2 Samuel 4:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).

NIV: because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

NASB: and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as strangers until this day).

CSB: and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and still reside there as aliens today.

NLT: because the original people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim, where they still live as foreigners.

KJV: And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

NKJV: because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

Second Samuel 4:1–3 introduces the last puzzle piece before David can be made king of Israel. Abner, Saul's general, made Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, ruler of the kingdom of Israel. Two years later, Abner rebelled and then died (2 Samuel 3). Ish-bosheth is in a very vulnerable position. Now, two brothers of Ish-bosheth's tribe are introduced. They will sneak in and murder Ish-bosheth while he sleeps. David will mourn the loss of an innocent man, and the elders of Israel will accept him as king (2 Samuel 4:5—5:5).

In 2 Samuel 4, David again shows loyalty to Saul. Saul's cousin and general, and the man who made Ish-bosheth king of Israel, has been murdered (2 Samuel 3:1–30). Without a strong leader, Israel is in danger. Two Benjaminite brothers kill Ish-bosheth in his bed, cut off his head, and present it to David in Hebron, expecting a reward. David orders the brothers executed for murdering an innocent man. David mourns Ish-bosheth, proving he had nothing to do with the death. In response, the elders of Israel ask him to be their king (2 Samuel 5:1–4).

Second Samuel 4 describes the aftermath of Abner's death. With the powerful man gone, no one remains to defend Israel or protect Saul's son Ish-bosheth. Two Benjaminite brothers kill the king and bring his head to David. David is furious that they've murdered a righteous man and orders their execution. David has mourned the deaths of Saul, Jonathan, Abner, and now Ish-bosheth (2 Samuel 1:17–27; 3:31–34). The elders of Israel honor his loyalty to Saul's house and travel to Hebron to pledge themselves to David. God blesses both David and the nation (2 Samuel 5).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.

Accessed 5/1/2026 8:49:37 PM