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英文原文
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)
简体中文
伊施波设被臣仆所杀（主前1048年）
¹ 扫罗的儿子听见押尼珥死在希伯仑，手就发软，全以色列也都惊惶。 ² 扫罗的儿子有两个作游击队长的人：一个名叫巴拿，一个名叫利甲，是比录人临门的儿子，便雅悯人：（因为比录也算属便雅悯； ³ 比录人逃到基他音，在那里寄居直到今日。） ⁴ 扫罗的儿子约拿单有一个儿子，他两脚是瘸的。扫罗和约拿单从耶斯列传来消息的时候，他才五岁；他的乳母抱着他逃跑，急忙逃跑的时候，孩子掉在地上，腿就瘸了。他的名字叫米非波设。 ⁵ 比录人临门的儿子利甲和巴拿，在午间炎热的时候来到伊施波设的家；他正午在床上躺卧。 ⁶ 他们进了屋子中间，好像要取麦子；就在第五根肋骨下刺了他；他和他的兄弟巴拿逃脱了。 ⁷ 他们进屋子的时候，他正睡在自己卧室的床上；他们就击杀他，取了他的首级，带着头颅顺着平原走了一夜逃去。 ⁸ 他们将伊施波设的首级带到希伯仑，到大卫那里见王，说："看哪，这是寻索你命的扫罗儿子伊施波设的头；今日耶和华为我主王报了扫罗和他后裔的仇。"
此处可见：I. 扫罗家的衰弱。仍是越变越弱。1. 至于在位的伊施波设，他的手发软了（撒下4:1）。他们所有的力量都来自押尼珥的支持，如今押尼珥既死，他便全无斗志了。押尼珥虽在怒中离弃了他，他仍指望借押尼珥之力与大卫讲和；如今连这指望也落了空，他眼见自己被朋友抛弃，落在仇敌的怜悯之下。所有追随他的以色列人都惊惶失措，不知该怎样行——是否仍要与大卫谈判。2. 至于按其父约拿单的权利原有优先继承权的米非波设，他的脚是瘸的，不堪任何役使（撒下4:4）。他父亲和祖父被杀时，他不过五岁。他的乳母听见非利士人得胜的消息，担心他们乘胜之机立即派一队兵到扫罗家中，要将属扫罗家的一切剪除，尤其要对付她的小主人——他如今是王位最近的继承人。她心怀着这忧虑，便抱着孩子逃跑，要藏他在某一隐秘之处使人寻不见，或某一坚固之处使人不能近；因慌忙中失了稳妥，她抱着孩子摔倒了，这一摔断了一根骨头或脱了臼，又未得好好接上，他便终身瘸腿，不堪出入朝廷或军营。请看婴孩时期所易遭的不幸事故何其多，其影响可能终其一生使他们苦恼不安。就是君王与显贵之子，就是善人之子——约拿单正是这样一位——就是有细心照料、有自家乳母照看的孩子，也不总是安全的。我们有何等理由感谢神，因他在我们幼小无力的岁月中所经的诸多危险里保存了我们的四肢与感官，并承认他的良善——他吩咐他的使者眷顾我们，用手托着我们，在那里便没有跌落的危险（诗91:12）。
II. 扫罗之子被谋杀。此处告诉我们，
1. 凶手是谁：巴拿和利甲（撒下4:2,3）。他们是亲兄弟，正如西缅和利未，是同谋作恶的伙伴。他们是或曾是伊施波设自己的臣仆，在他手下任职，因而加害于他更为卑鄙不忠。他们是便雅悯人，与他同支派。他们属比录城；因我们如今无法查考的某种原因，经上特意让我们知道（用括号说明）那城属便雅悯的产业（书18:25），但其居民因某种缘由——或许在扫罗死后——退避到基他音，那是同支派中不远处的另一座城，天然地势更为坚固（若可信赖富勒先生〔Mr. Fuller〕的地图），位于波色与西尼两块磐石之间。比录人写作本卷时仍在那里，大概在那里扎根，永不返回比录；这就使曾属基遍人城邑之一的比录（书9:17）被人遗忘，而基他音日后却颇负盛名，如尼11:33所见。
2. 谋杀如何发生（撒下4:5-7）。请看，(1.) 伊施波设的怠惰。他在午间躺在床上。没有迹象表明这地在一年中任何时候热到需要居民在正午退避歇息，像在西班牙盛夏那样；但伊施波设是个怠惰之人，爱安逸、厌事务：在如此紧要关头，他本该或率军亲赴战场，或主持与大卫议和的内阁，他却躺在床上睡觉，因为他的手发软（撒下4:1），他的头脑与心志也照样发软。当我们为那些本当激励我们、磨砺我们努力的难处所挫败时，我们便出卖了自己的冠冕与性命。"不要贪睡，免致贫穷败亡。"怠惰之人极易成为毁灭者的掠物。(2.) 巴拿与利甲的背叛。他们进了屋子，借口为所属部队取粮；那时的人如此质朴，王的粮仓与卧室相距甚近，这给了他们在取麦之时，趁机杀床上之人的机会。我们不知何时何地将与死亡相遇。我们躺下睡觉时，也不能保证不在未醒之前睡那长眠之觉；我们也不知致命的一击会来自何等出乎意料的手。伊施波设自己的臣仆，本该保护他的性命，反而取了去。
3. 凶手为他们所作的事自夸。仿佛他们行了什么极其光荣的事，而为大卫的利益而行此事便足以不但为它辩护，更为它分别为圣。他们将伊施波设的首级作为礼物献给大卫（撒下4:8）："看哪，你仇敌的头"——他们以为没有比这更蒙他悦纳的了；他们又自称是神公义的器皿，是佩他宝剑的差役，尽管他们并未受差遣："今日耶和华为你报了扫罗和他后裔的仇。"他们对神的荣耀或大卫的尊荣毫无真正关切；他们所图的不过是（如我们所说）发达自己，在大卫朝中谋得一官半职；但为讨好他，他们假装关心他的性命，承认他的继承权，并热切盼望见他全然登上王位。耶户曾自称"为万军之耶和华发热心"，其实立他自己和他的家族才是他一切行动的根源。
英文原文
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)
简体中文
谋害伊施波设者受刑（主前1048年）
⁹ 大卫回答比录人临门的儿子利甲和巴拿（他的兄弟），对他们说：我指着救我性命脱离一切患难的耶和华起誓：
¹⁰ 从前有人报信给我，说扫罗死了，他自以为报好信；我却拿住他，在洗革拉把他杀了，因他以为我要因报信给他赏赐；
¹¹ 何况恶人将义人杀在自己的床上？我岂不如今向你们讨他流血的罪，从你们手中除灭你们，使你们从地上灭绝吗？
¹² 于是大卫吩咐少年人，他们就把他们杀了，砍断他们的手脚，挂在希伯仑的池旁。他们却将伊施波设的头取下来，葬在希伯仑押尼珥的坟墓里。
我们在此看见公义得以在谋害伊施波设的人身上施行。
I. 对他们宣告判决。无须证据，他们自己的口供便是见证；他们不否认事实，反倒以之为荣。所以大卫向他们指明这罪行的重大，并血从他的手要追讨血——他如今既为最高审判官，按职任便是报血仇者。也许他更严厉地追讨此事，是因为顾到政治理由而宽免了约押：「我岂不向杀人者讨流人血的债？他们既不能赔偿，便当取他们的命以代之。」请看：1. 他如何加重这罪行（撒下4:11）。伊施波设是义人，并未行、也未谋害他们什么。至于自己，大卫也满足地认为：他所受的反对并非出于恶意，而是出于误会——出于他自以为对王冠的权利，以及别人怂恿他争取这权利的影响。注意：爱心教导我们不仅对朋友、也对仇敌作最好的推测，并想那些在某些事上亏负我们的人，仍可能是义人。我不可因认为某人对我不好，便立即断定他是坏人。大卫承认伊施波设是诚实人，虽然他曾无端地给他制造许多麻烦。其方式更加重了这罪：在他自己家中——本该是他的堡垒之处——将他杀害；又在他床上、毫无抵抗能力之时下手；这是背信弃义、是野蛮凶残，是一切卑鄙之举，凡未完全丧失荣誉与人性的人，听见这事都必义愤填膺。暗杀是众所公认的、最可憎最卑劣的谋杀方式。暗中击打邻舍的，必受咒诅。 2. 他引了一个先例（撒下4:10）：他曾把报扫罗死讯的人处死，因那人以为这消息对大卫是好消息。这里未提亚玛力……
II. 执行死刑。凶徒按律被处死，他们的手脚被挂起来——不是全身，律法所禁；只是手脚——以示警戒——为作大卫公义的记号，并叫人注意此事，借此提高百姓对他的评价，看他为适合作王的人，他并不谋求自己的升迁，对扫罗家也无宿怨，唯一真诚地谋求公益。然而这两名凶手何等狼狈！何等可怕的失望！凡想以不道德的手段、以战争迫害、欺诈掠夺来为大卫之子（基督）的事工效劳的人，凡假宗教之名谋杀君王、撕毁庄严盟约、蹂躏国土、恨恶弟兄、将他们赶出，又说「愿耶和华得荣耀」，杀害他们，并以为这样就是向神献上服事的人，也必如此失望。无论人怎样将这类服事教会和天主教大业的方法封为圣，基督到那日必使他们知道：基督教并非为要毁灭人性；凡想以此立功升天的人，必不能逃脱地狱的刑罚。
英文原文
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.
押尼珥被杀之后，大卫便失去了一位可以成全那些仍属伊施波设的支派归顺之工的良友。当采何种途径成就此事，他无从知晓；但在此，护理之工借伊施波设的除灭，使这一切水到渠成。I. 伊施波设自己的两个臣仆谋杀了他，并将他的首级带到大卫那里，撒下 4:1-8。II. 大卫非但没有奖赏他们，反而因他们所行的将其处死，撒下 4:9-12。