Chapter 2.
THAT UPON THE SLAUGHTER OF ISHBOSHETH BY THE TREACHERY OF
HIS FRIENDS, DAVID RECEIVED THE WHOLE KINGDOM.FJAJ 7.10
1. WHEN Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, had heard of the death of Abner,
he took it to heart to be deprived of a man that was of his kindred, and
had indeed given him the kingdom, but was greatly afflicted, and
Abner's death very much troubled him; nor did he himself outlive any long
time, but was treacherously set upon by the sons of Rimmon, (Baanah and
Rechab were their names,) and was slain by them; for these being of a family
of the Benjamites, and of the first rank among them, thought that if they
should slay Ishbosheth, they should obtain large presents from David, and
be made commanders by him, or, however, should have some other trust committed
to them
So when they once found him alone, and asleep at noon, in an upper
room, when none of his guards were there, and when the woman that kept
the door was not watching, but was fallen asleep also, partly on account
of the labor she had undergone, and partly on account of the heat of the
day, these men went into the room in which Ishbosheth, Saul's son, lay
asleep, and slew him; they also cut off his head, and took their journey
all that night, and the next day, as supposing themselves flying away from
those they had injured, to one that would accept of this action as a favor,
and would afford them security
So they came to Hebron, and showed David
the head of Ishbosheth, and presented themselves to him as his well-wishers,
and such as had killed one that was his enemy and antagonist
Yet David
did not relish what they had done as they expected, but said to them, "You
vile wretches, you shall immediately receive the punishment you deserve.
Did not you know what vengeance I executed on him that murdered Saul, and
brought me his crown of gold, and this while he who made this slaughter
did it as a favor to him, that he might not be caught by his enemies? Or
do you imagine that I am altered in my disposition, and suppose that I
am not the same man I then was, but am pleased with men that are wicked
doers, and esteem your vile actions, when you are become murderers of your
master, as grateful to me, when you have slain a righteous man upon his
bed, who never did evil to any body, and treated you with great good-will
and respect? Wherefore you shall suffer the punishment due on his account,
and the vengeance I ought to inflict upon you for killing Ishbosheth, and
for supposing that I should take his death kindly at your hands; for you
could not lay a greater blot on my honor, than by making such a supposal."
When David had said this, he tormented them with all sorts of torments,
and then put them to death; and he bestowed all accustomed rites on the
burial of the head of Ishbosheth, and laid it in the grave of Abner.FJAJ 7.11
2. When these things were brought to this conclusion, all the principal
men of the Hebrew people came to David to Hebron, with the heads of thousands,
and other rulers, and delivered themselves up to him, putting him in mind
of the good-will they had borne to him in Saul's lifetime, and the respect
they then had not ceased to pay him when he was captain of a thousand,
as also that he was chosen of God by Samuel the prophet, he and his sons;
(2) This
may be a true observation of Josephus's, that Samuel by command from God
entailed the crown on David and his posteerity; for no further did that
entail ever reach, Solomon himself having never had any promise made him
that his posterity should always have the right to it. and declaring
besides, how God had given him power to save the land of the Hebrews, and
to overcome the Philistines
Whereupon he received kindly this their alacrity
on his account; and exhorted them to continue in it, for that they should
have no reason to repent of being thus disposed to him
So when he had
feasted them, and treated them kindly, he sent them out to bring all the
people to him; upon which came to him about six thousand and eight hundred
armed men of the tribe of Judah, who bare shields and spears for their
weapons, for these had [till now] continued with Saul's son, when
the rest of the tribe of Judah had ordained David for their king
There
came also seven thousand and one hundred out of the tribe of Simeon
Out
of the tribe of Levi came four thousand and seven hundred, having Jehoiada
for their leader
After these came Zadok the high priest, with twenty-two
captains of his kindred
Out of the tribe of Benjamin the armed men were
four thousand; but the rest of the tribe continued, still expecting that
some one of the house of Saul should reign over them
Those of the tribe
of Ephraim were twenty thousand and eight hundred, and these mighty men
of valor, and eminent for their strength
Out of the half tribe of Manasseh
came eighteen thousand, of the most potent men
Out of the tribe of Issachar
came two hundred, who foreknew what was to come hereafter, (3) These
words of Josephus concerning the tribe of Issachar, who foreknew what was
to come hereafter," are best paraphrased by the parallel text. 1 Chronicles
12:32, "Who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought
to do;" that is, who had so much knowledge in astronomy as to make
calendars for the Israelites, that they might keep their festivals, and
plough and sow, and gather in their harvests and vintage, in due season.
but of armed men twenty thousand
Of the tribe of Zebulon fifty thousand
chosen men
This was the only tribe that came universally in to David,
and all these had the same weapons with the tribe of Gad
Out of the tribe
of Naphtali the eminent men and rulers were one thousand, whose weapons
were shields and spears, and the tribe itself followed after, being (in
a manner) innumerable [thirty-seven thousand]
Out of the tribe of Dan
there were of chosen men twenty-seven thousand and six hundred
Out of
the tribe of Asher were forty thousand
Out of the two tribes that were
beyond Jordan, and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, such as used shields,
and spears, and head-pieces, and swords, were a hundred and twenty thousand.
The rest of the tribes also made use of swords
This multitude came together
to Hebron to David, with a great quantity of corn, and wine, and all other
sorts of food, and established David in his kingdom with one consent
And
when the people had rejoiced for three days in Hebron, David and all the
people removed and came to Jerusalem.FJAJ 7.12