Year of the Bible
2 Samuel 4
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Commentary on the Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 4:
Although some elders from the north see David as their King (3:17-20), King Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, still reigns in the north. After Abner’s death, Ishbosheth’s courage fails, a phrase which suggests he becomes unstable. The situation becomes so dire that he is assassinated by his own people! David ends up avenging Ishbosheth’s death, although this death also leaves a door open for David to become the leader of the northern tribes. Through the events of the opening chapters of 2 Samuel, we have seen that, despite this potential for unity in the nation, there are divisions among the tribes, family relationships can elicit violence and revenge, and people will use their positions to try to gain power. These will all plague David during his upcoming reign.
The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 4:
Ish-bosheth Is Assassinated
1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Be-eroth (for Be-eroth also is reckoned to Benjamin; 3 the Be-erothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there to this day).
4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled; and, as she fled in her haste, he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Be-erothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept; so Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in. 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they struck him, and slew him, and beheaded him. They took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be-erothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and slew him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
David seeks justice and depends upon the Lord to establish his kingship. He refuses to benefit from a coup resulting in murder. Lord, In what ways do I not wait patiently for you and instead seek other means to achieve my goals?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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1 Cuando Isbaal, hijo de Saúl, se enteró
de que Abner había muerto en Hebrón,
sus manos desfallecieron, y todo Israel
se conmovió. 2 Isbaal, hijo de Saúl, tenía
dos hombres, jefes de bandas: uno se llamaba
Baaná y el otro Recab, hijos de Rimón
de Beerot, benjaminitas, porque Beerot se
consideraba de Benjamín. 3 Los de Beerot
habían huido a Guitaim y se quedaron allí
como forasteros hasta hoy.
4 Jonatán, hijo de Saúl, tenía un hijo
tullido de ambos pies. Tenía cinco años
cuando, desde Yizreel, llegó la noticia
sobre Saúl y Jonatán. Su nodriza lo había
tomado y había huido, pero con las
prisas se le cayó y se quedó cojo. Se llamaba
Meribaal.
5 Recab y Baaná, hijos de Rimón, se
pusieron en camino y llegaron cuando
más calor hacía a casa de Isbaal, que estaba
durmiendo la siesta. 6 La portera de
la casa también se había quedado dormida
mientras seleccionaba el grano de
trigo. Recab y su hermano Baaná pudieron
introducirse sin dificultad. 7 Entraron
en la casa cuando Isbaal estaba
acostado en el lecho de su dormitorio,
se lanzaron contra él y lo mataron. Luego
le cortaron la cabeza y se la llevaron
consigo caminando toda la noche por
la ruta de la Arabá. 8 Llevaron la cabeza
de Isbaal a David a Hebrón, y dijeron
al rey:
–Ésta es la cabeza de Isbaal, hijo de
Saúl, tu enemigo, que intentaba matarte.
Hoy el Señor ha concedido a mi señor,
el rey, la venganza sobre Saúl y su
descendencia.
9 Pero David respondió a Recab y a
su hermano Baaná, hijos de Rimón el
de Beerot:
–¡Por la vida del Señor que me ha librado
de todo peligro!, 10 si al que pensaba
traerme una buena noticia anunciándome:
«Ha muerto Saúl», lo mandé
apresar y darle muerte en Siquelag en
lugar de recompensarle, 11 ¿cuánto más
ahora que unos hombres malvados han
asesinado en su casa y en su lecho a un
hombre cabal, no os voy a pedir cuentas
de su sangre y no voy a eliminaros
de la tierra?
12 Y mandó David a sus asistentes
que los mataran. Luego les cortaron las
manos y los pies y los colgaron junto a
la alberca de Hebrón. Después tomaron
la cabeza de Isbaal y la enterraron en el
sepulcro de Abner en Hebrón.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
David busca la justicia y depende del Señor para establecer su reinado. Se niega a beneficiarse de un golpe de estado que acabe con un asesinato. ¿De qué manera No esperamos pacientemente en el Señor y buscamos otros medios para lograr nuestros objetivos?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).