2Sa 2:8-9 | KingComments | STEP | Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ ( ). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner ... had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth. Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable. If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm. We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.

‏ 2 Samuel 2:8-9

Ish-bosheth King over Israel

Abner knows that David is the anointed king. Yet he takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king. With this, he works a division in Israel. The place where he does that, Mahanaim, speaks of that too. Mahanaim means ‘two armies’ (Gen 32:1-2). Israel’s enmity toward David has not disappeared. Ish-bosheth means ‘man of shame’. He is the youngest son of Saul. He must have been a weak, spineless man. We read: “Abner ... had taken Ish-bosheth.” This state of affairs is in fact rebellion against God. David is the anointed of the LORD, not Ish-bosheth.

Ish-bosheth is king for two years “over Israel”. ‘Israel’ here is the name for Israel without Judah, because David is king over Judah. Judah is no longer part of it. Ish-bosheth has no right to the kingship. Yet we see great meekness in David toward him. It may be that David’s meekness partly stems from a lack of initiative, because he leaves too much to Joab. Yet he can only show such indulgence because he knows that his right to that place is indisputable.

If people arrogate to themselves something they are not, they generally rise up in anger if something happens to their disadvantage and they feel threatened quickly. But he who knows God’s truth and trusts it, can afford to let things pass over him without getting angry or afraid of harm.

We see this with David. Because of this attitude Ish-bosheth is able to rule over Israel for a certain time, while David is king ‘only’ over the house of Judah. The test here may well be even greater than under Saul. Saul was the anointed of the LORD; but Ish-bosheth is someone without right. This is the way God goes with His anointed king, and David complies.