וַיִּשְׁמַע בֶּן שָׁאוּל כִּי מֵת אַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּרְפּוּ יָדָיו וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל נִבְהָלוּ

Saul’s son, Ish Boshet, heard that Avner had died in Hebron and his, Ish Boshet’s, hands slackened, as Avner had held the kingdom together, and all Israel panicked. The tragedy left a deep impression upon the people and led them to the conclusion that in the absence of Avner, it would not be possible for Ish Boshet to oppose David, who was constantly growing stronger.

וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים שָׂרֵי גְדוּדִים הָיוּ בֶן שָׁאוּל שֵׁם הָאֶחָד בַּעֲנָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִי רֵכָב בְּנֵי רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֵרֹתִי מִבְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן כִּי גַּם בְּאֵרוֹת תֵּחָשֵׁב עַל בִּנְיָמִן

Two men, commanders of troops, senior military officers, were with Saul’s son; the name of one was Baana, and the name of the second Rekhav; they were sons of Rimon the Be’erotite, of the children of Benjamin, as also Be’erot, although it had previously been inhabited by foreigners, was considered to be of the portion of Benjamin. It is possible that this parenthetical remark indicates that the two brothers were not from the Israelite people. Alternatively, it may indicate the exact opposite; although the brothers had fled their home town and had lived among the Philistines for a time, they were in fact members of the tribe of Benjamin.

וַיִּבְרְחוּ הַבְּאֵרֹתִים גִּתָּיְמָה וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם גָּרִים עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

The Be’erotites fled to Gitayim. In Nehemiah (11:33), Gitayim is listed among the cities of Benjamin. Others explain that this means that they fled to the city of Gat. And they are there, residing to this day; they did not return to their place of origin.

וְלִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן שָׁאוּל בֵּן נְכֵה רַגְלָיִם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים הָיָה בְּבֹא שְׁמֻעַת שָׁאוּל וִיהוֹנָתָן מִיִּזְרְעֶאל וַתִּשָּׂאֵהוּ אֹמַנְתּוֹ וַתָּנֹס וַיְהִי בְּחָפְזָהּ לָנוּס וַיִּפֹּל וַיִּפָּסֵחַ וּשְׁמוֹ מְפִיבֹשֶׁת

The narrative is now interrupted with a parenthetical aside to relate some information, the significance of which will become clear later. Yehonatan son of Saul had a son with crippled legs. His legs were damaged, and he was unable to walk due to an accident he suffered as a young boy. He was five years old when the news about the deaths of Saul and Yehonatan came from Yizre’el, and his nurse was carrying him as she fled. Since he was too young to escape on his own, the nurse took hold of him and fled, along with many others who feared the revenge of the victorious Philistines. It was in her haste to flee that he, the boy, fell and was permanently crippled, suffering an injury which never healed. His name was Mefivoshet.

וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֵרֹתִי רֵכָב וּבַעֲנָה וַיָּבֹאוּ כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם אֶל בֵּית אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת וְהוּא שֹׁכֵב אֵת מִשְׁכַּב הַצָּהֳרָיִם

Those brothers, the sons of Rimon the Be’erotite, Rekhav and Baana, went, and arrived in the heat of the day at the house of Ish Boshet; he was lying down for the midday rest.

וְהֵנָּה בָּאוּ עַד תּוֹךְ הַבַּיִת לֹקְחֵי חִטִּים וַיַּכֻּהוּ אֶל הַחֹמֶשׁ וְרֵכָב וּבַעֲנָה אָחִיו נִמְלָטוּ

They came into the interior of the house dressed as purchasers of wheat, or they snuck in with actual wheat purchasers. Although Ish Boshet was not a very powerful king, it can be assumed that he did have guards of some sort protecting his house. Therefore, the brothers had to use deception to enter, so they disguised themselves as wheat traders. And they smote him, Ish Boshet, in the lower stomach, and Rekhav and Baana his brother subsequently escaped. Alternatively, the verse may be interpreted to mean that the purchasers of wheat were in collusion with the two brothers; as they were granted entry to deliver wheat to the palace, they took advantage of the opportunity and killed the guard, which then allowed Rekhav and Baana to escape from the entrance room and enter the king’s chamber to commit the murder.

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַבַּיִת וְהוּא שֹׁכֵב עַל מִטָּתוֹ בַּחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וַיַּכֻּהוּ וַיְמִתֻהוּ וַיָּסִירוּ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וַיֵּלְכוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲרָבָה כָּל הַלָּיְלָה

The verse describes the assassination of Ish Boshet in greater detail: They came into the house, to the inner room, while he, Ish Boshet, was lying on his bed in his bedroom and smote him and put him to death, and removed his head. They took his head, and went via the Arava, from Mahanayim through the Jordan Valley to Hebron, traveling all the night.

וַיָּבִאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת אֶל דָּוִד חֶבְרוֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה רֹאשׁ אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל אֹיִבְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּקֵּשׁ אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ וַיִּתֵּן ה' לַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ נְקָמוֹת הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה מִשָּׁאוּל וּמִזַּרְעוֹ

They brought the head of Ish Boshet to David to Hebron and said to the king: Behold the head of Ish Boshet, son of Saul, who was your enemy, and who sought your life. The Lord has provided a great revenge to my lord the king this day from Saul, and from his descendants.

וַיַּעַן דָּוִד אֶת רֵכָב וְאֶת בַּעֲנָה אָחִיו בְּנֵי רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֵרֹתִי וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם חַי ה' אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת נַפְשִׁי מִכָּל צָרָה

David answered Rekhav and Baana his brother, sons of Rimon the Be’erotite, and said to them, employing language expressing an oath: As the Lord lives, He who has redeemed my life from every trouble:

כִּי הַמַּגִּיד לִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה מֵת שָׁאוּל וְהוּא הָיָה כִמְבַשֵּׂר בְּעֵינָיו וָאֹחֲזָה בוֹ וָאֶהְרְגֵהוּ בְּצִקְלָג אֲשֶׁר לְתִתִּי לוֹ בְּשֹׂרָה

For the one, that young Amalekite, who told me, saying: Behold, Saul is dead, and he was like a herald of good tidings in his eyes and I seized him and killed him in Tziklag; that is what I gave him as payment for the tidings. Rather than giving him a gift as he expected, I killed him for his deed, as he had murdered the king and taken his possessions, and he even rejoiced and took pride in what he had done. Now that man did not murder Saul; he merely informed me that he had slain the king at his own behest.

אַף כִּי אֲנָשִׁים רְשָׁעִים הָרְגוּ אֶת אִישׁ צַדִּיק בְּבֵיתוֹ עַל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וְעַתָּה הֲלוֹא אֲבַקֵּשׁ אֶת דָּמוֹ מִיֶּדְכֶם וּבִעַרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ

Your offense was even more severe. All the more so it shall be for the wicked men who killed an innocent, righteous man in his own house on his own bed, an entirely unjustifiable act. Truly I will seek his blood from your hands, avenge his death, and eliminate you from the earth.

וַיְצַו דָּוִד אֶת הַנְּעָרִים וַיַּהַרְגוּם וַיְקַצְּצוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת רַגְלֵיהֶם וַיִּתְלוּ עַל הַבְּרֵכָה בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְאֶת רֹאשׁ אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת לָקָחוּ וַיִּקְבְּרוּ בְקֶבֶר אַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן

David commanded his young men who were present at the scene, and they killed them; furthermore, they severed their hands and their feet as an act of degradation, and they hung them, their bodies as well as their severed hands and feet, at the pool in Hebron, so that all would see the punishment of those wicked men. They took the head of Ish Boshet, and buried it in the grave of Avner in Hebron. Since there was no nearer or more convenient burial place available, they buried Ish Boshet’s head alongside the body of Avner, who was his relative.