English
Português
Español
Français
Answer
Ish-Bosheth was a son of King Saul. His story is discussed in 2 Samuel chapters 2 through 4. David was king in the city of Hebron and over the tribe of Judah. Ish-Bosheth was made king over the rest of Israel: “Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri, and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David” (2 Samuel 2:8-10).
Following a battle at Gibeon between Judah and Israel, Abner chose to join David. Abner was a military leader to Ish-Bosheth, who accused Abner of sleeping with his concubine. In his anger over the false charge, Abner vowed to turn the rest of Israel over to David (2 Samuel 3:7-11).
During this time, “Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest. They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach” (2 Samuel 4:5-6). The assassins brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David, expecting to receive a reward. Yet David was displeased with their merciless action and had these men killed, their feet and hands cut off, and their bodies hanged beside a pool in Hebron. In contrast, the head of Ish-Bosheth was buried in Hebron «And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried.It in the sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.” , (2 Samuel 4:12). These events occurred after David had ruled in Hebron for about seven and a half years.
The end of Ish-Bosheth’s life, though violent, paved the way for David’s rule to extend from Judah to all of Israel. The ancient prophecy finally came to fruition: David became the king of all Israel “Also in times past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel, and you shall be a leader over Israel.'” , (2 Samuel 5:2). “When all the elders of Israel came to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David as king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. He ruled over Judah in Hebron for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem, he governed over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years” (2 Samuel 5:3-5).
Despite the numerous violent conflicts between the people of David’s kingdom and Ish-Bosheth’s kingdom, God was orchestrating events to fulfill His promise. Ultimately, David ruled over Israel from Jerusalem. He became an ancestor of Jesus Christ, who will reign eternally.
