II Samuel 4, Murder of Ish-Bosheth

Abner has betrayed Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and helped bring Israel over to David. Joab has then murdered Abner. As David wraps up his power, the followers of Saul must worry.

2 Samuel 4: 1-4, Alarm in Saul's camp

When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin--Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin, because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day. 

(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

 

Ish-Bosheth has two leaders, brothers, Baanah and Recab, who are Benjamites.  We are tangentially introduced to Jonathan's young son, Mephibosheth, who was injured at the age of five when he fell while fleeing with his nurse.  We don't know the details; presumably he broke legs which did not heal properly.

Recab and Baanah are apparently frightened of the increasing power of David's followers and are expecting imminent defeat and possibly execution as an enemy of David.

2 Samuel 4: 5-7, Murder of Ish-Bosheth

Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon, turn on Ish-Bosheth and kill him, then flee. So ends Ish-Bosheth attempt to regain the throne.

2 Samuel 4: 8, A head brought to David

They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."

Apparently with plans to engragiate themselves to David, the two former soldiers bring Ish-Bosheth's head to David, as evidence that they have killed the usurper. But if one has been reading earlier accounts, one realizes this is not a good idea.

2 Samuel 4: 9-12, David responds

David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, when a man told me, `Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

How much more--when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed--should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!" So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

David, as before, reacts to the murder by having these two men killed.