Atomic Bible

Son of Saul, king over Israel.

Ish-bosheth

Named in 12 verses across 2 books, first in 2 Samuel 2:8.

אִישׁ־בֹ֫שֶׁתIsh-bosheth

אֶשְׁבַּעַלEshbaal

Also called Eshbaal.

Father
Saul
Mother
Ahinoam
Brothers and sisters
Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchi-shua, Merab, Michal, Armoni, Mephibosheth
People
Tribe of Benjamin

About Ish-bosheth Written by AI

Ish-bosheth, also known as Eshbaal, was the fourth son of King Saul (1 Chronicles 8:33.39). After Saul's death, Abner, the commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth and made him king over Israel, while David reigned over Judah (2 Samuel 2:8 to 10). Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for two years. During his reign, there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David (2 Samuel 3:1). Abner became angry with Ish-bosheth and defected to David (2 Samuel 3:8 to 21). Later, two of Ish-bosheth's captains, Rechab and Baanah, assassinated him while he was resting in his bed. They brought his head to David, hoping for a reward, but David had them executed for their crime (2 Samuel 4:5 to 12). After Ish-bosheth's death, all the tribes of Israel came to David and acknowledged him as king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1 to 3). The name "Ish-bosheth" means "man of shame," while "Eshbaal" means "man of Baal." The name change may reflect the biblical writer's perspective on the contrast between Ish-bosheth's weak rule and David's divinely appointed kingship.

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897

Man of shame or humiliation, the youngest of Saul’s four sons, and the only one who survived him (2 Sam. 2-4). His name was originally Eshbaal (1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39). He was about forty years of age when his father and three brothers fell at the battle of Gilboa. Through the influence of Abner, Saul’s cousin, he was acknowledged as successor to the throne of Saul, and ruled over all Israel, except the tribe of Judah (over whom David was king), for two years, having Mahanaim, on the east of Jordan, as his capital (2 Sam. 2:9). After a troubled and uncertain reign he was murdered by his guard, who stabbed him while he was asleep on his couch at mid-day (2 Sam. 4:5-7); and having cut off his head, presented it to David, who sternly rebuked them for this cold-blooded murder, and ordered them to be immediately executed (9-12).

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names him

  1. 2 Samuel 2:8

    Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,

  2. 2 Samuel 2:10

    Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

  3. 2 Samuel 2:12

    One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

  4. 2 Samuel 2:15

    So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

  5. 2 Samuel 3:8

    Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!

  6. 2 Samuel 3:14

    Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

  7. 2 Samuel 3:15

    So Ish-bosheth sent and took Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

  8. 2 Samuel 4:5

    Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.

  9. 2 Samuel 4:8

    They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

  10. 2 Samuel 4:12

    So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

  11. 1 Chronicles 8:33

    Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

  12. 1 Chronicles 9:39

    Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.