2 Samuel 4:12
New International Version
So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

New Living Translation
So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

English Standard Version
And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

Berean Standard Bible
So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So David commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

New American Standard Bible
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

NASB 1995
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

NASB 1977
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Amplified Bible
So David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative].

Christian Standard Bible
So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So David gave orders to the young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

American Standard Version
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David sent for the young men and they killed them and they cut off their hands and their feet, and they hanged on the Hill in Khebruun, and they took the head of Ashbashul and they buried it in the tomb of Abnir in Khebruun

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David commanded his young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet; and they hung them up at the fountain in Chebron: and they buried the head of Jebosthe in the tomb of Abenezer the son of Ner.

Contemporary English Version
Then David said to his troops, "Kill these two brothers! Cut off their hands and feet and hang their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But bury Ishbosheth's head in Abner's tomb near Hebron." And they did.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David commanded his servants and they slew them: and cutting off their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but the head of Isboseth they took and buried in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

English Revised Version
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up_ beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So David gave an order to his young men, who executed Rechab and Baanah, cut off their hands and feet, and hung their dead bodies by the pond in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb in Hebron.

Good News Translation
David gave the order, and his soldiers killed Rechab and Baanah and cut off their hands and feet, which they hung up near the pool in Hebron. They took Ishbosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb there at Hebron.

International Standard Version
So David commanded his personal guards, and they killed Rechab and Baanah, cut off their hands and feet, and hung up their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. They took Ish-bosheth's head and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Literal Standard Version
And David commands the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang [them] over the pool in Hebron, and they have taken the head of Ish-Bosheth, and bury [it] in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

Majority Standard Bible
So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

New American Bible
So at David’s command, the young men killed them and cut off their hands and feet, hanging them up near the pool in Hebron. But he took the head of Ishbaal and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

NET Bible
So David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. Then they cut off their hands and feet and hung them near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.

New Revised Standard Version
So David commanded the young men, and they killed them; they cut off their hands and feet, and hung their bodies beside the pool at Hebron. But the head of Ishbaal they took and buried in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

New Heart English Bible
David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbaal, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.

World English Bible
David commanded his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in Abner’s grave in Hebron.

Young's Literal Translation
And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Kills the Murderers
11How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!” 12So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.

Cross References
2 Samuel 1:15
Then David summoned one of the young men and said, "Go, execute him!" So the young man struck him down, and he died.

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 3:32
When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb, and all the people wept.

2 Samuel 16:8
The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!"


Treasury of Scripture

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 sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.

slew them

2 Samuel 1:15
And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

Psalm 55:23
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Matthew 7:2
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

hanged

2 Samuel 21:9
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

Deuteronomy 21:22,23
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: …

in the sepulchre

2 Samuel 3:32
And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

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Abner Buried Commanded Cut David Feet Grave Hands Hanged Head Hebron Hung Ishbosheth Ish-Bosheth Killed Pool Sepulcher Sepulchre Slew Young
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Abner Buried Commanded Cut David Feet Grave Hands Hanged Head Hebron Hung Ishbosheth Ish-Bosheth Killed Pool Sepulcher Sepulchre Slew Young
2 Samuel 4
1. The Israelites being troubled at the death of Abner
2. Baanah and Rechab slay Ish-Bosheth, and bring his head to Hebron
9. David causes them to be slain, and Ish-Bosheth's head to be buried.














(12) Over the pool in Hebron.--The mutilation of the bodies of the criminals was itself a disgrace, and the hanging them up near the pool, to which all the people resorted, made this as public as possible and a terrible warning against the commission of such crimes by others. On the other hand, the head of Ish-bosheth was honourably buried in the sepulchre of his chief friend and supporter, Abner.

Verse 12. - They out off their hands and their feet. This was not intended for the purpose of mutilation, but to carry out an Eastern idea of retaliation. The hands were cut off because they had committed the murder; the feet, because they had brought the head to Hebron. Still, David was violating the spirit of the Mosaic Law. It ordered that the body of a man who had been put to death should be buried the same day (Deuteronomy 21:23). In the face of this humane enactment, it is wonderful that the laws of Christian countries should have allowed the mutilation of the bodies of traitors, and the hanging on gibbets of criminals convicted of smaller crimes. Remembering, therefore, the customs of our fathers, we must not blame David much for suspending the bands and feet of these murderers at the pool of Hebron, that all, when coming for water, might know of their punishment. The head of Ishbosheth was honourably buried in Abner's grave (see 2 Samuel 3:32).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So David
דָּוִ֨ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

commanded
וַיְצַו֩ (way·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

his young men,
הַנְּעָרִ֜ים (han·nə·‘ā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

and they killed [Rechab and Baanah].
וַיַּהַרְג֗וּם (way·ya·har·ḡūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

They cut off
וַֽיְקַצְּצ֤וּ (way·qaṣ·ṣə·ṣū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7112: To chop off

their hands
יְדֵיהֶם֙ (yə·ḏê·hem)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

and feet
רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם (raḡ·lê·hem)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda

and hung
וַיִּתְל֥וּ (way·yiṯ·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8518: To suspend

their bodies by
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the pool
הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה (hab·bə·rê·ḵāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1295: A pool, pond

in Hebron,
בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן (bə·ḥeḇ·rō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2275: Hebron -- 'association, league', a city in southern Judah

but they took
לָקָ֔חוּ (lā·qā·ḥū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3947: To take

the head
רֹ֤אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of Ish-bosheth
בֹּ֙שֶׁת֙ (bō·šeṯ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 378: Ish-bosheth -- 'man of shame', a son of Saul and king of Israel

and buried
וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ (way·yiq·bə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6912: To inter

it in Abner’s
אַבְנֵ֖ר (’aḇ·nêr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 74: Abner -- 'my father is a lamp', an Israelite name

tomb
בְקֶֽבֶר־ (ḇə·qe·ḇer-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6913: A grave, sepulcher

in Hebron.
בְּחֶבְרֽוֹן׃ (bə·ḥeḇ·rō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2275: Hebron -- 'association, league', a city in southern Judah


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OT History: 2 Samuel 4:12 David commanded his young men and they (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 4:11
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