2 Samuel 4:5-8

4:5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite – Recab and Baanah – went at the hottest part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying his midday rest. 4:6 They ¹  entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat and mortally wounded him ²  in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.

4:7 They had entered ³  the house while Ish-bosheth ⁴  was resting on his bed in his bedroom. They mortally wounded him ⁵  and then cut off his head. ⁶  Taking his head, ⁷  they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night. 4:8 They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king this day against ⁸  Saul and his descendants!”

[4:6]  ¹ tc For the MT’s וְהֵנָּה (vÿhennah, “and they,” feminine) read וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and behold”). See the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Targum.

[4:6]  ² tn Heb “and they struck him down.”

[4:7]  ³ tn After the concluding disjunctive clause at the end of v. 6, the author now begins a more detailed account of the murder and its aftermath.

[4:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish-bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “they struck him down and killed him.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.

[4:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they removed his head.” The Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate lack these words.

[4:7]  ⁷ tc The Lucianic Greek recension lacks the words “his head.”

[4:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “from.”