¹扫罗 的儿子 伊施波设听见 押尼珥 死 在希伯崙 ，手 就发软 ；以色列 众人也都惊惶

¹And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

¹ CHAPTER IV

Some account of Rechab and Baanah, two of Ish-bosheth's

captains, and of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, 1-4.

Rechab and Baanah murder Ish-bosheth, and escape; and bring

his head to David, 5-8.

David is greatly irritated, and commands them to be slain,

9-12.

NOTES ON CHAP. IV



Verse 1. All the Israelites were troubled] Abner was their great

support; and on him they depended; for it appears that Ish-bosheth

was a feeble prince, and had few of those qualities requisite for

a sovereign.

²扫罗 的儿子 伊施波设有 两个 军 长 ，一 名 巴拿 ，一名 利甲 ，是便雅悯 支派、比录人 临门 的儿子 。比录 也属 便雅悯 。

²And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:^a

² Verse 2. Captains of bands] Principes latronum, captains of

banditti, says the Vulgate; the Syriac is the same. Whether

Ish-bosheth kept bands of marauders, whose business it was to make

sudden incursions into the country places, and carry off grain,

provisions, cattle, &c., we know not; but such persons would be

well qualified for the bloody work in which these two men were

afterwards employed.

³比录人 早先逃到 基他音 ，在那里寄居 ，直到今日 。

³And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

³ Verse 3. The Beerothites fled to Gittaim] Probably the same as

Gath; as Ramathaim is the same as Ramah.

⁴扫罗 的儿子 约拿单 有一个儿子 名叫 米非波设 ，是瘸 腿 的。扫罗 和约拿单 死亡的消息 从耶斯列 传到 的时候，他才五 岁 。他乳母 抱着他 逃跑 ；因为跑得 太急 ，孩子掉在 地上，腿就瘸了 。

⁴And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.^b

⁴ Verse 4. He fell, and became lame] Dislocated his ankle, knee,

or thigh; which was never after reduced; and thus he became lame.

Lovely Jonathan! unfortunate in thy life, and in thy progeny.

⁵一日，比录人 临门 的两个儿子 利甲 和巴拿 出去 ，约在午热 的时候 到了 伊施波设 的家 ；伊施波设正睡 午 觉。

⁵And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish–bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

⁵ Verse 5. Lay on a bed at noon.] It is a custom in all hot

countries to travel or work very early and very late, and rest at

noonday, in which the heat chiefly prevails.

⁶他们进了 房子 ，假作要取 麦子 ，就刺透 伊施波设的肚腹 ，逃跑了 。

⁶And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

⁶ Verse 6. As though they would have fetched wheat] The king's

stores were probably near his own dwelling; and these men were

accustomed to go thither for provisions for themselves, their

cattle, and their men. This supposition which is natural, renders

unnecessary all the emendations of Houbigant and others.



As these men were accustomed to bring wheat from these stores,

from which it appears there was an easy passage to the king's

chamber, (especially if we consider this a summer-house, as it

most probably was,) no man would suspect their present errand, as

they were in the habit of going frequently to that place.

⁷他们进 房子 的时候，伊施波设正在卧 房 里躺在 床 上，他们将他杀 死 ，割了他的首级 ，拿着 首级 在亚拉巴走了 一夜 ，

⁷For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

⁸将伊施波设 的首级 拿到 希伯崙 见大卫 王 ，说 ：王的仇敌 扫罗 曾寻索 王的性命 。看哪，这是他儿子 伊施波设 的首级 ；耶和华 今日 为我主 我王 在扫罗 和他后裔 的身上报了 仇 。

⁸And 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.

⁸ Verse 8. They brought the head-unto David] They thought, as did

the poor lying Amalekite, to ingratiate themselves with David by

this abominable act.

⁹大卫 对 比录人 临门 的儿子 利甲 和他兄弟 巴拿 说 ：我指着救 我性命 脱离一切苦难 、永生 的耶和华 起誓：

⁹ ¶ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

⁹ Verse 9. Who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity] This

was, in David's case, a very proper view of the goodness and

watchful providence of God towards him. His life was frequently in

danger; murderers had often laid wait for it: but God, the living

God, had always redeemed that life from all adversity; and called

on him now to punish such evil-minded and blood-thirsty men.

¹⁰从前有人报告 我说 ，扫罗 死了 ，他自以为报 好消息 ；我就拿住 他，将他杀 在洗革拉 ，这就作了 他报消息 的赏赐。

¹⁰When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:^{c, d}

¹⁰ Verse 10. A reward for his tidings] ωεδειμεδουναιευαγγελια,

Septuagint. Here is a proof that ευαγγελιον, evangelium or

gospel, signifies the reward which the bringer of good tidings

is entitled to receive. See my preface to St. Matthew's Gospel.

See Clarke on Mt 1:1.

¹¹何况恶 人 将义 人 杀 在他的床 上，我岂不向你们讨 流他血 的罪、从世上除灭你们 呢？

¹¹How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

¹¹ Verse 11. How much more] Here are several things which

aggravated the guilt of those wicked men. 1. Ish-bosheth was an

innocent man, and therefore none could have any ground of

quarrel against him. 2. He was in his own house, which was his

sanctuary, and none but the worst of men would disturb him there.

3. He was upon his bed, resting in the heat of the day, and so

free from suspicion that he was not even attended by his guards,

nor had he his doors secured. To take away the life of such a man,

in such circumstances, whom also they professed to hold as their

sovereign, was the most abandoned treachery.

¹²于是大卫 吩咐 少年人 将他们杀了 ，砍断 他们的手 脚 ，挂 在希伯崙 的池 旁，却将 伊施波设 的首级 葬在 希伯崙 押尼珥 的坟墓 里。

¹²And 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 sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

¹² Verse 12. And they slew them] None ever more richly deserved

death; and by this act of justice, David showed to all Israel that

he was a decided enemy to the destruction of Saul's family; and

that none could lift up their hands against any of them without

meeting with condign punishment. In all these cases I know not

that it was possible for David to show more sincerity, or a

stricter regard for justice.