Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Father: King Saul, 2Sa 2:8
Length of reign: 2 years, 2Sa 2:10
Succession: 2nd king of Israel, 2Sa 2:10
Kingdom: Israel, 2Sa 2:10
Predecessor: King Saul, 2Sa 2:10
Morality: good king
Bible reference: 2Sa 2:8-11; 2Sa 2:12-32; 2Sa 3:1-25; 2Sa 4:1-12
Ishbosheth reigns over Israel
King Ishbosheth was the second king of Israel, succeeding his father Saul after his death at the Battle of Mount Gilboa. His name means “man of shame,” and he was also known as Eshba’al, Ashba’al, or Ishbaal. Ishbosheth was the 4th and the last of King Saul’s sons; Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal (1Ch 8:33).
Ishbosheth was not the rightful heir to the throne, as David had been anointed future king by the prophet Samuel and as Saul’s successor by the tribe of Judah. However, after Saul’s death, Abner, the captain of Saul’s army, proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Israel at Mahanaim (2Sa 2:8-11). Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he became a king and he reigned for 2 years (2Sa 2:10) over the northern tribes of Israel while David ruled over the southern tribe of Judah. And there was rivalry between these two kings until the death of Ishbosheth.
A long war ensued between David and Ishbosheth, with Abner serving as Ishbosheth’s commander and Joab serving as David’s. While David grew stronger and stronger, the house of Saul became weaker and weaker (2Sa 3:1). At some point, Abner led the warriors of Ish-bosheth from Mahanaim to Gibeon to face the warriors of David. And Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by Joab and the warriors of David (2Sa 2:12-32).
One significant event involving Ishbosheth is when he falsely accused Abner, the commander of his army. He accused Abner of having an affair with Rizpah, one of King Saul’s concubines. Abner became angry with Ishbosheth and said to his face that he had not done such a thing and that he would defect to David’s side (2Sa 3:7).
From that time, Abner conferred with the elders of Israel (2Sa 3:17) and spoke to the tribe of Benjamin to accept David as their king (2Sa 3:19). Abner sent messengers to David to arrange a meeting with him. David agreed to meet Abner only if Michal is returned to him. Michal was David’s wife and Saul’s daughter whom Saul took away from David and married her off to another man (2Sa 3:13).
Then, David sent messengers to Ishbosheth to get him Michal, his wife, for whom he paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines (2Sa 3:14). Ishbosheth had Michal taken from her husband Paltiel and was sent to David. (2Sa 3:15)
After the condition was met, Abner and twenty of his men went to see David at Hebron (2Sa 3:20). And David warmly welcomed them with a feast. Abner promised to help David become king over all of Israel. Then he left Hebron to accomplish his task. However, Joab, David’s army commander, plotted and killed Abner to avenge his brother Asahel whom Abner killed. (2Sa 3:26-30)
The death of Abner made the throne and life of Ishbosheth and the entire house of Saul vulnerable. No sooner after Abner’s death, the reign of Ishbosheth came to an end. Ishbosheth’s reign came to an end when two of his army captains betrayed him.
These captains were two brothers named Rechab and Baanah. They entered Ishbosheth’s house during his noonday rest while he was lying on his bed, then stabbed him, and cut off his head. Afterward, they traveled to Hebron and presented it to David. However, David was not pleased with the murder of Ishbosheth and had the murderers killed. (2Sa 4:1-12)
Category; Ishbosheth belongs to:
- The kings who inherited the throne
- The kings of Israel
- The kings who were murdered