2 Samuel 4:12

“And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, etc.] He ordered some of his guards about him to fall on them, and put them to death; and they accordingly did: and cut off their hands and their feet; their hands, which had smote Ishbosheth, and cut off his head; and their feet, which had been swift to shed his blood, and made haste to bring his head so many miles to David; this was what the Jews call measure for measure: and hanged [them] up over the pool in Hebron; not their hands and their feet, but the trunks of their bodies, thus mutilated; so Theodoret; though others think their hands and their feet were hung up, and not their bodies, because dead bodies were not to hang upon the…”

“DAVID CAUSES THEM TO BE PUT TO DEATH. (Sa2 4:10-12) slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet--as the instruments in perpetrating their crime. The exposure of the mutilated remains was intended as not only a punishment of their crime, but also the attestation of David's abhorrence. Next: 2 Samuel Chapter 5”

“Cut off their hands ... - After they were dead. Their hands and feet were hung up in a place of public resort, both to deter others and also to let all Israel know that David was not privy to the murder of Ish-bosheth. return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on 2 Samuel 4". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/2-samuel-4.html. 1870. StudyLight.org © 2001-2026 Powered by Lightspeed Technology”

“David commanded. &c.But what a disappointment to Baanah and Rechab, was the sentence which David passed upon them! And such they will meet with, who think to serve the Son of David, by cruelty or injustice: who under colour of religion, outrage or murder of their brethren, think they do God service. However men may now canonize such methods of serving the church and the catholic cause, Christ will let them know another day, that Christianity was not designed to destroy humanity. And they who thus think to merit heaven, shall not escape the damnation of hell. Next: 2 Kings (2 Samuel) Chapter 5”

“4:12 cut off their hands and feet: Displaying the dismembered bodies of Ishbosheth’s killers shamed them by denying them proper burial (cp. 1 Sam 31:8-13); it was also a public testimony of David’s innocence in Ishbosheth’s death.”

“slew them: Sa2 1:15; Psa 55:23; Mat 7:2 hanged: Sa2 21:9; Deu 21:22, Deu 21:23 in the sepulchre: Sa2 3:32 Next: 2 Kings (2 Samuel) Chapter 5”

“David then commanded his servant to slay the murderers, and also to make the punishment more severe than usual. "They cut off their hands and feet," - the hands with which they had committed the murder, and the feet which had run for the reward, - "and hanged the bodies by the pool at Hebron" for a spectacle and warning, that others might be deterred from committing similar crimes (cf. Deu 21:22; J. H. Michaelis). In illustration of the fact itself, we may compare the similar course pursued by Alexander towards the murderer of king Darius, as described in Justin's history ( Sa2 12:6) and Curtius ( Sa2 7:5). They buried Ishbosheth's head in Abner's grave at Hebron. Thus David acted with…”