Ish-bosheth

Biblical Account

Ish-bosheth was a son of Saul. After Saul, his son Jonathan, and others died in the battle at Gilboa, Saul's army commander Abner brought Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim, east of the Jordan River, and made him king. He became king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and "over all Israel"; he was forty years old at the time and reigned two years (2 Samuel 2:8-10). During the same period, David was king over the tribe of Judah in Hebron.

A long war followed between the two royal houses. Abner's forces and the forces of Joab clashed at the pool of Gibeon, and the house of David grew steadily stronger while the house of Saul grew steadily weaker (2 Samuel 2:12-3:1). When Ish-bosheth rebuked Abner over Rizpah, Saul's concubine, Abner became angry and went over to David's side (2 Samuel 3:7-12). At David's demand, Ish-bosheth took Michal from her husband Phaltiel and sent her back to David (2 Samuel 3:14-16). When Abner was killed by Joab, Ish-bosheth's "hands were feeble" (2 Samuel 4:1).

In the end, he was murdered on his bed at midday by Rechab and Baanah, captains in his own army. The two men brought his head to David at Hebron, but David, declaring that they had slain a righteous man, had them executed and buried Ish-bosheth's head in Abner's tomb (2 Samuel 4:5-12). Inserted within this narrative is the account of how his nephew Mephibosheth became lame (2 Samuel 4:4).

Significance Within the Bible

In 2 Samuel, Ish-bosheth is a transitional figure in the passage from the house of Saul to the Davidic dynasty. The text portrays him as a king without real power who depends on Abner. In addition, through the scenes in which David punishes those who harmed the house of Saul, the narrative emphasizes that David did not seize the throne by violence. The New Testament does not mention Ish-bosheth directly.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Name: 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39 record his name as "Eshbaal." Because "bosheth" means "shame," it is commonly explained that an original name containing "Baal" was altered to "bosheth" in the course of later scribal transmission. Merib-baal, the alternate name of Mephibosheth, is cited as a similar example. However, because "baal" was also an ordinary word originally meaning "master" or "lord," interpretations differ as to whether the name itself signified worship of the pagan god Baal.
• Question of identity: Some hold that "Ishui," who appears in the list of Saul's sons in 1 Samuel 14:49, is the same person as Ish-bosheth, but this has not been established.
• Chronology: Scholars differ in how they reconcile Ish-bosheth's two-year reign with David's reign of seven years and six months in Hebron (2 Samuel 2:11).

In the Korean Church

Ish-bosheth is treated mainly in expository preaching that works sequentially through 2 Samuel. He is commonly used to illustrate the limits of leadership that rests on human support (Abner) and as a contrast to David, who waited rather than taking the throne for himself. He is rarely treated as a standalone subject in Sunday school curricula or in worship songs.