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 de... [ Continue Reading ]
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 FEEB... [ Continue Reading ]
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 bret... [ Continue Reading ]
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 G... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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; w... [ Continue Reading ]
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 T... [ Continue Reading ]
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 h... [ Continue Reading ]
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 desi... [ Continue Reading ]
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 be... [ Continue Reading ]
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 fol... [ Continue Reading ]
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 thron... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]