2 Samuel 4:7

7 Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom *, they struck him and killed him and beheaded * him. And they took his head and ¹traveled by way of the Arabah all night.

2 Samuel 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 4:7

For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his
bedchamber
This is repeated to give a more particular account of the murder; though Abarbinel thinks they went in twice; when they went in first they smote him under the fifth rib, and made their escape; but fearing they had not left him dead, they returned, and did as follows:

and they smote him, and slew him;
so that it was out of all doubt with them that he was dead:

and beheaded him;
to make sure work of it:

and took his head;
along with them, perhaps in one of the sacks they had to fetch wheat in, and so passed undiscovered, to carry to David, to curry favour with him:

and gat them away through the plain all night;
through the plain of Jordan; all the way from Mahanaim to Hebron being for the most part a plain country till they came to Hebron, which was mountainous; the way from Mahanaim to Hebron was a space of sixty eight miles, according to Bunting ^F26.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Travels, p. 145, 148.

2 Samuel 4:7 In-Context

5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.

6 They came to the middle of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom , they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and traveled by way of the Arabah all night.

8 Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the LORD has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his descendants."

9 David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 2:29

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "went"