서론
無題
英語原文
When Abner was slain David was at a loss for a friend to perfect the reduction of those tribes that were yet in Ish-bosheth's interest. Which way to adopt for the accomplishment of it he could not tell; but here Providence brings it about by the removal of Ish-bosheth. I. Two of his own servants slew him, and brought his head to David, 2Sa 4:1-8. II. David, instead of rewarding them, put them to death for what they had done, 2Sa 4:9-12.
1-8
Ish-bosheth Slain by His Servants (1048 BC)
イシュ・ボシェテがそのしもべたちに殺される（紀元前1048年）
¹ サウルの子は、アブネルがヘブロンで死んだと聞いて、手の力が抜け、全イスラエルも動揺した。
² サウルの子には、隊長である二人の者があった。ひとりの名はバアナ、もうひとりの名はレカブで、ベニヤミンの子らのうちのベエロテ人リンモンの子らであった。（ベエロテもベニヤミンに数えられていた。
³ ベエロテ人はギッタイムに逃げ、今日までそこに寄留者としてとどまっている。）
⁴ サウルの子ヨナタンには、足の不自由な子がひとりあった。サウルとヨナタンについての知らせがイズレエルから来た時、彼は五歳であった。その乳母は彼を抱き上げて逃げた。彼女が急いで逃げる時に、彼は落ちて、足不自由になった。彼の名はメピボシェテであった。
⁵ ベエロテ人リンモンの子ら、レカブとバアナは、真昼の暑いころに出かけて行き、昼に床に寝ていたイシュ・ボシェテの家に来た。
⁶ 彼らは麦を取るかのように、家の中に入り、彼を第五肋骨の下に打った。レカブとその兄弟バアナは逃げた。
⁷ 彼らが家に入った時、彼は寝室の床に寝ていたので、彼らは彼を打って殺し、首を切り、その首を取って、夜通し平原を通って逃げた。
⁸ 彼らはイシュ・ボシェテの首をダビデのもと、ヘブロンに持って来て、王に言った。「ご覧ください。あなたのいのちをねらっていた、あなたの敵サウルの子イシュ・ボシェテの首です。主はきょう、私の主君である王のために、サウルとその子孫に復讐されました。」
ここには次のことがある。I. サウルの家の弱さ。それはなおもますます弱くなった。1. 王座を占めていたイシュ・ボシェテについては、彼の手の力は抜けた（2Sa 4:1）。彼らがかつて持っていた力はすべてアブネルの支えによるものであり、今や彼が死んだので彼には気力が残っていなかった。アブネルは怒って彼の大義を見捨てたが、それでもその手段によってダビデと良い条件を結べると望んでいた。しかし今やこの望みさえ失い、友人たちに見捨られ、敵のなすがままになっているのを悟った。彼に従っていた全イスラエルは動揺し、ダビデとの条約を続けるべきかどうか途方に暮れた。2. 父ヨナタンの権利において先の権利を持っていたメピボシェテについては、彼の足は不自由であり、いかなる奉仕にも不適であった（2Sa 4:4）。彼は父と祖父が殺された時、わずか五歳であった。彼の乳母は、ペリシテ人の勝利を聞いて、その追撃として彼らがただちに一隊をサウルの家に送り、これに属するすべての者を断ち、特に今や王冠の次の相続人である彼女の若い主君を狙うであろうと恐れた。この恐れの下に、彼女は子供を腕に抱いて逃げた。どこかに隠して見つからないようにするか、どこか堅固な所に置いて手の届かないようにするためであった。そして急いで急ぐあまり、彼女は子供と共に倒れ、その転倒で骨が折れるか外れて、うまく接合されず、その結果彼は生涯その足が不自由となり、宮廷にも陣営にも不適となった。幼児がその幼子時代に遭う悲しい事故、その結果が生涯にわたって大きな苦悩として感じられ得るものを見よ。君主や大いなる者の子ら、良き人の子ら、そのような者がヨナタンであった、よく世話され、自らの乳母を持って面倒を見られる子らでさえ、常に安全とは限らない。私たちが肢体と感覚を、無力な幼子時代の多くの危険を通して保たれたことについて、神に感謝する理由がいかに多いか。そして御使いに私たちについての命令を与え、その腕に私たちを担がせた神の善を認める理由。そこから落ちる危険はない（Ps 91:12）。
II. サウルの子の殺害。私たちはここで次のことを告げられる。
1. 殺人者はだれであったか。バアナとレカブ（2Sa 4:2,3）。彼らは実の兄弟であり、シメオンとレビのように、不義の仲間であった。彼らはイシュ・ボシェテ自身のしもべであり、彼の下で用いられていた。それゆえ彼に害を与えることはいっそう卑劣で裏切りであった。彼らはベニヤミン人で、彼と同じ部族の者であった。彼らはベエロテの町の者であった。今は説明できないある理由のため、その町がベニヤミンの割り当てに属していたことが（括弧の中で）私たちに知らされるように配慮されている（Jos 18:25 に見る通り）。しかし住民たちは何かの折に、おそらくサウルの死の時に、ギッタイムという、同じ部族の遠くないところにあり、自然により堅固に要塞化された町（フルラー氏の地図に頼るなら、二つの岩ボゼズとセネの間に位置する）に退いた。ベエロテ人はこれが書かれた時そこにおり、おそらくそこに根を下ろし、二度とベエロテに戻らなかった。それはかつてギブオン人の町のひとつであったベエロテ（Jos 9:17）を忘れさせ、ギッタイムをずっと後まで有名にした（Ne 11:33 に見る通り）。
2. 殺害がどのように行われたか（2Sa 4:5-7）。ここで見よ。(1.) イシュ・ボシェテの怠惰。彼は真昼に床に寝ていた。その国が一年のいかなる時にも、夏の暑さにスペインで人々が退くように、真昼に退くほど暑かったとは思われない。しかしイシュ・ボシェテは気の抜けた男で、安きを愛し、務めを嫌った。この重大な局面に、戦場でその軍勢の先頭に立つか、ダビデとの条約の協議の先頭に立つべき時に、彼は床に寝て眠っていた。彼の手の力は抜け（2Sa 4:1）、その頭と心も同様であった。私たちを活気づけ、努力を鋭くするべき難局が私たちの気力をくじく時、私たちは王冠といのちの両方を裏切るのである。*睡眠を愛してはならない。貧困と破滅に至るから。*怠惰な魂は滅ぼす者にとって容易な獲物である。(2.) バアナとレカブの裏切り。彼らはその連隊の食糧確保のために麦を取るという口実で家に入った。当時は素朴で、王の麦倉と寝室が近くにあった。それが彼らに、麦を取る時に彼が床に寝ている間に彼を殺す機会を与えた。私たちは死がいつ、どこで私たちに会うかを知らない。私たちは眠りに就く時、目覚める前に死の眠りを眠るかもしれないと確信できない。また致命的一撃が思いがけない手から来るかもしれないとも知らない。イシュ・ボシェテ自身の部下たちが、彼のいのちを守るべき者たちが、それを奪ったのである。
3. 殺人者たちは自分たちのしたことを誇った。彼らが非常に栄光ある行ないをしたかのように、またそれをダビデのために行ったことが、それを正当化するだけでなく、聖別するのに十分であるかのように、彼らはイシュ・ボシェテの首をダビデに贈り物として持って来た（2Sa 4:8）。*見よ、あなたの敵の首を。*彼らはこれより喜ばしいものはないと思った。いや、彼らは神の正義の器、その剣を帯びる奉仕者となったと称した。彼らは何の任命も持たなかったのに。主はきょう、あなたをサウルとその子孫に復讐された。彼らが神にもダビデの誉れにも関心を持っていたわけではない。彼らは自らの運を（人は言う通りに）開き、ダビデの宮廷で地位を得ることだけを狙った。しかし彼に取り入るために、彼らは彼のいのちへの関心、彼の正当な権利の確信、彼が完全に王座を所有するのを見たいという熱心な願いを装った。イエフは万軍の主への熱心を装った。彼自身とその家族を立てる野望が、彼の行動の動機であった時に。
英語原文
Ish-bosheth Slain by His Servants (1048 BC)
¹ And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
² And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
³ And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
⁴ And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
⁵ And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.
⁶ And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
⁷ For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.
⁸ And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
Here is, I. The weakness of Saul's house. Still it grew weaker and weaker. 1. As for Ishbosheth, who was in possession of the throne, his hands were feeble, 2Sa 4:1. All the strength they ever had was from Abner's support, and now that he was dead he had no spirit left in him. Though Abner had, in a passion, deserted his interest, yet he hoped, by his means, to make good terms with David; but now even this hope fails him, and he sees himself forsaken by his friends and at the mercy of his enemies. All the Israelites that adhered to him were troubled and at a loss what to do, whether to proceed in their treaty with David or no. 2. As for Mephibosheth, who in the right of his father Jonathan had a prior title, his feet were lame, and he was unfit for any service, 2Sa 4:4. He was but five years old when his father and grandfather were killed. His nurse, hearing of the Philistines' victory, was apprehensive that, in pursuit of it, they would immediately send a party to Saul's house, to cut off all that pertained to it, and would especially aim at her young master, who was now next heir to the crown. Under the apprehension of this, she fled with the child in her arms, to secure it either in some secret place where he could not be found, or in some strong place where he could not be got at; and, making more haste than good speed, she fell with the child, and by the fall some bone was broken or put out, and not well set, so that he was lame of it as long as he lived, and unfit either for court or camp. See what sad accidents children are liable to in their infancy, the effect of which may be felt by them, to their great uneasiness, all their days. Even the children of princes and great men, the children of good men, for such a one Jonathan was, children that are well tended, and have nurses of their own to take care of them, yet are not always safe. What reason have we to be thankful to God for the preservation of our limbs and senses to us, through the many perils of the weak and helpless state of infancy, and to own his goodness in giving his angels a charge concerning us, to bear us up in their arms, out of which there is no danger of falling, Ps 91:12.
II. The murder of Saul's son. We are here told,
1. Who were the murderers: Baanah and Rechab, 2Sa 4:2,3. They were own brothers, as Simeon and Levi, and partners in iniquity. They were or had been Ish-bosheth's own servants, employed under him, so much the more base and treacherous was it in them to do him a mischief. They were Benjamites, of his own tribe. They were of the city of Beeroth; for some reason which we cannot now account for care is here taken to let us know (in a parenthesis) that that city belonged to the lot of Benjamin, so we find (Jos 18:25), but that the inhabitants, upon some occasion or other, perhaps upon the death of Saul, retired to Gittaim, another city which lay not far off in the same tribe, and was better fortified by nature, being situate (if we may depend upon Mr. Fuller's map) between the two rocks Bozez and Seneh. There the Beerothites were when this was written, and probably took root there, and never returned to Beeroth again, which made Beeroth, that had been one of the cities of the Gibeonites (Jos 9:17), to be forgotten, and Gittaim to be famous long after, as we find, Ne 11:33.
2. How the murder was committed, 2Sa 4:5-7. See here, (1.) The slothfulness of Ish-bosheth. He lay upon his bed at noon. It does not appear that the country was at any time of the year so hot as to oblige the inhabitants to retire at noon, as we are told they do in Spain in the heat of summer; but Ishbosheth was a sluggish man, loved his ease and hated business: and when he should have been, at this critical juncture, at the head of his forces in the field, or at the head of his counsels in a treaty with David, he was lying upon his bed and sleeping, for his hands were feeble (2Sa 4:1), and so were his head and heart. When those difficulties dispirit us which should rather invigorate us and sharpen our endeavours we betray both our crowns and lives. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty and ruin. The idle soul is an easy prey to the destroyer. (2.) The treachery of Baanah and Rechab. They came into the house, under pretence of fetching wheat for the victualling of their regiments; and such was the plainness of those times that the king's corn-chamber and his bed-chamber lay near together, which gave them an opportunity, when they were fetching wheat, to murder him as he lay on the bed. We know not when and where death will meet us. When we lie down to sleep we are not sure but that we may sleep the sleep of death before we awake; nor do we know from what unsuspected hand a fatal stroke may come. Ish-bosheth's own men, who should have protected his life, took it away.
3. The murderers triumphed in what they had done. As if they had performed some very glorious action, and the doing of it for David's advantage was enough not only to justify it, but to sanctify it, they made a present of Ish-bosheth's head to David (2Sa 4:8): Behold the head of thy enemy, than which they thought nothing could be more acceptable to him; yea, and they made themselves instruments of God's justice, ministers to bear his sword, though they had no commission: The Lord hath avenged thee this day of Saul and of his seed. Not that they had any regard either to God or to David's honour; they aimed at nothing but to make their own fortunes (as we say) and to get preferment in David's court; but, to ingratiate themselves with him, they pretended a concern for his life, a conviction of his title, and a zealous desire to see him in full possession of the throne. Jehu pretended zeal for the Lord of hosts when an ambition to set up himself and his own family was the spring of his actions.
9-12
Ish-bosheth's Murderers Punished (1048 BC)
イシ・ボシェテの殺害者の処罰（紀元前1048年）
⁹ ダビデはベエロテ人リモンの子レカブとその兄弟バアナに答えて言った。「すべての悩みから私のたましいを贖い出された主は生きておられる。
¹⁰ かつて私に告げて『見よ、サウルは死んだ』と言い、良い知らせとしてもたらそうとした者を、私は捕えてジクラグで殺した。彼はその知らせのために私が報酬を与えるだろうと思っていたのに。
¹¹ まして、悪人たちが正しい人をその家の寝床で殺したなら、なおさらではないか。それゆえ今、私はその血をあなたがたの手から要求し、あなたがたを地から除き去らないであろうか。」
¹² ダビデは若者たちに命じ、彼らを殺し、その手足を切り落とし、ヘブロンの池のそばに吊るした。しかし彼らはイシ・ボシェテの首を取り、ヘブロンのアブネルの墓にそれを葬った。
ここにイシ・ボシェテの殺害者に正義が行われる。
I. 彼らに対する判決。証拠は必要なかった。彼ら自身の舌が彼らに反対して証言した。彼らは事実を否認するどころか、それを誇った。それゆえダビデは彼らに罪の重さを示し、今や主任の長官であり、その職務上血の復讐者である彼の手から血が血を呼ぶと。そしておそらく、国家の理由からヨアブを免じていたので、いっそう精力的に追求した。*殺された者の血を殺した者の手から求めず、彼らが償うことができないのだから、その代わりに彼らのを取らないであろうか。*観察せよ、1. 彼が罪を加重する様子（2Sa 4:11）。イシ・ボシェテは正しい人であった。彼は彼らに何の害も与えず、何も計らなかった。ダビデ自身に関しては、彼が与えた反対は悪意からではなく、誤解から、王冠への自らの権利という考えと、それを主張するよう彼を促した他者の影響からであると満足していた。注意せよ、愛は敵についてばかりでなく、友人についても最善を考えるように教える。ある点で私たちに害を与えるが、なお正しい人であるかもしれないと考えるように。私がある人を自分にとって悪いと考えるからといって、直ちにその人を悪人と判断してはならない。ダビデはイシ・ボシェテを正しい人と認める。不当に多くの悩みを与えたが。その方法が罪を大いに加重した。その家、本来その城であるべき所で、しかもいかなる抵抗もできない寝床で殺すことは、裏切り的で野蛮であり、すべての卑劣さであり、すべての名誉と人間性を完全に失っていないすべての人の心がその考えに憤りをもって立ち上がるようなことである。暗殺は明白に最も憎むべき悪辣な殺人の方法である。*隠れてその隣人を打つ者はのろわれる。*2. 彼は先例を引用する（2Sa 4:10）。サウルの死の知らせを持って来た者を、それがダビデに良い知らせとなると思ったから殺した。ここではそのアマレク人がサウルの自殺を助けたことについては何も言われず、ただその死の知らせを持って来たことについてのみ。それによれば、彼の語った話は調査の結果、偽りであることが分かり、彼は自らの頭に対して嘘をついたようである。「今や」（ダビデは言う）「私はサウルの王冠を持って来た者を、お気に入りではなく（彼が期待したように）犯罪者として扱った。それなのにイシ・ボシェテの首を持って来る者たちが罪なしとされるだろうか。」3. 彼は誓いで判決を批准する（2Sa 4:9）。*すべての悩みから私のたましいを贖い出された主は生きておられる。*彼はこのように決然と表現して、周囲の者による犯罪者へのとりなしを防ぎ、またこのように敬虔に、約束の王座の所有への彼が神に依存していることをほのめかし、いかなる間接的または不法な方法によっても、それを得るためにだれの助けも借りないことを示す。神はこれまでのすべての悩みから彼を贖い出し、多くの困難と危険を越えて助けた。それゆえ彼はご自身のわざを冠し、完成するために神に依存する。彼は多くの嵐がまだ前にあるにもかかわらず、すべての悩みからの贖いを成ったこととして語る。救い出された方は救い出されると知っていたから。4. ここにおいて彼はこれらの者の処刑の令状に署名する（2Sa 4:12）。彼らが彼に親切を意図した時、これは厳しく思えるかもしれない。しかし、(1.) 彼はこのように悪事への憎悪を示さんとした。主がナバルを打たれたと聞いて、彼は感謝した（1Sa 25:38,39）。*復讐は主のものだから。*しかし、もし悪人がイシ・ボシェテを打つなら、神のわざを神の手から奪うことで死に値する。(2.) 彼はこのように、それを後援し報いると期待したことによる大いなる侮辱への憤りを示さんとした。彼らは彼を全く自分たちと同じ者、王冠に至るためにどれほどの血を踏んで渡っても構わない者と考える以上に、彼に大いなる害を与えることはほとんどできなかったであろう。
II. 処刑の執行。殺害者たちは律法にしたがって死刑に処せられ、その手足が吊るされた。全身ではなく。律法はそれを禁じた。ただ手足のみ。他者を威嚇するために、ダビデの正義の記念碑として、そして人々にその評価を高め、統治にふさわしい者、自らの昇進をねらわず、サウルの家に敵意を持たず、ただ誠実に公共の福祉を意図した者として注目させるために。しかし二人の殺害者にとってこれは何たる混乱！何たる恐ろしい失望！ダビデの子の利益を、いかなる不道徳な行為によっても、戦争や迫害、詐欺や強奪によって、宗教の色合いの下で君主を殺し、荘厳な契約を破り、国を荒廃させ、兄弟を憎み、彼らを追い出し、主が栄光を受けられるように言い、殺し、神に良い奉仕をしていると思うことによって仕えようとする者がこれに会うであろう。人がこのような教会とカトリック的大義に仕える方法を聖人として列聖するにせよ、キリストは後の日、キリスト教が人間性を滅ぼすために意図されたのではないことを彼らに知らせるであろう。そしてこのように天の功徳を得ようと思う者は地獄の有罪宣告を逃れられない。
英語原文
Ish-bosheth's Murderers Punished (1048 BC)
⁹ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
¹⁰ When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
¹¹ How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
¹² And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
We have here justice done upon the murderers of Ish-bosheth.
I. Sentence passed upon them. There needed no evidence, their own tongues witnessed against them; they were so far from denying the fact that they gloried in it. David therefore shows them the heinousness of the crime, and that blood called for blood from his hand, who was now the chief magistrate, and was by office the avenger of blood. And, perhaps, he was the more vigorous in the prosecution because for reasons of state he had spared Joab: "Shall I not require the blood of the slain at the hand of the slayers, and, since they cannot make restitution, take theirs instead of it?" Observe, 1. How he aggravates the crime, 2Sa 4:11. Ish-bosheth was a righteous person, he had done them no wrong, nor designed them any. As to himself, David was satisfied that what opposition he gave him was not from malice, but mistake, from an idea he had of his own title to the crown, and the influence of others upon him, who urged him to put in for it. Note, Charity teaches us to make the best, not only of our friends, but of our enemies, and to think those may be righteous persons who yet, in some instances, do us wrong. I must not presently judge a man a bad man because I think him so to me. David owns Ish-bosheth an honest man, though he had created him a great deal of trouble unjustly. The manner of it much aggravated the crime. To slay him in his own house, which should have been his castle, and upon his bed, when he was in no capacity of making any opposition, this is treacherous and barbarous, and all that is base, and that which the heart of every man who is not perfectly lost to all honour and humanity will rise with indignation at the thought of. Assassinating is confessedly the most odious and villainous way of murdering. Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. 2. He quotes a precedent (2Sa 4:10): he had put him to death who had brought him the tidings of the death of Saul, because he thought it would be good tidings to David. Nothing is here said of that Amalekite's helping Saul to kill himself, only of his bringing the tidings of his death, by which it should seem that the story he told was upon enquiry found to be false, and that he lied against his own head. "Now" (says David) "did I treat him as a criminal, and not a favourite" (as he expected), "who brought me Saul's crown, and shall those be held guiltless that bring me Ish-bosheth's head?" 3. He ratifies the sentence with an oath (2Sa 4:9): As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity. He expresses himself thus resolutely, to prevent the making of any intercession for the criminals by those about him, and thus piously to intimate that his dependence was upon God for the putting of him in possession of the promised throne, and that he would not be beholden to any man to help him to it by any indirect or unlawful practices. God had redeemed him from all adversity hitherto, helped him over many a difficulty and through many a danger, and therefore he would depend upon him to crown and complete his own work. He speaks of his redemption from all adversity as a thing done, though he had many a storm yet before him, because he knew that he who had delivered would deliver. 4. Hereupon he signs a warrant for the execution of these men, 2Sa 4:12. This may seem severe, when they intended him a kindness in what they did; but, (1.) He would thus show his detestation of the villany. When he heard that the Lord smote Nabal, he gave thanks (1Sa 25:38,39), for he is the God to whom vengeance belongeth; but, if wicked men smite Ish-bosheth, they deserve to die for taking God's work out of his hand. (2.) He would thus show his resentment of the great affront they put upon him in expecting that he should patronize and reward it; they could scarcely have done him a greater injury than thus to think him altogether such a one as themselves, one that cared not what blood he waded through to the crown.
II. Execution done. The murderers were put to death according to law, and their hands and feet were hung up; not their whole bodies, the law forbade that; but only their hands and feet, in terrorem—to frighten others, to be monuments of David's justice, and to make that to be taken notice of which would recommend him to the esteem of the people, as a man fit to rule, and that aimed not at his own preferment, nor had any enmity to the house of Saul, but only and sincerely designed the public welfare. But what a confusion was this to the two murderers! What a horrid disappointment! And such those will meet with who think to serve the interests of the Son of David by any immoral practices, by war and persecution, fraud and rapine, who, under colour of religion, murder princes, break solemn contracts, lay countries waste, hate their brethren, and cast them out, and say, Let the Lord be glorified, kill them, and think they do God good service. However men may canonize such methods of serving the church and the catholic cause, Christ will let them know, another day, that Christianity was not intended to destroy humanity; and those who thus think to merit heaven shall not escape the damnation of hell.
アブネルが討たれたとき、ダビデは、なおイシュ・ボシェテに属していた部族を帰服させる仕事を完成させてくれる味方を失って途方に暮れた。それを成し遂げるためにどのような方策を講じるべきか、彼には分からなかった。しかしここで摂理は、イシュ・ボシェテの除去によってそれを実現する。I. 彼自身の家来の二人が彼を殺し、その首をダビデのところに持ってきた（2Sa 4:1-8）。II. ダビデは彼らに報いるどころか、彼らの所業のゆえに死罪に処した（2Sa 4:9-12）。