Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd when Sauls ſonne heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, &c.] That is, he was ſo diſmayed and diſcouraged, Abner being ſlain on whom he wholly relyed, that there was no power in him to do any thing for himſelf: the like phraſe we have, Ezra 4.4. And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; and Neh. 6.9. They all made us afraid, ſaying, Their hands ſhall be weakened from the work that it be not done. Now therefore O God, ſtrengthen my hands. Yea, and thus it was too with all the tribes of Iſrael, as it follows in the next words, and all Iſrael were troubled, to wit, becauſe they had oppoſed David, and now their generall on whoſe counſell and power they had hitherto ſtayed themſelves, was taken away; yea, and that when he went about to yield himſelf to David, and further his title to the crown. So that ſhould they go forward in that reſolution of revolting from Iſhboſheth to David, they ſuſpected they ſhould find no more favour then Abner had found.
Verſ. 2. For Beeroth alſo was reckoned to Benjamin, &c.] This is added, to ſhew why Rimmon the father of the two forenamed captains, is called a Beerothite, to wit, becauſe he belonged to Beeroth a city in Benjamin, Joſh. 18.25. For though they dwelt not indeed at preſent in Beeroth, but ſojourned in Gittam another town in Benjamin, Neh. 11.33. yet that was becauſe the Beerothites fled to Gittam, and were ſojourners there, (to wit, when Saul and his ſonnes were ſlain) leaving Beeroth to the Philiſtines, who came and dwelt in it, 1. Sam. 31.7. and ſo ſtill they were called Beerothites after the place of their former habitation, and lived but as ſojourners in Gittam amongſt their brethren the children of Benjamin.
Verſ. 4. And Jonathan Sauls ſonne, had a ſonne that was lame on his feet, &c.] This is here inſerted, to imply, what it was that did chiefly encourage theſe men to murder Iſhboſheth, to wit, becauſe he being taken away, there would be no legitimate iſſue of the royall ſtock of Saul left, but onelyonly Mephiboſheth, who being but a child of twelve years of age, and withall lame in his feet, was altogether unfit to ſucceed in the kingdome; whence they inferre, firſt, how advantagious this their intended fact would be unto David: ſecondly, how likely they were to be highly rewarded by him: and thirdly, how ſafely they might do it, becauſe there would be none left of Sauls houſe to revenge the death of Iſhboſheth.
And his name was Mephiboſheth.] He is alſo called Meribbaal, 1. Chron. 8.34. So Jerubbaal, Judges 6.22. is called Jerubeſheth, 2. Sam. 11.21. and Iſhbaal, 1. Chron. 8.33. is the ſame Iſhboſheth, whom Abner now made king over Iſrael. Some think that in deteſtation of the heathen idols the Hebrews were wont many times to leave out the word Baal, and to put in the room of it this word boſheth, or beſheth which ſignifieth a ſhamefull or infamous thing, Hoſ. 9.10. They went to Baal-peor and ſeparated themſelves unto that ſhame.
Verſ. 5. Who lay on his bed at noon.] Though it be not ſimply evil to lie on a bed at noon, yet conſidering that the Scripture ſets forth Iſhboſheth in other things to be a man of a ſlothfull and dull ſpirit, not active in any thing, but leaving all to Abners diſpoſing, we may juſtly think that it is purpoſely noted here, as the juſt reward of his idleneſſe and ſloth, that as he ſlept away his time, ſo he dyed at laſt ſleeping.
Verſ. 6. And they came thither into the midst of the houſe, as though they would have fetched wheat, &c.] The meaning of this is, either that they came in the diſguiſe and habite of countreymen or merchants that came to buy wheat, or of porters that came to fetch away wheat that was bought, or elſe rather, that being known Captains of Iſhboſheths bands, under a colour that they came to fetch corn for the ſouldiers or for themſelves, (for the ſouldiers in thoſe times had uſually their pay in corn) they had free acceſſe into the houſe, and ſo went in where he lay, and ſlew him, and that by ſmiting him under the fifth rib; of which, ſee the note, chap. 2.23. and this doubtleſſe they did, hoping that David would reward them for it: for though David ſeemed greatly to take to heart the death of Abner, and to be highly diſpleaſed with Joab for it, yet becauſe he did not puniſh him, theſe captains perhaps concluded, that David was well enough pleaſed with it, though he would not be known of it, and ſo he would be with them too, if they ſhould kill Iſhboſheth; and hereby it is likely they encouraged themſelves in this treacherous villany againſt their Lord and Maſter.
Verſ. 11. How much more when wicked men have ſlain a righteous perſon.] That is, in reſpect of them which conſpired againſt him; he had deſerved well of them, and for them therefore thus treacherouſly to ſlay him, in his own houſe upon his bed, when he thought of no danger, was a villany that did farre more juſtly deſerve death: and the rather too, becauſe they durſt do this, notwithſtanding David had ſo ſeverely puniſhed him that pretended he had ſlain Saul.
Verſ. 12. And they ſlew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron.] To wit, that all men might ſee how much David abhorred this fact of theirs, and how farre he was from knowing any thing of it, or giving the leaſt encouragement to them that did it.