2 Samuel 4:5-6 NIV

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Samuel 4:5-6

2 Samuel 4:5-6. Who lay on a bed at noon As the manner was, and still continues to be, in hot countries. As though they would have fetched wheat Which was laid up in public granaries in the king’s house, and was fetched thence by the captains and commanders of the army for the pay of their soldiers, who, in those ancient times, were not paid in money, but in corn. Upon this pretence they were admitted into the house, and so went from room to room to the place where the king lay. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 4:1-12

End of the line of Saul (3:2-4:12)On becoming king of Judah, David followed the pattern of neighbouring kings by taking a number of wives (2-5). (For the more important people of David’s family and relatives see the appendix at the end of the commentary on 2 Samuel.) Meanwhile Abner became so powerful among Ishbosheth’s supporters, that Ishbosheth accused him of trying to gain the throne for himself. (According to an eastern custom, one way a person signified his claim to the throne was by... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 2 Samuel 4:6

And they came thither . Or, "Thither, into the interior of the house, came wheat-fetchers, and they smote", &c. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 2 Samuel 4:5

THE MURDER OF ISHBOSHETH"Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ishbosheth, as he was taking his noonday rest. And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept; so Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped in. When they came into the house, as he slept on his bed in his bed-chamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him."These mercenary raiders were employees of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 2 Samuel 4:6-7

2 Samuel 4:6-7. They came thither into the midst of the house— Houbigant, following the version of the LXX, translates the whole thus: the keeper of the house, while he was cleaning wheat in the midst of it, slept in the sun; therefore Rechab and Baanah his brother entered the house secretly, and whilst Ish-bosheth slept upon his bed, in an inner chamber, they smote him till he died, and they took his head, which they had cut off, and travelled all the night by the way of the desart, &c.... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 2 Samuel 4:5

5, 6. Rechab and Baanah went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, c.—It is still a custom in the East to allow their soldiers a certain quantity of corn, together with some pay and these two captains very naturally went to the palace the day before to fetch wheat, in order to distribute it to the soldiers, that it might be sent to the mill at the accustomed hour in the morning. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 2 Samuel 4:1-12

2. David’s punishment of Ish-bosheth’s murderers ch. 4"Saul the king is dead, Jonathan the heir apparent is dead, Abinadab and Malki-Shua (two of Jonathan’s brothers) are dead (1 Samuel 31:2), Abner the commander of the army is dead-and no other viable claimants or pretenders continue to block David’s accession to the throne except Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth and Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. Chapter 4 removes them from the scene, one explicitly and the other implicitly." [Note: Youngblood, p. 843.]... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 4:1-12

The Murder of Ish-bosheth2, 3. Beeroth was near Gibeon. The object of this note is to explain how the Beerothites came to be Benjamites. Properly they should have been Canaanites, for Beeroth was included in the treaty with Gibeon (Joshua 9:17, Joshua 9:27). But owing to the persecution of Saul (2 Samuel 21:1) the Canaanites of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, and the town passed into the possession of Benjamin. Gittaim] in Benjamin.4. Mephibosheth] His name is given in 1 Chronicles 8:34 as... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 2 Samuel 4:5

(5) Who lay on a bed at noon—according to the custom in hot countries of taking a siesta at midday. Ish-bosheth’s bed was, of course, in the coolest and most retired part of the house. read more