2 Samuel 4:11

2Sa 4:11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

Ver. 11. How much more,] q.d., That Amalekite’s perdition should have been your caution; especially since you are far greater sinners against your own souls; for how bad soever Ishbosheth was, yet in comparison of you, he was righteous; and to you a good lord.

In his own house.] Which is a man’s castle, tutissimum cuique Refugium atque Receptaculum, saith the civil law.

Require his blood of your hand.] Which, because it is not in your power to repair and restore, should I not execute you?

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 4:11. How much more, &c. — If he put the Amalekite to death for barely saying that he slew Saul, even at Saul’s own command, and when his life was despaired of, how much more would he take signal vengeance on their united and aggravated treachery and murder? When wicked men have slain a righteous person — For such Ish-bosheth was in respect of them. Saul might have some guilt in the Amalekite’s eye from his former destruction of the Amalekites; but Ish-bosheth could have none with regard to these his murderers, to whom he had done no wrong, but had preferred them to places of trust and honour. In respect of David, however, Ish- bosheth was not righteous, because he opposed him whom he knew God had appointed to the throne. In his own house, upon his bed — This aggravated their crime, and made it very different from that of the Amalekite who slew Saul. Shall I not, therefore, require his blood at your hands? — As persons unworthy to live. There is no one villany which the human mind so naturally, so instinctively abhors as treachery; because it is, perhaps, the only villany from which no man living is secure; and for this reason every man must take pleasure in the punishing it. This conduct of David toward these murderers of Ish-bosheth is well worth our attention; it is a proof of his integrity and piety, and of his detestation of treachery and cruelty. And we may learn from hence, that we ought not only to do no hurt to our enemies, but that we ought not even to rejoice at the hurt which may happen to them without our contributing any thing to it, nor to countenance injustice and vice in any degree, how great advantage soever we may reap from them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Forasmuch as neither the example of him that slew Saul, nor duty to their master, nor the innocency of the person, nor reverence of the place, nor time did move them, they deserved most grievous punishment.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 11. How much more] Here are several things which aggravated the guilt of those wicked men.

1. Ish-bosheth was an innocent man, and therefore none could have any ground of quarrel against him.

2. He was in his own house, which was his sanctuary, and none but the worst of men would disturb him there.

3. He was upon his bed, resting in the heat of the day, and so free from suspicion that he was not even attended by his guards, nor had he his doors secured. To take away the life of such a man, in such circumstances, whom also they professed to hold as their sovereign, was the most abandoned treachery.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) A righteous person—i.e., righteous, not at fault, so far as the matter in hand and his relation to the assassins is concerned.

Take you away from the earth.—“Rather, put you away out of the land. The word is one specially used of removing evil or the guilt of evil from the land (Deu_19:13; Deu_19:19, &c.). The guilt of murder defiled the land, until expiated by the execution of the murderer. (Num_35:33.)”—Kirkpatrick.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. a righteous person] “A man who had done no one any harm,” as Josephus says. His merits seem to have been negative rather than positive.

require his blood] Demand satisfaction for his murder. God is said to “require blood,” i.e. to avenge murder (Gen_9:5; Psa_9:12), and in punishing the murderers David acted as His representative.

take you away from the earth] Rather, put you away out of the land. The word is one specially used of removing evil or the guilt of evil from the land (Deu_19:13; Deu_19:19, &c.). The guilt of murder defiled the land until expiated by the execution of the murderer (Num_35:33).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them,.... He ordered some of his guards about him to fall on them, and put them to death; and they accordingly did:

and cut off their hands and their feet; their hands, which had smote Ishbosheth, and cut off his head; and their feet, which had been swift to shed his blood, and made haste to bring his head so many miles to David; this was what the Jews call measure for measure:

and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron; not their hands and their feet, but the trunks of their bodies, thus mutilated; so Theodoret; though others think their hands and their feet were hung up, and not their bodies, because dead bodies were not to hang upon the tree more than a day; they were hung up over the fish pool in Hebron, because a public place, and where they were the more exposed to their shame, and the terror of others:

but they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron; by order of David no doubt, who it seems had made, or ordered to be made, a sepulchre, for Abner, see Sa2 3:38; all which David did to show his regard to the family of Saul, his abhorrence of such execrable murders, and to remove all suspicion of his being concerned in them, and to conciliate the minds of the Israelites to him.

Next: 2 Samuel Chapter 5

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Innocent. Isboseth was such, at least, in their regard. He might also have mounted his father’s throne, bona fide; and, at any rate, it was not their business to decide the matter (Calmet) in this treacherous manner. Thus Alexander punished Bessus, who had murdered his master, Darius, with whom the former was at war. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A righteous person; for so he was comparatively, and in respect of these men, having not deserved death at their hands.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. A righteous person — Ishbosheth was guilty of no crime. It is doubtful if he would have assumed the regal power without the instance of Abner.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A righteous person. Ishbosheth was probably a weak rather than a wicked man; but David is not speaking of him generally, and, as regards Rechab and Baanah, he was quite guiltless, and their crime was not in revenge for any wrong done them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

How much more ... should I not now require his blood from your hand, and remove you from the earth?

This question is used to show that the men had committed an especially serious crime. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "You are even more guilty! It is my duty to require his blood from your hand and to remove you from the earth." (See: Rhetorical Question)

require his blood from your hand

The phrase "his blood" represents the life of Ishbosheth. Here "from your hand" represents Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, introduced in 2 Samuel 4:5. AT: "hold you responsible for the death of Ishbosheth" (See: Metonymy)

cut off their hands and feet and hung them up

These were symbolic actions to show contempt for the men. (See: Symbolic Action)

they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the grave

This was a symbolic act to honor Ishbosheth. This could be stated explicitly. AT: "they honored Ishbosheth by burying his head in the grave" (See: Symbolic Action and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

evil

innocent

hand

bury

grave

Abner

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.