Commentary - 2 Samuel 4:1-3

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we witness the final death throes of the house of Saul. With Abner gone, the man who was the true political and military power behind the throne, the entire flimsy structure begins to collapse. This is not a glorious fall in battle, but an ignominious end brought about by internal rot and treachery. Ish-bosheth, a king in name only, loses his nerve, and all the people who put their hope in this man-made monarchy are thrown into confusion. God is clearing the board. He is demonstrating the utter futility of any kingdom not established by His own promise and decree. The house of Saul was built on the sand of human approval and political maneuvering, and now the tide of God's providence is washing it away to make room for the house of David, which is established on the rock of God's covenant.

The introduction of the two assassins, Baanah and Rechab, reveals the kind of men that a weak and failing regime attracts. They are not noble warriors but opportunistic cutthroats from Saul's own tribe. This is a profound lesson: sin is suicidal. The very thing Saul tried to build up through his own strength and disobedience is now being torn down by men from his own house. God's judgment is not just external; He often allows sin to simply run its course, to devour itself from the inside out. This chapter is a stark illustration of the principle that what man builds in defiance of God will ultimately collapse under the weight of its own corruption.

Outline

Context In 2 Samuel

This chapter follows directly on the heels of Abner's murder by Joab in chapter 3. Abner had been the last pillar holding up the crumbling house of Saul. He had made Ish-bosheth king, and he was in the process of transferring that kingdom to David when he was killed. His death creates a power vacuum. The narrative slows down to show us the consequences of this moment. For the house of Saul, it is the beginning of the end. For David, it is another test of his character. Will he seize the opportunity created by this violence, or will he continue to wait for God to establish his throne in righteousness? The events of this chapter serve to remove the last rival claimant to the throne, clearing the way for all Israel to finally recognize David as their God-appointed king.

Key Issues

Commentary

1 Then Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron. And he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.

The text identifies Ish-bosheth first and foremost as Saul's son. His identity is derivative. He is not a king in his own right, but simply the heir of a rejected dynasty. When he hears the news about Abner, his reaction is telling. The Hebrew says his hands went limp, or dropped. This is a picture of complete helplessness and despair. His courage was never his own; it was borrowed from Abner. Abner was the strongman, the political operator, the military commander. Ish-bosheth was merely the figurehead. When the prop is removed, the puppet collapses. This is a universal principle for any leader, any church, any family, any nation whose strength is in a man and not in the Lord. When the human pillar is knocked out, the whole structure comes down.

And it was not just Ish-bosheth. All Israel was dismayed. The people had followed Abner in propping up this rival kingdom. They had invested their hopes for stability and security in this political arrangement, and now they were terrified. Their peace was a false peace, built on the shifting sands of human power brokers. When God decides to shake things up, those who trust in princes are always dismayed. This is a picture of the world's political systems. They seem strong and permanent, but they are one crisis away from total panic, because their foundation is in man, not God.

2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,

The camera now zooms in on the instruments of judgment. Notice the description: they are commanders of bands. These are not generals of a standing army, but leaders of raiding parties. They are opportunists, men who live by plunder. A kingdom reveals its character by the men it employs, and Ish-bosheth's kingdom is propped up by mercenaries and marauders. This is the kind of loyalty you get when your kingdom is not built on righteousness.

Their names are given, Baanah and Rechab, grounding the story in historical reality. But the crucial detail is their lineage. They are sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and they are from the tribe of Benjamin. This is Saul's own tribe. The fatal blow to the house of Saul does not come from David or the tribe of Judah. It comes from within. The Benjamites, who should have been the most loyal supporters of Saul's dynasty, become its executioners. This is God's poetic justice. The rebellion that Saul embodied is now turned inward, and his own house devours itself. Sin is always self-destructive.

3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day).

This parenthetical note seems like a minor historical detail, but it is rich with theological meaning. Beeroth was one of the Gibeonite cities that had made a covenant with Israel under Joshua (Josh. 9:17). Later, in his misguided zeal, Saul violated that covenant and slaughtered the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1-2). It is highly likely that this persecution caused the Beerothites to flee their home and become sojourners, refugees, in a place called Gittaim.

So these two assassins, Baanah and Rechab, are men whose lives have been shaped by Saul's faithlessness. Their father was from a town whose people were displaced because Saul broke God's covenant. They are men without roots, living as aliens. Is it any wonder they have no loyalty? Their treachery is the long-term fruit of Saul's sin. Saul broke faith with the Gibeonites, and now two men with Gibeonite connections, men from his own tribe, are going to break faith with his son. This is how the providence of God works. Sins committed years, even generations ago, come home to roost. God is not mocked.

Application

First, we must see the utter folly of placing our trust in human institutions or political strongmen. Ish-bosheth’s courage was entirely dependent on Abner. When Abner was gone, Ish-bosheth’s hands went limp, and all the people who trusted in that arrangement were dismayed. Our hope cannot be in a political party, a charismatic leader, or a particular administration. All human strength is fleeting. Our hope must be built on nothing less than the covenant promises of God and the finished work of Jesus Christ, the true King. When the kingdoms of this world are shaken, and they will be, those who are in Christ's kingdom will not be moved.

Second, we must recognize that sin has a long and destructive tail. Saul’s violation of his covenant with the Gibeonites, likely years before, created a context of displacement and faithlessness that ultimately produced the men who would assassinate his son. We cannot sin in a vacuum. Our disobedience creates ripples that spread through our families, our communities, and even into the next generation. This should drive us to walk in faithfulness and integrity, knowing that we are sowing seeds that others will reap.

Finally, we see the sovereign hand of God at work even through the wicked actions of men. Baanah and Rechab were motivated by selfish ambition, hoping to gain favor with David. They were morally culpable for their treachery and murder. And yet, God used their sinful act to accomplish His righteous purpose: to remove the last obstacle to David's throne and to bring judgment on the house of Saul. God's providence does not absolve men of their sin, but it does overrule their sin for His glory. This should give us immense confidence. No matter how chaotic the world appears, God is on His throne, and He is working all things, even the treachery of wicked men, according to the counsel of His will.