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Person

Ish-bosheth

Mentioned in 11 verses, first in 2 Samuel 2:8. The verses below are the ones linked to this person (the Theographic dataset, with our sourced corrections).

In the Bible

The first 10 of 11 verses, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.

2 Samuel

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 2 Samuel 3:7

    Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

  • 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!

  • 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.”

  • 2 Samuel 3:15

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

  • 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.

  • 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.”

Dictionary

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. The entry is for the name and can describe more than one person who bore it. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.

Read Easton’s entry

Man of shame or humiliation, the youngest of Saul’s four sons, and the only one who survived him ([2 Sam. 2](/2sam#2Sam.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).

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