1 Aug. 2 Samuel 4:1-12

1 Aug.  Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth dies

“When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died at Hebron, he was shocked and all Israel became frightened.”

“Two men who were captains in Saul’s army came to Ish-Bosheth. One was named Baanah, and the other was named Recab. They were the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, who was a Benjaminite...”

“Recab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ish-Bosheth’s house in the afternoon while he was having his midday rest. They went into the middle of the house as if to get some wheat. Ish-Bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom.”

“Then Recab and Baanah stabbed him in the stomach, killed him, cut off his head and took it with them. They escaped and travelled all night through the Jordan Valley.”

“When they arrived at Hebron, they gave his head to David and said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy. He tried to kill you! Today the LORD has paid back Saul and his family for what they did to you!’”

“David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, he has saved me from all trouble! Once a man thought he was bringing me good news. When he told me, “Saul is dead!” I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!’”

“’So even more I must put you evil men to death because you have killed an innocent man on his own bed in his own house!’ So David commanded his men to kill Recab and Baanah.”

“They cut off the hands and feet of Recab and Baanah and hung them over the pool of Hebron. Then they took Ish-Bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.”

          (2 Samuel 4:1-12)

 

 

News of Abner’s death at the hands of David’s commander, Joab, travelled quickly to the Israelites at Gibeon. Ish-Bosheth, who had relied on Abner’s support to prop up his kingdom, was terrified that his chief general had gone to Hebron to betray him, before being killed himself.

And to Ish-Bosheth’s other commanders, it was becoming increasingly obvious that support from the general population was swinging away from Ish-Bosheth towards David.

Two of the Israelite captains, Recab and Baanah, who were brothers, decided to switch sides and kill Ish-Bosheth in order to win favour with David, thereby gaining influential positions when David became King of Israel.

They crept into the central courtyard of Ish-Bosheth’s house while he was taking his afternoon nap in the heat of the day, killed him, and quickly escaped with Ish-Bosheth’s head to take to David as proof of the assassination.

When they arrived at Hebron, however, they didn’t get the welcome they expected. David was horrified that Ish-Bosheth had been murdered (in the same way that he’d been deeply offended when Saul had been killed at the battle of Mount Gilboa by an Amalekite mercenary – see 2 Samuel 1:6-16).

David immediately ordered the execution of Recab and Baanah for the murder of their own king – an action that David found abhorrent.

The photo (by eman) shows modern-day Hebron.

You can read more about Hebron @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/23-the-journeys-of-adam-enoch-noah-abraham/abraham-dies-at-hebron/

Powered by Church Edit