2 Samuel 4 in Hebrew, English & Transliteration

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Tenakh Study · 2 Samuel 4:1–12

2 Samuel, Chapter 4

שמואל ב ד

Ish-Boshet loses heart after Avner’s death and is murdered in his bed by two of his own captains. David executes the killers, as he executed the Amaleki, and buries Ish-Boshet’s head in Avner’s tomb.

4:1And when Shaul’s (Saul’s) son heard that Avner (Abner) was dead in Chevron (Hebron), his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

Vayishma ben-Sha'ul ki met Avner beḤevron vayirpu yadav veḥol-Yisra'el nivhalu.

אוַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע בֶּן־שָׁא֗וּל כִּ֣י מֵ֚ת אַבְנֵר֙ בְּחֶבְר֔וֹן וַיִּרְפּ֖וּ יָדָ֑יו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִבְהָֽלוּ׃

4:2And Shaul’s son had two men who were captains of bands: the name of the one was Ba’anah (Baanah), and the name of the other Rechav (Rechab), the sons of Rimon (Rimmon) the Be’eroti (Beerothite), of the children of Binyamin (Benjamin) (for Be’erot (Beeroth) also was reckoned to Binyamin;

Ushenei anashim sarei-gedudim hayu ven-Sha'ul shem ha'eḥad Ba'anah veshem hasheni Reḥav benei Rimon haBe'eroti mibenei Vinyamin ki gam-Be'erot teḥashev al-Binyamin.

בוּשְׁנֵ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֣ים שָׂרֵֽי־גְדוּדִ֣ים הָי֪וּ בֶן־שָׁא֠וּ֩ל שֵׁם֩ הָאֶחָ֨ד בַּֽעֲנָ֜ה וְשֵׁ֧ם הַשֵּׁנִ֣י רֵכָ֗ב בְּנֵ֛י רִמּ֥וֹן הַבְּאֶֽרֹתִ֖י מִבְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ן כִּ֚י גַּם־בְּאֵר֔וֹת תֵּחָשֵׁ֖ב עַל־בִּנְיָמִֽן׃

4:3and the Be’erotim fled to Gittayim (Gittaim), and were sojourners there until this day).

Vayivreḥu haBe'erotim Gitaymah vayihyu-sham garim ad hayom hazeh.

גוַיִּבְרְח֥וּ הַבְּאֵרֹתִ֖ים גִּתָּ֑יְמָה וַֽיִּהְיוּ־שָׁ֣ם גָּרִ֔ים עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

4:4And Yehonatan (Jonathan), Shaul’s son, had a son who was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Shaul and Yehonatan out of Yizre’el (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 Mefiboshet (Mephibosheth).

VeliYhonatan ben-Sha'ul ben neḥeh raglayim ben-ḥamesh shanim hayah bevo shemu'at Sha'ul viYhonatan miYizre'el vatisa'ehu omanto vatanos vayehi beḥofzah lanus vayipol vayipaseaḥ ushemo Mefivoshet.

דוְלִיהֽוֹנָתָן֙ בֶּן־שָׁא֔וּל בֵּ֖ן נְכֵ֣ה רַגְלָ֑יִם בֶּן־חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֣ים הָיָ֡ה בְּבֹ֣א שְׁמֻעַת֩ שָׁא֨וּל וִיהוֹנָתָ֜ן מִֽיִּזְרְעֶ֗אל וַתִּשָּׂאֵ֚הוּ אֹֽמַנְתּוֹ֙ וַתָּנֹ֔ס וַיְהִ֞י בְּחָפְזָ֥הּ לָנ֛וּס וַיִּפֹּ֥ל וַיִּפָּסֵ֖חַ וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מְפִיבֽשֶׁת׃

Commentary · 4:1–4

Weak hands, and a lame boy

Avner had been the real strength behind Ish-Boshet’s throne, and when Avner dies the king’s hands go limp (4:1). Ariel Cohen Alloro calls Ish-Boshet “the king of shame”: a son of the house of Rachel who could not protect himself. The danger comes from inside his own house. His two captains are from Be’erot in Binyamin, Shaul’s own tribe.

Then the text stops for one verse to introduce Mefiboshet, Yehonatan’s son, lamed at five years old when his nurse fled with him. In Chronicles his name is Meriv-baal (1 Chronicles 8:34), with baal replaced by boshet, “shame,” as with Ish-Boshet. The Talmud pictures David consulting him on Torah, “Mefiboshet my teacher, did I rule correctly?” (Berakhot 4a), though the same passage also mixes him up with Ish-Boshet.

He is mentioned here because, when the house of Shaul is gone, David will seek him out “that I may show him kindness for Yehonatan’s sake,” and he will eat at the king’s table “as one of the king’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:1, 11). Yeshua taught, “When you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13). The King’s table has room for the lame son of the rival house.

The murder of Ish-Boshet

4:5And the sons of Rimon the Be’eroti, Rechav and Ba’anah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-Boshet (Ish-bosheth), who lay on a bed at noon.

Vayeleḥu benei-Rimon haBe'eroti Reḥav uVa'anah vayavo'u keḥom hayom el-beit Ish-Boshet vehu shoḥev et mishkav hatzohorayim.

הוַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ בְּנֵֽי־רִמּ֚וֹן הַבְּאֵֽרֹתִי֙ רֵכָ֣ב וּבַעֲנָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ כְּחֹ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֖ית אִ֣ישׁ בּ֑שֶׁת וְה֣וּא שֹׁכֵ֔ב אֵ֖ת מִשְׁכַּ֥ב הַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

4:6And they came there into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him under the fifth rib; and Rechav and Ba’anah his brother escaped.

Vehenah ba'u ad-toḥ habayit lokeḥei ḥitim vayakuhu el-haḥomesh veReḥav uVa'anah aḥiv nimlatu.

ווְ֠הֵנָּה בָּ֜אוּ עַד־תּ֚וֹךְ הַבַּ֙יִת֙ לֹקְחֵ֣י חִטִּ֔ים וַיַּכֻּ֖הוּ אֶל־הַחֹ֑מֶשׁ וְרֵכָ֛ב וּבַעֲנָ֥ה אָחִ֖יו נִמְלָֽטוּ׃

4:7For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they struck him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got away through the plain all night.

Vayavo'u habayit vehu-shoḥev al-mitato baḥadar mishkavo vayakuhu vayemituhu vayasiru et-rosho vayikḥu et-rosho vayeleḥu dereḥ ha'aravah kol-halaylah.

זוַיָּבֹ֣אוּ הַבַּ֗יִת וְהֽוּא־שֹׁכֵ֚ב עַל־מִטָּתוֹ֙ בַּחֲדַ֣ר מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ וַיַּכֻּ֙הוּ֙ וַיְמִתֻ֔הוּ וַיָּסִ֖ירוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָ֖ה כָּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃

4:8And they brought the head of Ish-Boshet unto David to Chevron, and said to the king, “Behold the head of Ish-Boshet the son of Shaul your enemy, who sought your life; and Hashem has avenged my lord the king this day of Shaul, and of his seed.”

Vayavi'u et-rosh Ish-Boshet el-David Ḥevron vayomeru el-hameleḥ hineh-rosh Ish-Boshet ben-Sha'ul oyivḥa asher bikesh et-nafsheḥa vayiten Adonai ladoni hameleḥ nekamot hayom hazeh miSha'ul umizar'o.

חוַ֠יָּבִאוּ אֶת־רֹ֨אשׁ אִֽישׁ־בּ֥שֶׁת אֶל־דָּוִד֘ חֶבְרוֹן֒ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הִנֵּֽה־רֹ֣אשׁ אִֽישׁ־בּ֗שֶׁת בֶּן־שָׁאוּל֙ אֹֽיִבְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּקֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן יְ֠הֹוָה לַֽאדֹנִ֨י הַמֶּ֚לֶךְ נְקָמוֹת֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה מִשָּׁא֖וּל וּמִזַּרְעֽוֹ׃

Commentary · 4:5–8

Murder at midday

Rechav and Ba’anah come in at noon “as though they would have fetched wheat” (4:6). Rashi and the Targum explain that they came in with the traders buying wheat; Metzudat David adds that they disguised themselves as wheat buyers so no one would notice them. The Greek Septuagint tells it differently: the doorkeeper was sifting wheat and fell asleep.

This is the third killing “under the fifth rib”: Avner killed Asah’el that way (2:23), Yo’av killed Avner that way (3:27), and now Ish-Boshet dies that way. Blood answers blood until someone breaks the cycle.

The killers bring the head to David with a speech: “Hashem has avenged my lord the king this day of Shaul, and of his seed” (4:8). They do not only want a reward. They claim that their murder was Hashem’s will.

David judges the murderers

4:9And David answered Rechav and Ba’anah his brother, the sons of Rimon the Be’eroti, and said unto them, “As Hashem lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

Vaya'an David et-Reḥav ve'et-Ba'anah aḥiv benei Rimon haBe'eroti vayomer lahem ḥai-Adonai asher-padah et-nafshi mikol-tzarah.

טוַיַּ֨עַן דָּוִ֜ד אֶת־רֵכָ֣ב ׀ וְאֶת־בַּעֲנָ֣ה אָחִ֗יו בְּנֵ֛י רִמּ֥וֹן הַבְּאֵֽרֹתִ֖י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֑ם חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה אֲשֶׁר־פָּדָ֥ה אֶת־נַפְשִׁ֖י מִכָּל־צָרָֽה׃

4:10when one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Shaul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Tziklag (Ziklag), who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

Ki hamagid li lemor hineh-met Sha'ul vehu-hayah ḥimvaser be'einav va'oḥazah vo va'ehregehu beTziklag asher letiti-lo besorah.

יכִּ֣י הַמַּגִּיד֩ לִ֨י לֵאמֹ֜ר הִנֵּה־מֵ֣ת שָׁא֗וּל וְהֽוּא־הָיָ֚ה כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙ בְּעֵינָ֔יו וָאֹחֲזָ֣ה ב֔וֹ וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּ בְּצִֽקְלָ֑ג אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְתִתִּי־ל֖וֹ בְּשׂרָֽה׃

4:11how 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?”

Af ki-anashim resha'im haregu et-ish-tzadik beveito al-mishkavo ve'atah halo avakesh et-damo miyedḥem uvi'arti etḥem min-ha'aretz.

יאאַ֞ף כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֣ים רְשָׁעִ֗ים הָרְג֧וּ אֶת־אִישׁ־צַדִּ֛יק בְּבֵית֖וֹ עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ וְעַתָּ֗ה הֲל֨וֹא אֲבַקֵּ֚שׁ אֶת־דָּמוֹ֙ מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ם וּבִעַרְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

4:12And 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 Chevron. But they took the head of Ish-Boshet, and buried it in the sepulchre of Avner in Chevron.

Vayetzav David et-hane'arim vayahargum vayekatzetzu et-yedeihem ve'et-ragleihem vayitlu al-habereḥah beḤevron ve'et rosh Ish-Boshet lakaḥu vayikberu vekever-Avner beḤevron.

יבוַיְצַו֩ דָּוִ֨ד אֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֜ים וַיַּהַרְג֗וּם וַֽיְקַצְּצ֚וּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם֙ וְאֶת־רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּתְל֥וּ עַל־הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וְאֶ֨ת רֹ֚אשׁ אִֽישׁ־בּ֙שֶׁת֙ לָקָ֔חוּ וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ בְקֶֽבֶר־אַבְנֵ֖ר בְּחֶבְרֽוֹן׃

Commentary · 4:9–12

A righteous person in his own house

David answers their speech in his first words: “As Hashem lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity” (4:9). Hashem has already redeemed him. He does not need murderers to do Hashem’s work, and he reminds them what he did to the Amaleki who claimed to have killed Shaul (1:15; 4:10).

Why call Ish-Boshet “a righteous person” (4:11)? Malbim explains that tzaddik here means innocent in law: “they killed a righteous man who had committed no capital offense.” He was asleep in his own house. David’s words “take you away from the earth” are uvi’arti etchem min ha’aretz, the Torah’s own language for removing innocent blood: “so shall you put the evil away (uvi’arta) from among you” (Deuteronomy 19:19; see 19:13; 21:9). David is not taking revenge; he is doing what the Torah asks of a ruler.

The hands that did the deed and the feet that ran with the news are hung up in public, so all Israel will know the king had no part in it, and Ish-Boshet’s head is buried in Avner’s tomb. Paul rejected the idea “let us do evil, that good may come” (Romans 3:8). The kingdom of the Son of David is built on Hashem’s promise, not on someone else’s crime.

Sources & method

Hebrew text: The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), as published on Chabad.org. Every verse was checked character by character against Chabad’s Tenakh. Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type.
English translation: The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Shaul (Saul)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible.
Transliteration: Produced from the Hebrew with the open-source hebrew-transliteration library, adapted to Sephardic/Israeli pronunciation and reviewed by hand: ḥ for Chet and Chaf, tz for Tzadi, k for Kuf, and the Divine Name read “Adonai.” Names are capitalized.
Commentary: Written for our Wednesday Tenakh study from a Messianic Jewish perspective, in line with the Benei Avraham Statement of Faith. It reads the passage first in its Torah setting, then with the Sages, and then with the witness of the Brit Hadashah. Its sources include the Talmud and Midrash, Rashi, Radak, Metzudat David, Rambam, the First Fruits of Zion End of Days lessons, and teachings of Rabbi Efraim Palvanov and Ariel Cohen Alloro. Numerical readings (gematria) are offered as hints, not proofs. It is shown by default; tap Commentary to hide it.
Hebrew font: SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.

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Sources & method