2 Samuel 4:11
in 2 Samuel 4How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
KJV
How 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?
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This verse in 2 Samuel 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIsh-bosheth, the son of Saul, is killed through a ruse at the hands of Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite. And, when they announced the news to David and showed him the head of his enemy, they were killed by David, who said, "Wicked men have slain a just man in his own house upon his bed." Ish-bosheth was certainly not a just man, and yet he is called a just man because he was innocently killed.
This site's exposition
who has redeemed my life from all distress
on 2 Samuel 4:9-12
David answers by naming the earlier case: the man who brought news of Saul's death was put to death at Ziklag in 1:14-16. Here the charge is heavier, since “wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed”.
This site's exposition
wicked men kill a righteous man
Jerome holds that Ish-bosheth is called a righteous man because he was killed innocently. Matthew Henry adds that David judged his rival misled by others. Adam Clarke notes that the king lay on his own bed in his own house without guards.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Ish-bosheth was a righteous person, he had done them no wrong, nor designed them any. As to himself, David was satisfied that what opposition he gave him was not from malice, but mistake, from an idea he had of his own title to the crown, and the influence of others upon him, who urged him to put in for it.
2 And 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: 3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.) 4 And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
How much more - Here are several things which aggravated the guilt of those wicked men. 1. Ish-bosheth was an innocent man, and therefore none could have any ground of quarrel against him. 2. He was in his own house, which was his sanctuary, and none but the worst of men would disturb him there. 3. He was upon his bed, resting in the heat of the day, and so free from suspicion that he was not even attended by his guards, nor had he his doors secured.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
He thought I would reward him for his good tidings. He thought he was making me happy in order that I should reward him for his good tidings.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֞ף | ʾaf | indeed? | H637 → | 134 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲנָשִׁ֣ים | ʾanashim | men | H582 → | 566 times |
| רְשָׁעִ֗ים | reshaim | wicked | H7563 → | |
| הָרְג֧וּ | haregu | they have killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| צַדִּ֛יק | tzadik | righteous | H6662 → | |
| בְּבֵית֖וֹ | beveito | in own house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ | mishkavo | own bed his | H4904 → | 46 times |
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| הֲל֨וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ | ʾavakesh | will I require | H1245 → | 225 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּמוֹ֙ | damo | blood his | H1818 → | 360 times |
| מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ם | miyedkhem | from hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וּבִעַרְתִּ֥י | uviarti | and I will remove | H1197 → | 94 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
אַ֞ףindeed?
ʾafH637 →134 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֲנָשִׁ֣יםmen
ʾanashimH582 →566 times
רְשָׁעִ֗יםwicked
reshaimH7563 →
הָרְג֧וּthey have killed
hareguH2026 →167 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִישׁ־a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
צַדִּ֛יקrighteous
tzadikH6662 →
בְּבֵית֖וֹin own house his
beveitoH1004 →2046 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹown bed his
mishkavoH4904 →46 times
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
הֲל֨וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁwill I require
ʾavakeshH1245 →225 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּמוֹ֙blood his
damoH1818 →360 times
מִיֶּדְכֶ֔םfrom hand your
miyedkhemH3027 →1618 times
וּבִעַרְתִּ֥יand I will remove
uviartiH1197 →94 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 9:12For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
- Exodus 3:7
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- Revelation 16:6
For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
- Psalms 34:6
Through
Proverbs 2:22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.
it leads to
- Psalms 52:5
Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
- Deuteronomy 7:22
The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.
- Psalms 52:5
Through
Genesis 7:23And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with…
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:5
if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
- Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes…
- 1 Peter 3:20
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
- 2 Peter 2:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Against the Pelagians 1.33; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.