2 Samuel 4:8
in 2 Samuel 4They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
KJV
And they brought the head of Ish–bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish–bosheth 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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 4
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThey brought the head - unto David - They thought, as did the poor lying Amalekite, to ingratiate themselves with David by this abominable act.
This site's exposition
They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron
Rechab and Baanah bring the head expecting the payment Saul's death earned at Ziklag. “Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring”. Clarke and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read this as the common coin such men expected a rival's death to buy.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Sentence passed upon them. There needed no evidence, their own tongues witnessed against them; they were so far from denying the fact that they gloried in it. David therefore shows them the heinousness of the crime, and that blood called for blood from his hand, who was now the chief magistrate, and was by office the avenger of blood.
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
They brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David . . . and said, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth--Such bloody trophies of rebels and conspirators have always been acceptable to princes in the East, and the carriers have been liberally rewarded.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יָּבִאוּ | vaiyaviu | and they brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רֹ֨אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | Ish- | H378 → | 22 times |
| בֹּ֥שֶׁת | boshet | bosheth | H378 → | 22 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִד֮ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| חֶבְרוֹן֒ | chevron | Hebron | H2275 → | 72 times |
| וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הִנֵּֽה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | Ish- | H378 → | 22 times |
| בֹּ֗שֶׁת | boshet | bosheth | H378 → | 22 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אֹֽיִבְךָ֔ | ʾoyivkha | enemy your | H341 → | 282 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּקֵּ֖שׁ | bikesh | he sought | H1245 → | 225 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ | nafshekha | life your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | vaiyiten | and he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְ֠הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לַֽאדֹנִ֨י | ladoni | to lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| נְקָמוֹת֙ | nekamot | vengeance<s> | H5360 → | |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| מִשָּׁא֖וּל | mishaul | from Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וּמִזַּרְעֽוֹ׃ ס | umizaro | and from offspring his | H2233 → | 229 times |
וַ֠יָּבִאוּand they brought
vaiyaviuH935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רֹ֨אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
אִֽישׁ־Ish-
ʾish-H378 →22 times
בֹּ֥שֶׁתbosheth
boshetH378 →22 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִד֮David
davidH1732 →999 times
חֶבְרוֹן֒Hebron
chevronH2275 →72 times
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הִנֵּֽה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
אִֽישׁ־Ish-
ʾish-H378 →22 times
בֹּ֗שֶׁתbosheth
boshetH378 →22 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אֹֽיִבְךָ֔enemy your
ʾoyivkhaH341 →282 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּקֵּ֖שׁhe sought
bikeshH1245 →225 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָlife your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןand he has given
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
יְ֠הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לַֽאדֹנִ֨יto lord my
ladoniH113 →333 times
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
נְקָמוֹת֙vengeance<s>
nekamotH5360 →
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
מִשָּׁא֖וּלfrom Saul
mishaulH7586 →402 times
וּמִזַּרְעֽוֹ׃ סand from offspring his
umizaroH2233 →229 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
Revelation 6:10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
it leads to
- Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…
- Revelation 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your…
- Psalms 9:12
For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
- Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:6–8
After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
- Revelation 19:2
Through
1 Samuel 25:29And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling…
it leads to
- John 17:21
that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- Matthew 10:29–30
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
- Malachi 3:17
“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
- John 17:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PlaceJudean hill countryHebronThe city of the patriarchs, where Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah, Caleb took his inheritance, and David reigned seven years…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
