And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
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2 Samuel 4
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And 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.
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And 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.
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And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
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And 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.
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For 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.
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And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth 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.
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And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
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When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
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How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
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And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
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Chapter Study & Analysis
Overview
2 Samuel 4 details the assassination of Ishbosheth by two of his own captains. They bring his head to David, expecting a reward, but David executes them for their treachery against an innocent man in his own bed.
CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS
1. Rejecting Unrighteous Shortcuts: David refused to benefit from a "convenient" murder (v. 11). We must never accept success that comes through the betrayal or suffering of others.2. Consistency in Judgment: David applied the same standard to these captains as he did to the Amalekite in chapter 1. A godly leader is consistent in his ethics, regardless of who benefits.
3. Trusting God to Remove Obstacles: David didn’t need to plot against Ishbosheth; he trusted God to establish his kingdom in His own way. Let God clear your path.
Practical Lessons
FORMAL PRAYER
Lord, keep us from the temptation of taking matters into our own hands. May we never seek profit from the misfortune of others, but wait for Thy righteous hand to establish our way. Amen.