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2 Samuel 4:11

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Samuel 4:11 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
2 Samuel 4:11 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Samuel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8And 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.
9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
10when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his tidings.
11How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
12And 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.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person, etc.] As Ishbosheth was in comparison of the wicked men that slew him; though not with respect to David, if he knew of his divine designation to the throne; nor with respect to Mephibosheth his eldest brother’s son, whose right to the throne was prior to his, which he must know; though with respect to his conduct towards David, in assuming the throne of Israel, it might not be owing to any bad principles of malice and injustice, but to his ignorance of David’s having a right to the throne upon his father’s death, and by the advice of his friends he took it: the sin of these men in murdering him is aggravated, in that they slew him…”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“when wicked: Kg1 2:32; Pro 25:26; Hab 1:4, Hab 1:12; Jo1 3:12 require: Sa2 3:27, Sa2 3:39; Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6; Exo 21:12; Num 35:31-34; Psa 9:12 from: Gen 4:11, Gen 6:13, Gen 7:23; Exo 9:15; Psa 109:15; Pro 2:22; Jer 10:11 2 Kings (2 Samuel) 4:12”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification