Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 4:12
And 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 Ish-bosheth, and buried [it] in the sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.
12. And David commanded, &c.] Kitto compares the conduct of David towards the murderers of his rival with that of Alexander the Great towards Bessus, who murdered Darius, and of Caesar towards the murderers of Pompey. It may be questioned whether they were actuated by higher motives than “the traditional policy of rulers, who thus provide that they shall be protected for the present, and afterwards avenged” (Tac. Hist. I. 44), but David’s indignation was doubtless sincere.
cut off their hands and their feet ] The hands which had been stretched out against their master, the feet which had been “swift to shed blood” and to seek reward, were exposed to view in the most public and frequented spot in Hebron, for a spectacle and a warning. Cp. Deu 21:22. We may compare the practice, formerly in vogue in this country, of exposing the heads and limbs of traitors on the city gates.
over the pool ] Possibly one of the two great reservoirs, “doubtless of high antiquity,” which are still to be seen at Hebron. See Robinson’s Bibl. Res. II. 74.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Cut off their hands … – After they were dead. Their hands and feet were hung up in a place of public resort, both to deter others and also to let all Israel know that David was not privy to the murder of Ish-bosheth.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. And they slew them] None ever more richly deserved death; and by this act of justice, David showed to all Israel that he was a decided enemy to the destruction of Saul’s family; and that none could lift up their hands against any of them without meeting with condign punishment. In all these cases I know not that it was possible for David to show more sincerity, or a stricter regard for justice.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His young men; those of his guard, who used to execute justice upon malefactors at the kings command.
Their hands and their feet; which had been most instrumental in this villany; their hands to cut off his head, and their feet to carry them away, and his head with them.
Hanged them up over the pool in Hebron; as monuments of their villany, and of Davids abhorrency of it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. slew them, and cut off theirhands and their feetas the instruments in perpetrating theircrime. The exposure of the mutilated remains was intended as not onlya punishment of their crime, but also the attestation of David’sabhorrence.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 2Sa 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
David then commanded his servant to slay the murderers, and also to make the punishment more severe than usual. “They cut off their hands and feet,” – the hands with which they had committed the murder, and the feet which had run for the reward, – “and hanged the bodies by the pool at Hebron” for a spectacle and warning, that others might be deterred from committing similar crimes (cf. Deu 21:22; J. H. Michaelis). In illustration of the fact itself, we may compare the similar course pursued by Alexander towards the murderer of king Darius, as described in Justin’s history (2Sa 12:6) and Curtius (2Sa 7:5). They buried Ishbosheth’s head in Abner’s grave at Hebron. Thus David acted with strict justice in this case also, not only to prove to the people that he had neither commanded nor approved of the murder, but from heartfelt abhorrence of such crimes, and to keep his conscience void of offence towards God and towards man.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(12) Over the pool in Hebron.The mutilation of the bodies of the criminals was itself a disgrace, and the hanging them up near the pool, to which all the people resorted, made this as public as possible and a terrible warning against the commission of such crimes by others. On the other hand, the head of Ish-bosheth was honourably buried in the sepulchre of his chief friend and supporter, Abner.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. Cut off their hands and their feet The hands that wrought the bloody deed, and the feet that brought the horrid tidings. This punishment was executed in the spirit, but not in the letter, of the Mosaic law of retaliation hand for hand, foot for foot. Exo 21:24.
The pool Probably one of the large reservoirs still seen at Hebron.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
(12) And 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.
Doth not David’s just decision and judgment on those murderers, serve to remind us of the awful sentence which Jesus, we are assured, shall one day pass on the wicked, when they shall be driven from his presence with everlasting destruction. It is an awful thought, but ought to be kept alive in the remembrance, that the very gracious name of God as Jehovah Alehim; that is, Jehovah in Covenant with his people by Christ, is as solemnly engaged as the denouncer of wrath, as in the covenant promises of redemption. Jehovah at the right hand of Adonai (the believer’s Lord and stay) shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. Psa 110:5 .
REFLECTIONS
THE sudden and unexpected death of Saul’s son, while dreaming of an earthly kingdom, may serve to furnish out, both to the Reader and Writer, an important reflection on the sure, but uncertain, coming of our latter end. There is but one security against the evil of that day; and that is, an interest in his blood and righteousness, who by his death hath overcome death, and by his resurrection hath secured the resurrection of his people. That precious, precious scripture, is a motto to be worn in the bosom of the faithful, and to be fixed in the largest characters over the couches of believers; Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation. Thus to be found in Christ, is to be found in peace before him. And in this case, sudden death is sudden glory.
Reader! if Jesus be your hope, your trust, your confidence, your rock, you can never be moved. For how can the soul be naked which hath Christ himself for his covering? I know (says Paul) whom I have believed; and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. What day that might be Paul knew not; but every day he was looking out for it. I protest (says he) by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. Blessed Paul! what a happy reckoning did he make of it. And what assurance was founded in it. Reader! let you and I keep Jesus always in view; let us set this precious Redeemer always before us; and depend upon it, living upon him, and trusting wholly in him, for his atoning blood and justifying righteousness, our departure will be in peace, though the signal be given for our removal without a moment’s warning. It is but to close the eyes of the body to this world, and the soul will open them in glory. Blessed (says Jesus) is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 4:12 And 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.
Ver. 12. And they slew them. ] Not without exquisite torments, saith Josephus; he crucified them, saith Theodoret.
And cut off their hands and their feet.
And hanged them up.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sepulchre. Compare 2Sa 3:32.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
slew them: 2Sa 1:15, Psa 55:23, Mat 7:2
hanged: 2Sa 21:9, Deu 21:22, Deu 21:23
in the sepulchre: 2Sa 3:32
Reciprocal: 2Sa 21:14 – buried 1Ki 2:25 – he fell 1Ch 8:33 – Eshbaal Lam 1:6 – all
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE BLOODY PATH TO A THRONE
The head of Ish-bosheth.
2Sa 4:12
Abner had, against his better conviction, maintained his partisan position against David and continued his hostile efforts against him, and it was only after the overthrow of his hitherto unlimited power and the violence done to his self-esteem and ambition, that he came to the conclusion to abandon his position as Davids opponent; and certainly ambitious plans and views for his position in the new kingdom were not wanting in his transition to David and his energetic efforts for David.
I. But all this could give David no ground to reject Abners offer; rather he was under obligation to employ this unsought change in Abners mind and position (which entered into his life as a factor permitted by the Lord) for the end (fixed not by himself, but by the Lord) of his kingdom over all Israel, the kingdom of Saul falling to pieces of itself, when the Dictator, who had furnished its outward support, left it. Abners defection from Ish-bosheth and effort to gain from the whole people the recognition of Davids authority was an important preliminary step thereto. But further, by a wonderful providence of God, Abners shameful murder by the envious, ambitious Joab was to lead to this result, namely, that, after the Elders of the people had already shown themselves willing to recognise his authority over all Israel, the whole people gave him their love and confidence; all that he did pleased them (v. 36).
II. The realisation of the plans and aims of the wisdom of God in the development of David up to his ascension of the royal throne in Israel is secured by the co-operation of human efforts and acts (like Abners and Joabs), which have their ground not in zeal for the cause of the Kingdom of God, but in selfish ends and motives of the self-seeking, sinful heart. Human sin must subserve the purposes of Gods government and kingdom. The absolute freedom of control in the things of His kingdom takes the activity of human freedom into its dispensations, and weaves them into the fast-closed web of Divine arrangements and acts, in which they fulfil the plans of Divine wisdom.
III. Ish-bosheth, in setting up a claim to the throne in opposition to the Divine call of David, not only lost the distinction he coveted, but also his life.One day, when lying in his bed at noon, he was despatched by two of his servants. The two men that murdered him seem to have been among those whom Saul enriched with the spoil of the Gibeonites. They were brothers, men of Beeroth, which was formerly one of the cities of the Gibeonites, but was now reckoned to Benjamin. Mistaking the character of David as much as it had been mistaken by the Amalekite who pretended that he had slain Saul, they hastened to Hebron, bearing with them the head of their victim, a ghastly evidence of the reality of the deed. This revolting trophy they carried all the way from Mahanaim to Hebron, a distance of some fifty miles.
IV. If David had put the Amalekite to death for merely saying that he had slain Saul, even at his own command, how much more would he take signal vengeance of their united treachery and murder?The Amalekite might have some ground of vengeance against Saul, in respect of the destruction he had wrought upon his nation; but what had theythe trusted servants of Ish-bosheth, the appointed guardians of his lifewhat had they to allege against their master? Nothing! Davids behaviour in this treatment of the murderers of Ish-bosheth was not only an act of justice in itself, but it publicly declared that he would never be served by treachery and murder, nor ever forgive such crimes, however the pretence for committing them might be for his own interest and service.
Illustrations
(1) Amid the affecting events that introduce the final fall of Sauls house, and the severe temptations with which he is beset to make a compact with sin, or at least to come in contact with crime in order to gain his end, David holds, as from the beginning, firm and unshaken to his standpoint of humble obedience to and complete dependence on the will and leading of the Lord, knowing himself to be in person and life and in his destination for the throne of Israel solely in the hand of God. The anger with which he repels self-commending crime, appealing to the guidance of his God Who had brought him through all adversity, is at the same time a positive witness to his determination to take all further steps also up to the attainment of his promised dominion only at the hand of his God, and to guard against all tainting of His Divine mission by sin and crime. His way to the throne had hitherto been always the way of obedience to Gods will; it was ever the way of the fear of God and of conscientious fulfilment of duty, and with such crimes he had never had anything to do. How could he now defile himself with them! The execution of these two murderers was a testimony to all the people, what ways David went and wished further to go, and that whoever would avail anything with this king must tread solely the path of godly fear and duty.
(2) Note the gradual advance of Davids kingship. No messengers were sent through the land when Saul was slain. Slowly, but surely, the way was opened up. Firstly, he was leader of an outlawed band; then he was enthroned by his own tribe; and only when other seven years had sped was he exalted to be king in Zion. In such ways true kingship ever comes. It was so with that Kingdom that was like a mustard seed. Not suddenly, nor by one wild endeavour, but through the trust and the toiling of the years are we made ready, by the grace of God, for the worthy wearing of the crown.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2Sa 4:12. David commanded, and they slew them But what a disappointment to Baanah and Rechab was the sentence which David passed upon them! And such they will meet with who think to serve the Son of David by cruelty or injustice: who, under colour of religion, outrage or murder their brethren, and think they do God service. However men may now canonize such methods of serving the church and the catholic cause, Christ will let them know another day that Christianity was not designed to destroy humanity, And they who thus think to merit heaven, shall not escape the damnation of hell.