2 Samuel 4

In this chapter, we witness the political instability following the death of Saul, as well as the violent struggle for power between the house of Saul and David. The chapter focuses on the assassination of Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, by two of his own captains. David's response to the murder of Ishbosheth highlights his deep sense of justice and integrity.

2 Samuel 4:1-5 (NKJV)
1 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled.
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,
3 because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
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.
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.

The death of Abner, a significant military leader, left Saul's house in disarray, and Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, lost his courage. The instability spread throughout Israel. Meanwhile, Rechab and Baanah, two captains from the tribe of Benjamin, plotted to kill Ishbosheth. This passage also introduces Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, who had been injured during his escape after the death of his father and grandfather. This detail serves as a contrast between Mephibosheth’s vulnerability and the violence soon to unfold.

2 Samuel 4:6-7 (NKJV)
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.
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.

Rechab and Baanah entered Ishbosheth's house, pretending to gather wheat. They then struck him while he was resting, killing him in cold blood. Their brutality extended to beheading him, intending to deliver his head to David. Their actions show their disregard for loyalty, as they sought personal gain from betraying their king.

2 Samuel 4:8 (NKJV)
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.”

Rechab and Baanah presented Ishbosheth's head to David, expecting to be rewarded. They attempted to justify their murder by claiming that they had avenged David against Saul’s family. However, their reasoning ignored David’s consistent respect for Saul’s house and God’s will. They mistakenly believed David would condone such an act.

2 Samuel 4:9-10 (NKJV)
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,
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.”

David responded with righteous indignation, reminding them of his previous judgment against the man who claimed to have killed Saul. He made it clear that he valued life and justice, rejecting any reward for the assassination of Saul or his descendants. David’s firm stance reveals his commitment to righteousness.

2 Samuel 4:11 (NKJV)
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?”

David condemned Rechab and Baanah for their cowardly murder of Ishbosheth, who was defenseless in his own home. He deemed their crime particularly heinous and announced that he would hold them accountable for shedding innocent blood. David's sense of justice was unwavering, regardless of any personal benefit he could have gained.

2 Samuel 4:12 (NKJV)
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.

David ordered the execution of Rechab and Baanah, as a public display of justice. Their hands and feet, instruments of their treachery, were cut off, and their bodies were hanged to demonstrate that such wickedness would not be tolerated. Meanwhile, Ishbosheth’s head was treated with respect, being buried in Abner’s tomb. This emphasizes David’s fairness and respect for the dignity of even his adversaries.