Why does David punish Rechab and Baana when they bring him Isboseth’s head?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

David calls their victim an innocent man killed in his own house on his bed. He holds the brothers accountable for his blood and orders their deaths.

Chapter breakdown

When Saul’s son Isboseth hears that Abner has been killed in Hebron, his hands grow weak and all Israel is troubled. He has two captains of his bands, Baana and Rechab, sons of Remmon the Berothite, of the children of Benjamin. Beroth is also counted in Benjamin. The Berothites had fled to Gethaim and were living there as sojourners until that time.

Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son named Miphiboseth who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezrahel. His nurse picked him up and fled; in the haste of her flight, he fell and became lame.

Rechab and Baana, sons of Remmon the Berothite, enter Isboseth’s house in the heat of the day. He is sleeping on his bed at noon. The house’s doorkeeper, who was cleaning wheat, has fallen asleep. The brothers enter secretly, taking ears of corn. They stab Isboseth in the groin and flee. The account explains that he was sleeping on his bed in a parlour when they struck and killed him. They take away his head and walk all night along the wilderness route. They bring Isboseth’s head to David in Hebron. They call him Saul’s son and the son of David’s enemy who sought his life, and claim that the Lord has avenged David that day on Saul and his offspring.

David answers Rechab and his brother Baana, the sons of Remmon the Berothite, with an oath by the living Lord who has delivered his soul from every distress. He recalls the man who told him Saul was dead and thought he brought good news. David says he seized and killed that man in Siceleg, although he should have been rewarded for his news. He then asks how much more he should require Isboseth’s blood at their hands and remove them from the earth, since wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house, on his bed.

David commands his servants, and they kill the brothers. They cut off their hands and feet and hang them over the pool in Hebron. They take Isboseth’s head and bury it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

The story inside

Rechab and Baana bring a killed man’s head to David and present the deed as the Lord’s revenge for him. David responds by recalling what happened to an earlier bearer of news about Saul’s death. That man thought his news was welcome, but David killed him in Siceleg. David then makes the comparison more severe: these brothers have actually killed a man whom he calls innocent, in that man’s own house and on his bed. The result is an order for their deaths and a separate burial for Isboseth’s head. This sequence gives David’s stated reason for rejecting their claim; it does not require an invented plan by the brothers to gain money or an outcome of national reconciliation.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The brothers’ claim does not become the narrator’s verdict. They say the Lord has avenged David on Saul’s family, but David calls them wicked and Isboseth innocent. Keeping the speakers clear preserves the conflict at the centre of the chapter.
2
The circumstances of the killing matter to David’s answer. He names the victim’s own house and bed when explaining why he will require his blood at their hands. The account also retains the sleeping doorkeeper and the stab in the groin, instead of replacing the event with a general label.
3
Family details remain important even beside the main killing. The chapter names the brothers’ father and their connection to Benjamin, and gives Miphiboseth’s father, age, location of the news and injury. Those details identify the people involved without asserting that Saul’s line has ended.

Test your recall

How does David use the earlier death at Siceleg to explain his punishment of Rechab and Baana?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 32071–32085
2 Kings Chapter 4 Isboseth is murdered by two of his servants. David punisheth the murderers. 4:1. And Isboseth the son of Saul heard that Abner was slain in Hebron: and his hands were weakened, and all Israel was troubled. 4:2. Now the son of Saul had two men captains of his bands, the name of the one was Baana, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Remmon a Berothite of the children of Benjamin: for Beroth also was reckoned in Benjamin. 4:3. And the Berothites fled into Gethaim, and were sojourners there until that time.
Lines 32087–32090
4:4. And Jonathan the son of Saul had a son that was lame of his feet: for he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan from Jezrahel. And his nurse took him up and fled: and as she made haste to flee, he fell and became lame: and his name was Miphiboseth.
Lines 32092–32107
4:5. And the sons of Remmon the Berothite, Rechab and Baana coming, went into the house of Isboseth in the heat of the day: and he was sleeping upon his bed at noon. And the doorkeeper of the house, who was cleansing wheat, was fallen asleep. 4:6. And they entered into the house secretly taking ears of corn, and Rechab and Baana his brother stabbed him in the groin, and fled away. 4:7. For when they came into the house, he was sleeping upon his bed in a parlour, and they struck him and killed him and taking away his head they went off by the way of the wilderness, walking all night. 4:8. And they brought the head of Isboseth to David to Hebron: and they said to the king: Behold the head of Isboseth the son of Saul thy enemy who sought thy life: and the Lord hath revenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
Lines 32109–32119
4:9. But David answered Rechab, and Baana his brother, the sons of Remmon the Berothite, and said to them: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress, 4:10. The man that told me, and said: Saul is dead, who thought he brought good tidings, I apprehended, and slew him in Siceleg, who should have been rewarded for his news. 4:11. How much more now when wicked men have slain an innocent man in his own house, upon his bed, shall I not require his blood at your hand, and take you away from the earth?
Lines 32121–32126
4:12. And David commanded his servants and they slew them: and cutting off their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but the head of Isboseth they took and buried in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.