2 Samuel 4

2 Samuel · Chapter 4

2 Samuel 4:12

1And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.2And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin.3And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)4And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.7For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.8And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,10When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:11How 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?12And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he commandedוַיְצַו֩vay-TZAVH6680
to command

צָוָה (tsa.vah) 1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order 1a)(Piel) 1a1) to lay charge upon 1a2) to give charge to, give command to 1a3) to give charge unto 1a4) to give charge over, appoint 1a5) to give charge, command 1a6) to charge, command 1a7) to charge, commission 1a8) to command, appoint, ordain (of divine act) 1b) (Pual) to be commanded

Davidדָּוִ֨דda-VIDH1732
David

דָּוִד (da.vid) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); …

the young menהַנְּעָרִ֜יםha-ne-'a-RIMH5288
youth

נַ֫עַר (na.ar) 1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer 1a) boy, lad, youth 1b) servant, retainer

and they killed themוַיַּהַרְג֗וּםvai-ya-har-GUMH2026
to kill

הָרַג (ha.rag) 1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kill, slay 1a2) to destroy, ruin 1b) (Niphal) to be killed 1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain

and they cut offוַֽיְקַצְּצ֤וּvay-ka-tze-TZUH7112
to cut

קָצַץ (qa.tsats) 1) to cut off 1a) (Qal) to cut off 1b) (Piel) to cut or hew off, cut in two, cut in pieces 1c) (Pual) to be cut or hewn off Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsats (קְצַץ "to cut" H7113)

hands theirיְדֵיהֶם֙ye-dei-HEMH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

feet theirרַגְלֵיהֶ֔םrag-lei-HEMH7272
foot

רְגַל (re.gal) foot Aramaic of re.gel (רֶ֫גֶל "foot" H7272)

and they hanged [them]וַיִּתְל֥וּvai-yit-LUH8518
to hang

תָּלָה (ta.lah) 1) to hang 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hang 1a1a) to hang up (any object) 1a1b) to put to death by hanging 1b) (Niphal) to be hanged 1c) (Piel) to hang, hang up (for display)

atעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

the poolהַבְּרֵכָ֖הha-be-re-KHAHH1295H
pool

בְּרֵכָה (be.re.khah) pool, pond

in Hebronבְּחֶבְר֑וֹןbe-chev-RONH2275A
Hebron

חֶבְרוֹן (chev.ron) Hebron = "association" a city in south Judah approx 20 south of Jerusalem and approx 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar

[the] head ofרֹ֤אשׁroshH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

Ish-אִֽישׁ־'ish-H0378
Ish-bosheth

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (ish-bo.shet) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.8; son of: Saul (H7586G); brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H) Also named: esh.ba.al (אֶשְׁבַּעַל "Eshbaal" H0792) § Ishbosheth = "man of shame" surviving son of Saul, king of Israel for 7 years while David was king over Judah; succeeded by David who united the kingdom

boshethבֹּ֙שֶׁת֙bo-shetH0378
Ish-bosheth

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁת (ish-bo.shet) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.2.8; son of: Saul (H7586G); brother of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H) Also named: esh.ba.al (אֶשְׁבַּעַל "Eshbaal" H0792) § Ishbosheth = "man of shame" surviving son of Saul, king of Israel for 7 years while David was king over Judah; succeeded by David who united the kingdom

they tookלָקָ֔חוּla-KA-chuH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

and they buried [it]וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּvai-yik-be-RUH6912
to bury

קָבַר (qa.var) 1) to bury 1a) (Qal) to bury 1b) (Niphal) to be buried 1c) (Piel) to bury, bury (in masses) 1d) (Pual) to be buried

in [the] tomb ofבְקֶֽבֶר־ve-ke-ver-H6913
grave

קֶ֫בֶר (qe.ver) grave, sepulchre, tomb

Abnerאַבְנֵ֖ר'av-NERH0074
Abner

אֲבִינֵר (av.ner) A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.50; son of: Ner (H5369); father of: Jaasiel (H3300H) § Abner = "my father is a lamp" Saul's cousin and army captain, treacherously slain by Joab

at Hebronבְּחֶבְרֽוֹן׃ פbe-chev-RONH2275A
Hebron

חֶבְרוֹן (chev.ron) Hebron = "association" a city in south Judah approx 20 south of Jerusalem and approx 20 miles (30 km) north of Beersheba and near where Abraham built an altar

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.