Bible Commentaries
2 Samuel 4

Verses 1-12

The Murder of Ish-bosheth

2, 3. Beeroth was near Gibeon. The object of this note is to explain how the Beerothites came to be Benjamites. Properly they should have been Canaanites, for Beeroth was included in the treaty with Gibeon (Joshua 9:17, Joshua 9:27). But owing to the persecution of Saul (2 Samuel 21:1) the Canaanites of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, and the town passed into the possession of Benjamin. Gittaim] in Benjamin.

4. Mephibosheth] His name is given in 1 Chronicles 8:34 as ’Merib-baal’: see on 28.

5. Who lay on a bed at noon] rather, ’and he was taking his noon-tide rest,’ or siesta.

6. The LXX has an altogether different text for this v., ’and, behold, the woman who kept the door of the house was winnowing wheat, and she slumbered and slept; and the brothers, Rechab and Baanah, escaped notice.’ This explains how it was they were able to enter unperceived.

10. Who thought that I would have given him] better, ’in order to give him.’

12. Chronicles omits all mention of the reign of Ish-bosheth.