Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 2:10
Ish-bosheth Saul’s son [was] forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
10. forty years old ] This statement is surprising, even if we reduce Ish-bosheth’s age at Saul’s death to 34, by supposing that his accession is dated 5 years after that event; and it is possible that the numeral has been corrupted in transcription. As it stands, it involves a double difficulty. ( a) About 32 years is the most that can be assigned to Saul’s reign (see note on 1Sa 13:1, and Introd. to 1 Sam. p. 23, so that it represents his youngest son as born before his accession, which is improbable. ( b) Ish-bosheth’s eldest brother Jonathan seems to have been about the same age as David, and therefore not much more than thirty at the time of his death.
two years ] The duration of Ish-bosheth’s reign is probably reckoned from the time when Abner succeeded in establishing his authority over all Israel. Five years and a half were occupied with the reconquest of the land from the Philistines, and these two years synchronize with the last two of David’s reign at Hebron. No great interval seems to have elapsed between the deaths of Abner and Ish-bosheth, and David’s recognition as king of Israel.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Forty … two – The numerals are somewhat strange. First, as regards the 40 years. Even assuming that Ish-bosheths reign did not commence until five and a half years after Sauls death, which must have been the case if the two years in the text gives the true length of his reign, it is startling to hear of Sauls younger son being 35 years old at his fathers death, born consequently some three years before his fathers accession, and five years older than David, the bosom friend of his older brother Jonathan. The age, too, of Jonathans child, Mephibosheth, who was five years old at his fathers death, would lead one to expect rather a less age for his uncle. Next, as regards the two years. Since David (compare 2Sa 2:11; and marginal references) reigned seven years in Hebron over Judah only, it follows, if the two years in the text are correct, either that an interval of five years elapsed between Ish-bosheths death and Davids being anointed king over all Israel, or that a like interval elapsed between Sauls death and the commencement of Ish-bosheths reign. Of the two the latter is the more probable, and has the advantage of diminishing Ish-bosheths age by between five and six years. But the narrative in 2 Sam. 3; 2Sa 4:1-12 of the long war, of the birth of Davids six sons, and of Abners conspiracy and death, seems to imply a longer time than two years, in which case both the numerals would have to be corrected.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. Ish-bosheth – reigned two years.] It is well observed that Ish-bosheth reigned all the time that David reigned in Hebron, which was seven years and six months. Perhaps the meaning of the writer is this: Ish-bosheth reigned two years before any but the tribe of Judah had attached themselves to the interest of David. Some think that Abner in effect reigned the last five years of Ish-bosheth, who had only the name of king after the first two years. Or the text may be understood thus: When Ish-bosheth had reigned two years over Israel, he was forty years of age.
Houbigant, dissatisfied with all the common modes of solution, proposes to read shishshith shanah, six years, for the shetayim shanim, two years, of the text, which he contends is a solecism; for in pure Hebrew the words would be as they are everywhere read in the first book; and is the reading of eleven of Kennicott’s MSS., and nine of De Rossi’s; but the number two is acknowledged by all the ancient versions, and by all the MSS. yet collated. The critical reader may examine Houbigant on the place. After all, probably the expedition mentioned in the succeeding verses is that to which the writer refers, and from which he dates. Ish-bosheth had reigned two years without any rupture with David or his men, till under the direction of Abner, captain of his host, the Israelites passed over Jordan, from Mahanaim to Gibeon, and being opposed by Joab, captain of David’s host, that battle took place which is described in the following verses.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Reigned two years, to wit, before the following war broke forth; compare 1Sa 13:1; for that he reigned longer, may appear both from the following verse and from 2Sa 3:1, and from the following history; though some think he reigned only two years, and that the rest of Davids seven years the Israelites by Abners instigation stuck to the house of Saul, but were in suspense whether they should confer the crown upon Mephibosheth the right heir, but a child; or upon Ish-bosheth, a grown man, whom with some difficulty, and after long debates amongst themselves, they preferred.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, [was] forty years old when he began to reign over Israel,…. Being born the same year his father began to reign. [See comments on 1Sa 31:6];
and reigned two years; which some understand of these, and no more; and whereas David reigned seven years and a half over Judah, before he reigned over all Israel, it is thought by the Jewish chronologer c that there was a vacancy in the throne of Israel for the space of five years, and so says Kimchi; which vacancy was either before the reign of Ishbosheth, it being a matter in dispute whether he or Mephibosheth should be set up, or after his death; the tribes of Israel being so long before they acknowledged David their king; or Ishbosheth’s reign of two years must be in the middle of David’s reign over Judah; but there is no need to suppose either of these, for the text says not that Ishbosheth reigned only two years; but the meaning is, as Ben Gersom observes, that he had reigned two years when the following things happened, and a war began, and not by him but by Abner, and carried on by him; and he being an inactive prince, the rest of his reign was reckoned as no reign, whereas he lived and reigned the same length of time David did over Judah; see 2Sa 3:1;
but the house of Judah followed David; kept close to him as their king, yielding a cheerful obedience to him.
c Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 37.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Length of the reigns of Ishbosheth over Israel, and David at Hebron. The age of Ishbosheth is given, as is generally the case at the commencement of a reign. He was forty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years; whereas David was king at Hebron over the house of Judah seven years and a half. We are struck with this difference in the length of the two reigns; and it cannot be explained, as Seb. Schmidt, Clericus, and others suppose, on the simple assumption that David reigned two years at Hebron over Judah, namely up to the time of the murder of Ishbosheth, and then five years and a half over Israel, namely up to the time of the conquest of Jerusalem: for this is at variance with the plain statement in the text, that “David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah seven years and a half.” The opinion that the two years of Ishbosheth’s reign are to be reckoned up to the time of the war with David, because Abner played the principal part during the other five years and a half that David continued to reign at Hebron, is equally untenable. We may see very clearly from 2 Samuel 3-5 not only that Ishbosheth was king to the time of his death, which took place after that of Abner, but also that after both these events David was anointed king over Israel in Hebron by all the tribes, and that he then went directly to attack Jerusalem, and after conquering the citadel of Zion, chose that city as his own capital. The short duration of Ishbosheth’s reign can only be explained, therefore, on the supposition that he was not made king, as David was, immediately after the death of Saul, but after the recovery by Abner of the land which the Philistines had taken on this side the Jordan, which may have occupied five years.
(Note: From the fact that in 2Sa 2:10, 2Sa 2:11, Ishbosheth’s ascending the throne is mentioned before that of David, and is also accompanied with a statement of his age, whereas the age of David is not given till 2Sa 5:4-5, when he became king over all Israel, Ewald draws the erroneous conclusion that the earlier (?) historian regarded Ishbosheth as the true king, and David as a pretender. But the very opposite of this is stated as distinctly as possible in 2Sa 2:4. (compared with 2Sa 2:8). The fact that Ishbosheth is mentioned before David in 2Sa 2:10 may be explained simply enough from the custom so constantly observed in the book of Genesis, of mentioning subordinate lines or subordinate persons first, and stating whatever seemed worth recording with regard to them, in order that the ground might be perfectly clear for relating the history of the principal characters without any interruption.)
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
10. Ishbosheth reigned two years The next verse informs us that David reigned in Hebron ever Judah seven years and six months, and therefore we must naturally conclude that for five years and six months the other tribes of Israel were without an acknowledged king. It is altogether gratuitous to assume, as some critics have done, that Ishbosheth reigned all the time that David reigned in Hebron. It is probable, however, that David was king in Hebron some time before Ishbosheth began to reign. David seems to have been anointed very soon after Saul’s death, but it must have taken Abner some time to gather up the scattered army and recover from the defeat and losses of Gilboa sufficiently to attend to the inauguration of Ishbosheth. So it is likely that David reigned in Hebron a year or more before the son of Saul was anointed at Mahanaim. Then followed two years of strife and bickering between the two governments, which was of sufficient length to be called “long war.” 2Sa 3:1. And after both Abner and Ishbosheth had been vilely assassinated, it is but natural to suppose that the northern tribes would wait some years to observe the manner of David’s government before they all came together to acknowledge and anoint him king. See on 2Sa 5:1.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 2:10. Ish-boshethwas forty years old,and reigned two years Ish-bosheth was born in the year that Saul was made king, for Saul reigned forty years, Act 13:21. Ish-bosheth reigned two years, says the sacred writer. Now, by referring to the next verse, and the first of the next chapter, we shall see that this is to be understood with some restriction. Ish-bosheth reigned all the time that David resided at Hebron, that is seven years and a half; but they both reigned two years in peace, without attacking each other; which seems to be all that the sacred historian would affirm. The five last years of Ish-bosheth’s reign, were rather the years of Abner’s reign than of his own; for this general left him only the name of a king. Different solutions are given to this passage by other interpreters. Houbigant, in particular, reads six instead of two years, but without any authority; and Le Clerc and Schmidt think, that Ish-bosheth really reigned only two years; an opinion utterly irreconcileable with the next chapter. Possibly, the words reigned two years, may be considered as referring to what follows in the 12th verse, to mark out the epocha of the commencement of hostilities between the two kings; and so they might be rendered, and he had reigned two years: then, inclosing the next and what follows in a parenthesis, the 12th verse might begin, Then Abner, &c. The phrase, went out, in that verse is military; and we frequently find to come in and go out, used in that sense in Scripture.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(10) Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. (11) And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
There is no very easy method of ascertaining from whence these dates commenced, or how to reconcile the seven years and half of David with the two years of Ishbosheth. But it may serve to teach us that during this opposition many grievous events to persons, and families, and tribes, must have taken place. While the confederate powers of sin, the world, and Satan join in opposition to the reign of grace in the soul; the believer finds many sharp conflicts, which make him groan and go heavily.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 2:10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son [was] forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
Ver. 10. And reigned two years, ] sc., Peaceably and quietly, before war fell out betwixt him and David. So Saul is said to have reigned two years, 1Sa 13:1 that is, free from foreign enemies, and unmolested by the Philistines. After this, there was five years’ war betwixt the house of Saul and the house of David, till Ishbosheth’s death. 2Sa 3:1
But the house of Judah followed David.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
two years: Houbigant proposes to read shesh shanah, “six years” instead of shetayim shanim, “two years,” of the text, which he contends is a solecism; for, in pure Hebrew, the words should be shetayim shanah; and this is the reading of twenty manuscripts; but two is acknowledged by all the versions and manuscripts yet collated. 2Sa 2:10
Reciprocal: 2Sa 3:14 – Ishbosheth Psa 18:43 – from