Chapter 4

1 The Israelites being troubled at the death of Abner, 2 Baanah and Rechab slay. Ish-bosheth, and bring his head to Hebron. 9 David causeth them to be slain, and Ish-bosheth’s head to be buried.

1. His hands were feeble. When Abner died the strength of Ish-bosheth was gone, and the king knew that his cause was doomed. The men of Israel were troubled, because Abner had been the strong hand at the helm. They knew that it was now probably only a question of time before Ish-bosheth would be eliminated and David would take over the kingdom.

2. Bands. Heb. gedudim, “marauding bands” (see on ch. 3:22).

A Beerothite. Beeroth was a Gibeonite city (Joshua 9:17) allocated to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:25). It is generally sought in the neighborhood of elРBйµreh, about 10 mi. (16 km.) to the north of Jerusalem.

3. Gittaim. Literally, “two Gaths,” or “two wine presses.” The exact site of Gittaim is not known. The city was inhabited by Benjamites after the return from Babylonian exile (Neh. 11:33). The time when the Beerothites fled might have been on the occasion Saul made his cruel attack upon the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1, 2). If that were the case, then Gittaim was probably somewhere outside the domain of Saul.

4. A son that was lame. There seems to be a break here in the narrative. The reason for the introduction of this incident regarding the son of Jonathan is to show that the line of Saul at this time became practically extinct with the death of Ish-bosheth. Jonathan’s son seems to have been the only other candidate for the throne.

5. At noon. He was taking his noonday rest. This is a regular custom in many Oriental lands.

6. Fetched wheat. This part of the narrative is rendered variously in the versions. The LXX reads, “And, behold, the porter [feminine] of the house winnowed wheat, and she slumbered and slept.” The Vulgate also lays the blame on the woman who kept the door. The Syriac says nothing about wheat.

7. Took his head. Their purpose was to take the head to David as evidence that Ish-bosheth was certainly dead. Since it was noon when Ish-bosheth was slain (v. 5), the assassins must have carried his head away in daylight. The head may have been placed in one of the wheat sacks, if such they were carrying (see v. 6).

Through the plain. That is, through the Arabah, or valley of the Jordan.

8. Which sought thy life. These captains had probably played an active part with the army of Saul in seeking David’s life, and they may have felt that there was within his heart a similar spirit of enmity and hatred toward Saul and his house as there had been on the part of Saul toward David. Hate usually begets hate, and bitterness on the part of one is often met by bitterness on the part of another.

The Lord hath avenged. The honor of God and the vindication of the divine cause was not the motive that prompted these assassins. They slew Ish-bosheth because they sought their own interests, not the good of David, and their words were calculated to awaken in him a spirit of gratitude toward themselves, that they might receive a handsome reward. The men were guilty of a crime that merited punishment, not reward.

9. Redeemed my soul. David had become well acquainted with God and His ways of justice and right. Repeatedly the Lord had intervened to spare the life of David and to bring distress upon his enemies. David was willing to leave vengeance with the Lord (Deut. 32:35; cf. Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30). He did not need the crimes of men to help him out of his troubles.

10. And slew him. The clause thus introduced may be translated, “And I slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave to him for his tidings” (see RSV; cf. ch. 1:2–16).

11. A righteous person. This statement is not intended to be a complete evaluation of Ish-bosheth’s moral character but simply a pronouncement clearing the character of the king from crime worthy of death.

Require his blood. David was addressing a question to the murderers. He had presented the facts before them exactly as they were, and they themselves were to judge whether his decision was right or wrong. There could be only one answer, even from the condemned—they were guilty and were worthy to die. Justice demanded that the sentence of death be executed, and the accused had nothing to say in self-defense.

Many men placed in David’s position would not have thought as clearly or judged as wisely as did David. They might have considered these murderers as true patriots, worthy citizens, and friends. What actually was murder they might have interpreted as a deed of justice and necessity, performed in the best interests of the state. The murderers themselves hoped and certainly expected to have their deed interpreted in that way. But David saw beneath the outward sham, ascertaining correctly their selfish, evil motives. They did not hesitate at murder if it would serve their personal interests. They pretended to be friends of David, but in being traitors to the man they served, they proved themselves to be unworthy citizens of the nation of Israel. Let some turn of events place David in an unfavorable situation, and they would not hesitate to slay him exactly as they had slain Ish-bosheth. Such men could not be trusted. They were not worthy to live, and by their silence they proclaimed to the nation that they regarded the sentence against them as just.

Take you away. Literally, “consume you” or “destroy you.” The Hebrew word, baФar, here translated “take away,” in the form here employed is used of putting away evil or the guilt of evil (Deut. 19:13, 19; etc.). The murderers’ guilt polluted the land and could be expiated only by the blood of those guilty of shedding innocent blood (Num. 35:33).

12. Over the pool. A public place, where the bodies would be seen by all. The mutilation of the bodies added further disgrace to the criminals, and the hanging up of the corpses at the public pool gave maximum publicity to the event. Such a treatment would serve as a terrible warning to all that such crimes would not be condoned.

The head of Ish-bosheth. As an individual Ish-bosheth had shown himself guilty of no dishonor, and there was no reason why he should not be accorded an honorable burial.

Ellen G. White comments

1–12PP 700, 701

1     PP 700

4     PP 713

5–12PP 701