Ishbosheth’s weakness was evident when he found out that Abner was dead, his courage failed, and he probably knew that his days were numbered because his main supporter, the one he trusted in, was gone (v1-4)
Whilst all this was going on, tucked away in v4 we were told of Mephibosheth (Meri-baal). Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth who, when five years old, his nurse, on hearing the news about the death of Saul and Jonathan, fled and in doing so, Mephibosheth fell and became lame in his feet. He was now twelve years old. We will read more about Mephibosheth in chapter 9.
Meanwhile, evidently Saul had another son, Rimmon a Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin. We were told that the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and thus became Benjamites; and Rimmon had two sons, Baanah and Rechab, who were both fighting men. These two men came into Ishbosheth’s house at noon, in the heat of the day, and found him lying on his bed. One writer suggests that to sleep on his bed at noon without a guard was careless, and so it proved because Baanah and Rechab went in and stabbed him to death, beheaded him and took his head as they escaped through the following night. (v5-7) Thus he was murdered by people of his own family and tribe.
We see the significance of taking Ishbosheth’s head (v8-12). They took it to David at Hebron thinking that they were doing him a great service saying, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my LORD the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” David was not impressed; he knew that The LORD had delivered him, and David had not regarded Saul as his enemy. He is offended that they should consider that they were doing God’s will in avenging David of Saul. They thought they would be pleasing David in doing what they had, but the very opposite was true, just as David dealt with the Amalekite (in chapter 1) who thought he was doing him a favour in falsely saying he had killed Saul. They totally underestimate David’s loyalty to God and to the house of Saul. David had the two men put to death for striking a righteous man – note not The LORD’s anointed, for Ishbosheth was not, even though Abner had made him king of Israel. David commanded his men to give Ishbosheth a decent burial even though they only had his head. (v12)
