2 Samuel 2 Footnotes

Two, or possibly three, different names appear in the Bible for the son of Saul who became a rival to David. Throughout 2 Samuel he is called Ish-bosheth, but in 1Ch 8:33 and 9:39, he is referred to as Esh-baal. Since Esh-baal means “Man of Baal” or “Fire of Baal,” the writer of 2 Samuel apparently substituted bosheth (“shame” or “abomination”) for ba‘al in his name to avoid mentioning the title of the pagan god (Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7). A third name applied to this son may be Ishvi (1Sm 14:49). The Hebrew word ba‘al means “husband” or “lord,” hence it could have applied to Yahweh (see Hs 2:16). Saul need not have been honoring a Canaanite divinity in giving the name to his son. But because the title was so closely associated with pagan worship, the biblical narrator was led to make a substitution.