2 Samuel 2:10

10 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was of forty years, when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned two years. Soothly the house alone of Judah followed David. (Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned for two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.)

2 Samuel 2:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:10

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, [was] forty years old when he began to
reign over Israel
Being born the same year his father began to reign. (See Gill on 1 Samuel 31:6);

and reigned two years;
which some understand of these, and no more; and whereas David reigned seven years and a half over Judah, before he reigned over all Israel, it is thought by the Jewish chronologer ^F3 that there was a vacancy in the throne of Israel for the space of five years, and so says Kimchi; which vacancy was either before the reign of Ishbosheth, it being a matter in dispute whether he or Mephibosheth should be set up, or after his death; the tribes of Israel being so long before they acknowledged David their king; or Ishbosheth's reign of two years must be in the middle of David's reign over Judah; but there is no need to suppose either of these, for the text says not that Ishbosheth reigned only two years; but the meaning is, as Ben Gersom observes, that he had reigned two years when the following things happened, and a war began, and not by him but by Abner, and carried on by him; and he being an inactive prince, the rest of his reign was reckoned as no reign, whereas he lived and reigned the same length of time David did over Judah; see ( 2 Samuel 3:1 ) ;

but the house of Judah followed David;
kept close to him as their king, yielding a cheerful obedience to him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 37.

2 Samuel 2:10 In-Context

8 Forsooth Abner, the son of Ner, prince of the host of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and led him about by the castles, (Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim,)

9 and made him king on Gilead, and on Ashurites, and on Jezreel, and on Ephraim, and on Benjamin, and on all Israel.

10 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was of forty years, when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned two years. Soothly the house alone of Judah followed David. (Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he began to reign upon Israel; and he reigned for two years. Only the house of Judah followed David.)

11 And the number of days, by which David dwelled reigning in Hebron on the house of Judah, was of seven years and six months.

12 And Abner, the son of Ner, went out, and the servants of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, from the castles in[to] Gibeon. (And Abner, the son of Ner, and the men of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.)