2 Samuel 4: Rechab and Baanah kill Ishbosheth, and David puts them to death
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What happens?
When Ishbosheth hears that Abner is dead in Hebron, he loses courage, and all Israel is alarmed. The text tells of Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, who became lame at five years old when his nurse fled with him at the news from Jezreel. Two captains of Ishbosheth's raiding bands, Rechab and Baanah of Beeroth, come to his house in the heat of the day while he rests at noon, kill him on his bed, cut off his head, and travel all night to bring it to David at Hebron, saying that Yahweh has given the king revenge on Saul and his offspring. David answers that he killed the man who brought him the news of Saul's death, and that he must all the more demand the blood of a righteous man killed in his own house on his bed. At his order his young men kill them, cut off their hands and feet, and hang them beside the pool in Hebron, and Ishbosheth's head is buried in Abner's grave.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. Rechab and Baanah speak to David in verse 8; what they say Yahweh has done is their own words. David answers them, with an oath by Yahweh, in verses 9 to 11, and in verse 10 he repeats what the man in chapter 1 told him. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
In plain English: When Saul's son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage (literally: his hands dropped), and all Israel was alarmed (this Bible: troubled).
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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;
In plain English: Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon of Beeroth (this Bible: the Beerothite), of the people (this Bible: children) of Benjamin. (For Beeroth is also counted as part of Benjamin,
Good to know: Beeroth was one of the cities of the Gibeonites (), and lists it among the towns of Benjamin. The text does not say why the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim. "To this day" is the narrator's comment.
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3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until today).
In plain English: and the people of Beeroth (this Bible: the Beerothites) fled to Gittaim, and they have lived there as foreigners to this day.)
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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.
In plain English: Now 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. His nurse picked him up and fled, and as she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
Good to know: The last part of the name Mephibosheth is spelled like bosheth, which the dictionary gives as "shame", as in Ishbosheth (see the note on ). and name the son of Jonathan "Merib-baal". The text does not explain the two names. Mephibosheth comes to David in chapter 9 (). Another Mephibosheth, a son of Saul and Rizpah, is named in .
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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.
In plain English: The sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, while he was taking his rest at noon.
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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.
In plain English: They came into the middle of the house as if to fetch wheat (or: taking wheat: see the note), and they struck him in the belly (this Bible: body). Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.
The Hebrew words: The Hebrew of this verse is hard. Word for word, it says they came "to the middle of the house, taking wheat", and struck him in the belly. The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has a different line: "And, behold, the porter of the house winnowed wheat, and he slumbered and slept: and the brothers Rechab and Baana went privily into the house".
What changes: Read the way this Bible has it, the two men came in as if to fetch wheat, and struck Ishbosheth. Read the way Brenton has it, the doorkeeper was cleaning wheat and fell asleep, and the brothers slipped into the house. Either way, verse 7 tells that they came in while he lay on his bed and killed him.
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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.
In plain English: When they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They struck him and killed him, and cut off (literally: removed) his head. They took his head and went all night by the road of the Arabah.
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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.”
In plain English: 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 tried to kill you (literally: sought your life)! Today Yahweh has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and on his offspring."
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9David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
In plain English: David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, and said to them, "As Yahweh lives, who has rescued (this Bible: redeemed) my life (this Bible: soul) from all trouble (this Bible: adversity):
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10when someone told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ thinking that he brought good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.
In plain English: when someone told me, 'Look, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I took hold of him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news (or: him, to whom I should have given a reward for his news).
Good to know: David speaks of the man of . There David called one of his young men, who struck the man down.
The Hebrew word: "Reward for his news" is besorah, which the dictionary gives as "glad tidings; by implication, reward for good news". Word for word, the end of the verse is "which to give him besorah".
What changes: Read the way this Bible has it, death was the reward David gave the man for his news. Read the other way, David speaks of him as the man he was expected to reward for good news, and killed instead. Either way, David says that he killed the man who brought him the news of Saul's death.
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11How 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?”
In plain English: How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed! Now shall I not demand his blood from your hand, and wipe you from the earth (this Bible: rid the earth of you)?"
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12David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.
In plain English: David gave an order to his young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and their feet and hanged them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner's grave in Hebron.
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