Original Word: אִישׁ־בּשֶׁת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Iysh-Bosheth
Pronunciation: eesh-bo'-sheth
Phonetic Spelling: (eesh-bo'-sheth)
KJV: Ish-bosheth
NASB: Ish-bosheth
Word Origin: [from H376 (אִישׁ - man) and H1322 (בּוֹשֶׁת - shame)]

1. man of shame
2. Ish- Bosheth, a son of King Saul

Ish-bosheth

From 'iysh and bosheth; man of shame; Ish- Bosheth, a son of King Saul -- Ish-bosheth.

see HEBREW 'iysh

see HEBREW bosheth

Word Origin
from ish and bosheth
Definition
"man of shame," a son of Saul and king of Isr.
NASB Translation
Ish-bosheth (11).

אִישׁבּֿ֫שֶׁת proper name, masculine Ishbosheth (for אִישׁ בַּעַל man of Baal see בּשֶׁת, בַּעַל & Di^{ή βααλ MBAk, June 1881})

1 son of Saul, & king of Israel, with David as rival 2 Samuel 2:8,10,12,15; 2 Samuel 3:8,14,15; 2 Samuel 4:5,8 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 4:12; also 2 Samuel 4:1; 2 Samuel 4:2 ᵐ5 Dr compare We; = אֶשְׁבָּ֑עַל 1 Chronicles 8:33; 1 Chronicles 9:39; compare also

2 2 Samuel 23:8, where read אשׁבשׁת for ישׁב בשׁבת so ᵐ5 We Dr; one of David's heroes; see יָשָׁבְעָם 1 Chronicles 11:11; 1 Chronicles 27:2.

Identity and Family Lineage

Ish-bosheth was the fourth and only surviving son of King Saul at the time of Saul’s death on Mount Gilboa. He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, was born into the first royal household of Israel, and served as a transitional figure between the reign of Saul and the God-ordained dynasty of David. 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39 record his birth name as Esh-baal, but the narrative in 2 Samuel consistently calls him Ish-bosheth.

Accession to the Throne at Mahanaim

After Saul’s death, “Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul, brought him over to Mahanaim, and made him king over Gilead” (2 Samuel 2:8–9). Ish-bosheth thus reigned east of the Jordan, a location chosen for safety from Philistine occupation. He was “forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years” (2 Samuel 2:10). During the same period David reigned over the tribe of Judah from Hebron, creating a divided monarchy.

Military and Political Context

The fragile kingdom under Ish-bosheth depended entirely on Abner’s generalship. When Abner’s forces clashed with Joab’s men at the pool of Gibeon, a civil war ensued (2 Samuel 2:12–32). “The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David” (2 Samuel 2:17). Ish-bosheth’s authority weakened steadily as David’s house grew stronger.

Confrontation with Abner

Ish-bosheth’s only recorded act of personal initiative was accusing Abner of taking Saul’s concubine Rizpah (2 Samuel 3:7). Abner responded angrily: “Am I a dog’s head of Judah?” (2 Samuel 3:8) and defected to David, pledging to “transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 3:10). Ish-bosheth could offer no resistance, revealing the hollowness of his rule.

Demand for Michal and the Waning House of Saul

As a condition for peace, David required the return of his wife Michal. Ish-bosheth complied: “So Ish-bosheth sent men and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel” (2 Samuel 3:15). The scene underscores David’s leverage and Ish-bosheth’s weakness.

Assassination and Aftermath

Two captains of raiding bands, Baanah and Rechab, exploited the situation. They “struck him dead and beheaded him” while he slept at noon (2 Samuel 4:5–7) and carried the head to David, claiming to avenge Saul’s persecution. David repudiated the murder: “When wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now demand his blood from your hands?” (2 Samuel 4:11). He ordered their execution and buried Ish-bosheth’s head in Abner’s tomb (2 Samuel 4:12), thereby dissociating his rise from acts of bloodshed and vindicating divine justice.

Theological Significance

1. Sovereignty of God in Kingship: Ish-bosheth’s short-lived reign highlights that true legitimacy flows from God’s covenant rather than human appointment.
2. Consequences of Sin and Disobedience: The decline of Saul’s line, culminating in Ish-bosheth’s assassination, illustrates the outworking of Samuel’s earlier warnings to Saul (1 Samuel 15:26–28).
3. Integrity of Davidic Rule: David’s refusal to sanction murder, even of a rival, anticipates the righteous standards expected of the messianic King who would come from his line.
4. Unity of Israel under God’s Chosen Leader: Ish-bosheth’s death removed the final barrier to national unity under David, fulfilling divine purpose without David’s manipulation.

Ministry Lessons

• Leadership that rests on another person’s strength (Abner) rather than personal faith and obedience cannot endure.
• Accusations handled without discernment (his rebuke of Abner) can fracture essential relationships and invite ruin.
• God vindicates His anointed in His timing; believers need not seize power through unrighteous means.
• The episode urges Christians to pursue reconciliation within the people of God and shun factionalism.

Key References for Study

2 Samuel 2:8–15; 2 Samuel 3:6–14; 2 Samuel 3:15; 2 Samuel 4:5–12; cross-references: 1 Chronicles 8:33; 1 Chronicles 9:39.

Related Topics

Saul, Abner, Davidic Covenant, Civil War in Israel, Divine Providence, Righteous Leadership

בֹּ֑שֶׁת בֹּ֔שֶׁת בֹּ֗שֶׁת בֹּ֙שֶׁת֙ בֹּ֣שֶׁת בֹּ֥שֶׁת בשת bō·šeṯ bōšeṯ boshetInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts