איש בשת- Ishboshes: A Character Study

(8) But Abner son of Ner, Saul’s army commander, had taken Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him across to Mahanaim (9) and made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.

(33) Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, Saul begot Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal;

Avinadav is Yishvi who is mentioned in the Book of Samuel (I Samuel 14:49) but they referred to him as Avinadav when he died in the war. And Eshbaal is Ishboshet son of Saul. And Ba'al and Boshet are the same because the Ba'al is referred to AS a Boshet (Shame). As it says "And they [Bnei Yisrael] separated themselves to the Shame [Ba'al]" (Hosea 9:10). And there it also speaks about "altars for the Shame" referring to altars to offer incense to the Ba'al. And so too Gideon (a shofet over Israel) is called Yerubaal and also called Yeruboshet and the text does not tell us why his name was called thus. And so too the son of Jonathan in Samuel is mentioned as Mephiboshet but also referred to as Meriv Ba'al. "Ba'al" is used in place of "Boshet" and "Meriv" in place of "Mephi." This is because they are similar. The "merivah" (fighting) is due to the mouth (peh).

(1) There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of substance. (2) He had a son whose name was Saul, an excellent young man; no one among the Israelites was handsomer than he; he was a head taller than any of the people.

(14) Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the asses,” he replied. “And when we saw that they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” (15) “Tell me,” said Saul’s uncle, “what did Samuel say to you?” (16) Saul answered his uncle, “He just told us that the asses had been found.” But he did not tell him anything of what Samuel had said about the kingship.

(50) The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of his army commander was Abiner son of Saul’s uncle Ner. (51) Kish, Saul’s father, and Ner, Abner’s father, were sons of Abiel.

Our masters have said: <He was slain> because he did not wait for Saul to be reconciled⁶⁷Rt.: PYS. Cf. the Gk. noun, peisis, which designates the softer feelings. with David, where it is stated (in I Sam. 24:12 [11], with David addressing Saul): SEE, MY FATHER, SEE <THE CORNER OF YOUR CLOAK IN MY HAND; FOR WHEN I CUT OFF THE CORNER OF YOUR CLOAK, I DID NOT KILL YOU>…. <Saul> said to him: Abner, what do you want <to understand>from the cloak? You said: It was caught on a thorn. When <David> came toward wagons around the camp, he said to him (in I Sam. 26:14): ABNER, WILL YOU NOT ANSWER? As for the corner of the cloak, you said was caught on a thorn. Were <the> spear and <the> water jar (of I Sam. 26:11) caught on a thorn?

But they would not raise a hand. The derash says that these guards were Avner and Amasa and they would not strike the kohanim of God [...].

Am I the head of a dog? He [Avner] wants to say that it's appropriate for the king to guard the honor of the lower nobles so that they remain faithful to him (the king) and serve him. So too it would be appropriate to give honor to the head of the army (even the one who heads his enemy's army) and all the more so to his OWN army general. He should do this for two reasons 1) because of his stature/ position 2) because of his service. And now you (Ishboshet) are disgracing me as though I were lacking two things, as if I were a head of the dogs - he [Avner] wants to say, a head of the lower classes, and not even of your lower classes, but as if I were a soldier who belongs to Yehuda and not just this, but what you are doing is not smart. You should have bided your time and kept this in your heart but not have spoken of it and waited till a time when you did not NEED me and weren't afraid of me. But to speak today when till now I have done kindness with the house of Saul you ought to be afraid of me because I didn't give you to David when you are in my possession like clay in the and of the potter and how do you go ahead remarking upon what I did with this woman - this is foolishness on your part.

(13) He replied, “Good; I will make a pact with you [Avner]. But I make one demand upon you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come before me.” (14) David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth son of Saul, to say, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bride-price of one hundred Philistine foreskins.” (15) So Ishbosheth sent and had her taken away from [her] husband, Paltiel son of Laish. (16) Her husband walked with her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he followed her; then Abner ordered him to turn back, and he went back.