4:1 When
Saul’s son[a] heard that
Abner had died in Hebron
he lost heart
and all Israel was troubled.
YLT
1And the son of Saul heareth
that Abner [is] dead in Hebron
and his hands are feeble
and all Israel have
been troubled.
And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron
.... By Saul's
son is meant Ishbosheth
to whom tidings were soon brought of the death of
Abner his general
and that he died in Hebron
where David his rival reigned
and was there murdered by Joab the general of his army:
his hands were feeble: not only in a natural
sense
being quite dispirited at hearing such news; but in a civil sense
having lost his main support and strength
he being president of his council
and commander of his forces
and in whom he placed all his confidence: and if
he knew nothing of his being at Hebron
it must surprise him to hear of his
dying there; from whence he might conclude
that since he was there without his
knowledge
it could not be in his favour
some plot was forming
and schemes
laying with his rival to dethrone him; or if he knew of it
and understood it
in this light
that he was endeavouring to make peace between him and David
and upon advantageous terms to him
of which now he might entertain no hopes;
he was dispirited
and might conclude that Joab was against any terms at peace
and therefore had dispatched him:
and all the Israelites were troubled; at the loss
of so great a man in their kingdom
and of whose designs to unite them to
Judah
and put them under the government David
they were not ignorant; but now
were in the utmost confusion
not knowing what step to take
and whom to send
to carry on the treaty
in which Abner was concerned; and whether it would be
safe for any to go upon it
since he who had the management of it was murdered
and no justice done on the murderer
and therefore might question David's
sincerity and uprightness in this affair; these things greatly distressed and
embarrassed them for the present
but Providence opened a way for their future
establishment and prosperity.
2 Samuel 4:2 2 Now Saul’s son had
two men who were captains of troops. 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 was part of Benjamin
YLT
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
And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands
.... Of troops
in the army
or of guards about the person of Ishbosheth son of Saul:
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; so that these
men were brethren in nature
as well as in iniquity; they had the same father
who is described by his name and city
and their names are expressly mentioned
and recorded to their infamy; and they were not only the servants of Ishbosheth
who had commissions under him
but were of the same tribe with him; all which
is observed as an aggravation of their crime:
for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin; the place
from whom Rimmon their father is denominated
and where he dwelt
as well as
Gittaim
where they had sojourned
as in 2 Samuel 4:3. This
place
Beeroth
originally belonged to the Gibeonites
and fell to the lot of
Benjamin at the division of the land
see Joshua 9:17.
2 Samuel 4:3 3 because the Beerothites
fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
YLT
3and the Beerothites flee to
Gittaim
and are there sojourners unto this day.
And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim
and were sojourners there
until that day. At the death of Saul
when many of the Israelites deserted their
cities
and left them to the Philistines
1 Samuel 31:7; and
so the inhabitants of Beeroth forsook their city
which was near the
Philistines
and went to Gittaim
a city in the same tribe
though a little
further off
see Nehemiah 11:33.
2 Samuel 4:4 4 Jonathan
Saul’s son
had
a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the
news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and
fled. And it happened
as she made haste to flee
that he fell and became lame.
His name was Mephibosheth.[b]
YLT
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.
And Jonathan
Saul's son
.... His eldest son
who
died at the same time with him:
had a son that was lame of his feet; of both feet
which were broken or bruised by a fall
as later related: and
he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan
out of Jezreel: that is
when the tidings of their death came from Jezreel
the
place where the battle was fought in which they died
to Gibeah
and the royal
palace there; so that he was now twelve years of age:
and his nurse took him up and fled; fearing the Philistines
would come thither and destroy the family of Saul; and this child being the son
of Jonathan
the eldest son of Saul
was by birth heir to the crown
his father
and grandfather being both dead
and which might make the nurse the more
solicitous to save his life by flight:
and it came to pass
as she made haste to flee
that he fell
and
became lame; in her hurry and fright he dropped out of her arms
and had some
bone broken or dislocated
which was never rightly replaced
or had some
contusion
of which he was never cured:
and his name was Mephibosheth
called
Meribbaal
1 Chronicles 8:34;
of the change of such names See Gill on 2 Samuel 2:8. This
story of Mephibosheth
and of his nurse's flight with him
and what happened
upon it
is here inserted on occasion of the flight of the Beerothites
2 Samuel 4:3; but
chiefly to observe in what condition Saul's family now was
and what encouraged
the murderers of Ishbosheth to be guilty of the crime they were
since when he
was taken off
there was none but this lame child of that family; and as the
removal of Ishbosheth would be of so much service to David
they doubted not
but it would be very acceptable to him
and they should be greatly rewarded and
honoured; and which they might do with the greatest safety
since the nearest
kinsman and avenger of blood was so young
and lame of both his feet: or rather
this is mentioned to show that Ishbosheth had no right to the throne
his
eldest brother's son being living; so that those murderers might think they did
the right thing
to take away the life of an usurper.
2 Samuel 4:5 5 Then the sons of Rimmon
the Beerothite
Rechab and Baanah
set out and came at about the heat of the
day to the house of Ishbosheth
who was lying on his bed at noon.
YLT
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;
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite
Rechab and Baanah
went
.... From Gittaim
where they were sojourners
2 Samuel 4:3; or
from the army
where they had commissions
wherever it was:
and came
about the heat of the day; the middle of the day
at noon
as follows:
to the house of Ishbosheth; which was at Mahanaim:
who lay on a bed at noon; as was usual in hot
countries
especially for great personages
as kings; so the Targum
"and
he was sleeping the sleep of kings;'or at a time when king's usually slept;
though this is remarked by some as an instance and proof of the sluggishness
and inactivity of this prince
who left the management of all affairs to Abner
his general
and gave himself to sloth and sensuality; which
when indulged
bring ruin on princes and their kingdoms.
2 Samuel 4:6 6 And they came there
all
the way into the house
as though to get wheat
and they stabbed him in
the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
YLT
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;
And they came thither into the midst of the house
.... They not
only came unto it
but entered into it
and went into the inmost part of it;
the guards being asleep also perhaps
or not on duty
so that there were none to
obstruct them; or if there were
they deceived them
since they went in
as though they would
have fetched wheat; out of the king's granaries
for the payment and support of the
soldiers under them
who in those days were paid in corn
as were the Roman
soldiersF25Vid. Valtrinum de re militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 15. p. 236.
in later times; and these granaries might not only be in the king's house
but
near his bedchamber; for in those ancient ages of simplicity there was not such
grandeur in the courts of princes as now; the Targum is
"as sellers of
wheat
'
in
the guise and habit of such persons
pretending they came to sell wheat to the
king's purveyors
who were at the granaries; or
as others interpret it
they
went in along with the wheat merchants as if they belonged to them
and so
found their way to the king's bedchamber:
and smote him under the fifth rib; See Gill on 2 Samuel 2:23
and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped; they got out
of the palace after they had committed the murder undiscovered and unsuspected.
2 Samuel 4:7 7 For when they came into
the house
he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and
killed him
beheaded him and took his head
and were all night escaping through
the plain.
YLT
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
For when they came into the house
he lay on his bed in his
bedchamber
.... This is repeated to give a more particular account of the
murder; though Abarbinel thinks they went in twice; when they went in first
they smote him under the fifth rib
and made their escape; but fearing they had
not left him dead
they returned
and did as follows:
and they smote him
and slew him; so that it was out of
all doubt with them that he was dead:
and beheaded him; to make sure work of it:
and took his head; along with them
perhaps in one of the
sacks they had to fetch wheat in
and so passed undiscovered
to carry to
David
to curry favour with him:
and gat them away through the plain all night; through the
plain of Jordan; all the way from Mahanaim to Hebron being for the most part a
plain country till they came to Hebron
which was mountainous; the way from
Mahanaim to Hebron was a space of sixty eight miles
according to BuntingF26Travels
p. 145
148. .
2 Samuel 4:8 8 And they brought the head
of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron
and said to the king
“Here is the head of
Ishbosheth
the son of Saul your enemy
who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my
lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”
YLT
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.'
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron
.... Supposing
it would have been a very acceptable present to him:
and said to the king
behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul thine enemy
which sought thy life; all which
his relation
to Saul
his enmity to David
and his designs upon his life
are artfully put
together to raise the indignation of David against him
and make their present
of his head to him the more agreeable:
and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of
his seed; for all the evils and injuries they had done him; this being the
last of the sons of Saul by a lawful wife
the two remaining were by a
concubine; and these men impiously ascribe to the Lord what they with wicked
hands had done.
2 Samuel 4:9 9 But David answered Rechab
and Baanah his brother
the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite
and said to them
“As
the Lord
lives
who has redeemed my life from all adversity
YLT
9And David answereth Rechab
and Baanah his brother
sons of Rimmon the Beerothite
and saith to them
`Jehovah liveth
who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity
And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother
the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite
.... In a manner they did not expect:
and said unto them
as the Lord liveth
who hath redeemed
my soul out of all adversity; spiritual and temporal
especially the
latter is meant
and particularly what he had been brought into by the
persecution of Saul
while living
and by those that adhered to his house since
his death; which he ascribes to the Lord
and doubted not that he would still
deliver him
and complete what he had designed for him
and that he needed not
the assistance of such wicked hands as theirs; the words contain the form of an
oath made to testify the truth of the following narrative
concerning the man
that brought the tidings of Saul's death to him
or for the certainty of what
he would do those persons for the murder of Ishbosheth.
2 Samuel 4:10 10 when someone told me
saying
‘Look
Saul is dead
’ thinking to have brought good news
I arrested
him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him
a reward for his news.
YLT
10when one is declaring to
me
saying
Lo
Saul is dead
and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own
eyes
then I take hold on him
and slay him in Ziklag
instead of my giving to
him [for] the tidings.
When one told me
saying
behold
Saul is dead
.... No more
is related
not that he killed him
or assisted in killing him
only that he
was dead; by which it appears
as Abarbinel thinks
that the Amalekite did not
slay Saul
and that David did not put him to death on that account
but for
what follows:
thinking to have brought good tidings; which would
have been very acceptable to David
that he would have rejoiced and exulted at
it as he did; but he was mistaken; instead of that
I took hold of him
and slew him at Ziklag; that is
ordered one of his young men to lay hold on him
and slay him
as he did
2 Samuel 1:15
who thought that I would have given him a reward for his
tidings; a handsome present
as the Targum here
a gift
or raised him to
some post of honour and profit.
2 Samuel 4:11 11 How much more
when wicked
men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore
shall I not now require his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?”
YLT
11Also -- when wicked men
have slain the righteous man in his own house
on his bed; and now
do not I
require his blood of your hand
and have taken you away from the earth?'
How much more
when wicked men have slain a righteous person
.... As
Ishbosheth was in comparison of the wicked men that slew him; though not with
respect to David
if he knew of his divine designation to the throne; nor with
respect to Mephibosheth his eldest brother's son
whose right to the throne was
prior to his
which he must know; though with respect to his conduct towards
David
in assuming the throne of Israel
it might not be owing to any bad
principles of malice and injustice
but to his ignorance of David's having a
right to the throne upon his father's death
and by the advice of his friends
he took it: the sin of these men in murdering him is aggravated
in that they
slew him
in his own palace
upon his bed? in cold blood
and not
in the field of battle
not being engaged in war with him; in his own palace
where he might justly think himself in safety; on his bed asleep
and so at an
unawares
when insensible of danger
and not in a posture of defence; and now
David argues from the lesser to the greater
that if the man that brought him
the tidings of Saul's death had no reward given him for bringing what he
thought would be reckoned good tidings
then much less would any be given them
who had actually slain their master
and that in such a base and barbarous way;
and if the above person
who only was a bringer of tidings
was taken and
slain
then how much more did they deserve to die
who had been guilty of such
a cruel and barbarous murder?
shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hands
and
take you away from the earth? avenge his blood on them
by putting them
to death
out of the world
and from the land of the living
as men that deserved
to live no longer on it.
2 Samuel 4:12 12 So David commanded his
young men
and they executed them
cut off their hands and feet
and hanged them
by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it
in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.
YLT
12And David commandeth the
young men
and they slay them
and cut off their hands and their feet
and hang
[them] over the pool in Hebron
and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken
and bury [it] in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.
And David commanded his young men
and they slew them
.... He
ordered some of his guards about him to fall on them
and put them to death;
and they accordingly did:
and cut off their hands and their feet; their hands
which had smote Ishbosheth
and cut off his head; and their feet
which had
been swift to shed his blood
and made haste to bring his head so many miles to
David; this was what the Jews call measure for measure:
and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron; not their
hands and their feet
but the trunks of their bodies
thus mutilated; so
Theodoret; though others think their hands and their feet were hung up
and not
their bodies
because dead bodies were not to hang upon the tree more than a
day; they were hung up over the fish pool in Hebron
because a public place
and where they were the more exposed to their shame
and the terror of others:
but they took the head of Ishbosheth
and buried it in the
sepulchre of Abner in Hebron; by order of David no doubt
who it seems
had made
or ordered to be made
a sepulchre
for Abner
see 2 Samuel 3:38; all
which David did to show his regard to the family of Saul
his abhorrence of
such execrable murders
and to remove all suspicion of his being concerned in
them
and to conciliate the minds of the Israelites to him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)