2 Samuel 4 · Verse 8

2 Samuel 4:8

And they brought the head of Ish–bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish–bosheth 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.
2 Samuel 4:8, King James Version

2 Samuel 4:8 in other translations

BSBThey 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.”
WEBThey brought the head of Ishbosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life! The LORD has avenged my lord the king today of Saul and of his offspring.”
ASVAnd they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
YLTand bring in the head of Ish-Bosheth unto David in Hebron, and say unto the king, ‘Lo, the head of Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah doth give to my lord the king vengeance this day, of Saul and of his seed.'
DARBYAnd they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, thine enemy who sought thy life; and Jehovah has given to my lord the king to be avenged this day of Saul and of his seed.
BBEAnd they took the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul your hater, who would have taken your life; the Lord has taken payment for the wrongs of my lord the king from Saul and his seed today.
WebsterAnd they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thy enemy, who sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed.

What does 2 Samuel 4:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. They brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David ... and said, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth--Such bloody trophies of rebels and conspirators have always been acceptable to princes in the East, and the carriers have been liberally rewarded. Ish-bosheth being a usurper, the two assassins thought they were doing a meritorious service to David by removing the only existing obstacle to the union of the two kingdoms. 2Sa 4:10-12. David Causes Them to Be Put to Death.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 They brought the head - unto David - They thought, as did the poor lying Amalekite, to ingratiate themselves with David by this abominable act.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 4:8-12
A person may be glad to obtain his just wishes, and yet really regret the means by which he receives them. He may be sorry for the death of a person by which he is a gainer. These men shed innocent blood, from the basest motives. David justly executed vengeance upon them. He would not be beholden to any to help him by unlawful practices. God had helped him over many a difficulty, and through many a danger, therefore he depended 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 storms yet before him, he knew that He who had delivered, would deliver.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Samuel 4:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַ֠יָּבִאוּVai.ya.vi.'uand they broughtH935
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
רֹ֨אשׁrosh[the] head ofH7218
אִֽישׁ\־'ish-Ish-H378
בֹּ֥שֶׁתBo.shetboshethH378
אֶל\־'el-toH413
דָּוִד֮da.VidDavidH1732
חֶבְרוֹן֒chev.rOnHebronH2275
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
הִנֵּֽה\־hi.neh-here!H2009
רֹ֣אשׁrosh[the] head ofH7218
אִֽישׁ\־'ish-Ish-H378
בֹּ֗שֶׁתBo.shetboshethH378
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
אֹֽיִבְךָ֔'o.yiv.Khaenemy yourH341
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
בִּקֵּ֖שׁbi.Keshhe soughtH1245
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָnaf.She.khalife yourH5315
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןvai.yi.Tenand he has givenH5414
יְ֠הוָהYah.wehYahwehH3068
לַֽאדֹנִ֨יla.do.Nito lord myH113
הַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
נְקָמוֹת֙ne.ka.mOtvengeance<s>H5360
הַיּ֣וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
הַזֶּ֔הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
מִשָּׁא֖וּלmi.sha.'Ulfrom SaulH7586
וּמִזַּרְעֽוֹ\׃\ \סu.mi.zar.'Oand from offspring hisH2233

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 4:8

  • 1 Samuel 25:29

    Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

  • 2 Samuel 22:48

    It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

  • 1 Samuel 20:1

    And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

  • 1 Samuel 24:4

    And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.

  • 1 Samuel 19:15

    And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

  • Revelation 18:20

    Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

  • 1 Samuel 18:11

    And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

  • Psalms 63:9-10

    But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

  • Revelation 6:10

    And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

  • 1 Samuel 23:15

    And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

  • 1 Samuel 19:2-11

    But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? …

  • 2 Samuel 18:31

    And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sought.
1Sa 18:11; 19:2-11,15; 20:1; 23:15; 25:29; Ps 63:9,10; 71:24
Mt 2:20
the Lord.
18:19,31; 22:48; Lu 18:7,8; Re 6:10; 18:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 4:7

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 4:8

    And they brought the head of Ish–bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish–bosheth 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.

  • 2 Samuel 4:9

    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,

Read all of 2 Samuel 4

2 Samuel 4:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y trajeron la cabeza de Is-boseth á David en Hebrón, y dijeron al rey: He aquí la cabeza de Is-boseth hijo de Saúl tu enemigo, que procuraba matarte; y Jehová ha vengado hoy á mi señor el rey, de Saúl y de su simiente.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils apportèrent la tête d’Ish-Bosheth à David, à Hébron, et ils dirent au roi: Voici la tête d’Ish-Bosheth, fils de Saül, ton ennemi qui cherchait ta vie; et l’ Éternel a donné en ce jour au roi, mon seigneur, d’être vengé de Saül et de sa race.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie brachten den Kopf Isboseths zu David nach Hebron und sprachen zu dem König: Siehe da, der Kopf Isboseths, des Sohnes Sauls, deines Feindes, der nach deinem Leben trachtete; und so hat Jehova meinem Herrn, dem König, an diesem Tage Rache verliehen an Saul und an seinem Samen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et attulerunt caput Isboseth ad David in Hebron: dixeruntque ad regem: Ecce caput Isboseth filii Saul inimici tui, qui quærebat animam tuam: et dedit Dominus domino meo regi ultionem hodie de Saul, et de semine ejus.