וַיִּשְׁמַע בֶּן־שָׁאוּל כִּי מֵת אַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּרְפּוּ יָדָיו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נִבְהָלוּ׃   4:1

2Sam. 4:1   Then the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, and his hands became feeble, and all of Israel were alarmed.

וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים שָׂרֵי־גְדוּדִים הָיוּ בֶן־שָׁאוּל שֵׁם הָאֶחָד בַּעֲנָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִי רֵכָב בְּנֵי רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֶרֹתִי מִבְּנֵי   4:2 בִנְיָמִן כִּי גַּם־בְּאֵרוֹת תֵּחָשֵׁב עַל־בִּנְיָמִן׃

2Sam. 4:2   Now two men were company captains of the son of Saul; the name of the first was Baanah and the name of the second was Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the children of Benjamin, for Beeroth also should be considered with Benjamin,

וַיִּבְרְחוּ הַבְּאֵרֹתִים גִּתָּיְמָה וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁם גָּרִים עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃   4:3

2Sam. 4:3   although the Beerothites bolted to Gittaim and have been sojourning there until this day.

וְלִיהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל בֵּן נְכֵה רַגְלָיִם בֶּן־חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים הָיָה בְּבֹא שְׁמֻעַת שָׁאוּל וִיהוֹנָתָן מִיִּזְרְעֶאל   4:4 וַתִּשָּׂאֵהוּ אֹמַנְתּוֹ וַתָּנֹס וַיְהִי בְּחָפְזָהּ לָנוּס וַיִּפֹּל וַיִּפָּסֵחַ וּשְׁמוֹ מְפִיבֹשֶׁת׃

2Sam. 4:4   And Jonathan son of Saul had a son lame of feet.  He was five years of age when the news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him and fled.  And it was in her haste to flee that he was thrown down and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

Why did Mephibosheth’s nurse take him?  Was his mother dead?  Or is something else going on here? 

וַיֵּלְכוּ בְּנֵי־רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֵרֹתִי רֵכָב וּבַעֲנָה וַיָּבֹאוּ כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם אֶל־בֵּית אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת וְהוּא שֹׁכֵב אֵת מִשְׁכַּב   4:5 הַצָּהֳרָיִם׃

2Sam. 4:5   And the sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and they came by the heat of day to the house of Ish-bosheth when he was lying down on a couch at midday.

וְהֵנָּה בָּאוּ עַד־תּוֹךְ הַבַּיִת לֹקְחֵי חִטִּים וַיַּכֻּהוּ אֶל־הַחֹמֶשׁ וְרֵכָב וּבַעֲנָה אָחִיו נִמְלָטוּ׃   4:6

2Sam. 4:6   And behold, they came in all the way to the middle of the house as if fetching wheat, and they smote him in the groin, then Rechab and his brother, Baanah, escaped.

וַיָּבֹאוּ הַבַּיִת וְהוּא־שֹׁכֵב עַל־מִטָּתוֹ בַּחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וַיַּכֻּהוּ וַיְמִתֻהוּ וַיָּסִירוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁוֹ   4:7 וַיֵּלְכוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲרָבָה כָּל־הַלָּיְלָה׃

2Sam. 4:7   So they came in to the house when he was lying on his sofa within his bed chamber and smote him and slew him.  Then they took off his head and carried away his head, and went through the Arabah all night.

וַיָּבִאוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת אֶל־דָּוִד חֶבְרוֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה־רֹאשׁ אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן־שָׁאוּל   4:8

 אֹיִבְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּקֵּשׁ אֶת־נַפְשֶׁךָ וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ נְקָמוֹת הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה מִשָּׁאוּל וּמִזַּרְעוֹ׃

2Sam. 4:8   And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life.  So the Lord has exacted vengeance for my lord, the king, this day from Saul and from his seed.”

וַיַּעַן דָּוִד אֶת־רֵכָב וְאֶת־בַּעֲנָה אָחִיו בְּנֵי רִמּוֹן הַבְּאֵרֹתִי וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם חַי־יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־פָּדָה אֶת־נַפְשִׁי   4:9 מִכָּל־צָרָה׃

2Sam. 4:9   And David answered Rechab and Baanah, his brother, sons of Rimmon, the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives Who redeems my soul from every adversity,

כִּי הַמַּגִּיד לִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה־מֵת שָׁאוּל וְהוּא־הָיָה כִמְבַשֵּׂר בְּעֵינָיו וָאֹחֲזָה בוֹ וָאֶהְרְגֵהוּ בְּצִקְלָג אֲשֶׁר   4:10 לְתִתִּי־לוֹ בְּשֹׂרָה׃

2Sam. 4:10   when one who reported to me saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and it was like bringing good news in his eyes, then I seized on him and slew him in Ziklag, thereby giving to him a reward for the news.”

אַף כִּי־אֲנָשִׁים רְשָׁעִים הָרְגוּ אֶת־אִישׁ־צַדִּיק בְּבֵיתוֹ עַל־מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וְעַתָּה הֲלוֹא אֲבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־דָּמוֹ   4:11 מִיֶּדְכֶם וּבִעַרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃

2Sam. 4:11   “How much more when wicked men slay a righteous man in his own house on his own couch as now, shall I not require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth?”

וַיְצַו דָּוִד אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים וַיַּהַרְגוּם וַיְקַצְּצוּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת־רַגְלֵיהֶם וַיִּתְלוּ עַל־הַבְּרֵכָה בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְאֵת   4:12 רֹאשׁ אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת לָקָחוּ וַיִּקְבְּרוּ בְקֶבֶר־אַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן׃

2Sam. 4:12   And David commanded the young men and they slew them.  Then they cut off their hands and their feet and hung over the pool in Hebron.  Then they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

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