Targum Jonathan on the Prophets 2 Samuel · chapter 4

Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.

1. 1

   וּשְׁמַע בַּר שָׁאוּל אֲרֵי מִית אַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְאִתְרַשְׁלוּ יְדוֹהִי וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְבְּהִילוּ:

   Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.

2. 2

   וּתְרֵין גַבְרִין רַבָּנֵי רֵישֵׁי מַשִׁרְיָן הֲווֹ עִם בַּר שָׁאוּל שׁוּם חַד בַּעֲנָא וְשׁוּם תִּנְיָנָא רֶכֶב בְּנֵי רִמוֹן דְמִבְּאֵרוֹת בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִין אֲרֵי אַף בְּאֵרוֹת מִתְחַשְׁבָא עַל דְבֵית בִּנְיָמִין:

   Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin— Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,

3. 3

   וַעֲרַקוּ אֱנַשׁ בְּאֵרוֹת לְגִתָּיִם וַהֲווֹ תַמָן דַיָרִין עַד יוֹמָא הָדֵין:

   because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.

4. 4

   וְלִיהוֹנָתָן בַּר שָׁאוּל בְּרָא לָקֵי בִּתְרֵין רִגְלוֹהִי בַּר חָמֵשׁ שְׁנִין הֲוָה כַּד אָתַת בְּשׂוּרַת שָׁאוּל וִיהוֹנָתָן מִיִזְרְעֶאל וּנְטַלְתֵּיהּ תּוּרְבַנְתֵּיהּ וְאַפֵּיכַת וַהֲוָה בְּאִתְבָּעֲיוּתָה לְמֶעֶרַק וּנְפַל וַחֲגָר וּשְׁמֵיהּ מְפִיבֹשֶׁת:

   And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

5. 5

   וַאֲזַלוּ בְּנֵי רִמוֹן דְמִבְּאֵרוֹת רֵכָב וּבַעֲנָה וַאֲתוֹ כְּמֵיחַם יוֹמָא לְבֵית אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת וְהוּא שָׁכִיב יַת שִׁנַת מַלְכַיָא:

   Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.

6. 6

   וְאִינוּן אֲתוֹ עַד גוֹ בֵיתָא כְּזַבְּנֵי חִטִין וּמְחוֹהִי בִּסְטַר יַרְכֵיהּ וְרֵכַב וּבַעֲנָה אֲחוֹהִי אִשְׁתֵּיזָבוּ:

   They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

7. 7

   וַאֲתוֹ לְבֵיתָא וְהוּא שָׁכִיב עַל עַרְסֵיהּ בְּאִדְרוֹן בֵּית מִשְׁכְּבֵיהּ וּמְחוֹהִי וְקַטְלוֹהִי וְאַעְדִיאוּ יַת רֵישֵׁיהּ וּנְסִיבוּ יַת רֵישֵׁיהּ וַאֲזַלוּ בְּאוֹרַח מֵישְׁרָא כָּל לַיְלְיָא:

   They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed, and having stabbed and killed him, they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

8. 8

   וְאַיְתִיאוּ יַת רֵישׁ אִישׁ בּוֹשֶׁת לְוַת דָוִד לְחֶבְרוֹן וַאֲמַרוּ לְמַלְכָּא הָא רֵישׁ אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בַּר שָׁאוּל בְּעֵיל דְבָבָךְ דִבְעָא לְמִקְטְלָךְ וַעֲבַד יְיָ לְרִבּוֹנִי מַלְכָּא פּוּרְעֲנוּתָא יוֹמָא הָדֵין מִשָׁאוּל וּמִזַרְעֵיהּ:

   They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

9. 9

   וַאֲתֵיב דָוִד יַת רֵכָב וְיַת בַּעֲנָה אֲחוּהִי בְּנֵי רִמוֹן דְמִבְּאֵרוֹת וַאֲמַר לְהוֹן קַיָם הוּא יְיָ דִי פְרַק יַת נַפְשִׁי מִכָּל עָקָא:

   But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,

10. 10

    אֲרֵי דְחַוֵי לִי לְמֵימַר הָא מִית שָׁאוּל וְהוּא הֲוָה כִּמְבַשֵׂר בְּעֵינֵי נַפְשֵׁיהּ וַאֲחָדִית בֵּיהּ וּקְטַלְתֵּיהּ בְּצִקְלָג דַהֲוָה מְדַמִי לְמִתַּן לֵיהּ מַתְּנַת בְּסוֹרָתֵיהּ:

    when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news!

11. 11

    אַף אֲרֵי גַבְרִין רַשִׁיעַיָא קְטַלוּ יַת גְבַר זַכַּאי בְּבֵיתֵיהּ עַל שִׁווּיֵה וּכְעַן הֲלָא אִתְבַּע יַת דְמֵיהּ מִיֶדְכוֹן וַאֲפַלֵי יַתְכוֹן מִן אַרְעָא:

    How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!”

12. 12

    וּפַקֵיד דָוִד יַת עוּלֵמַיָא וְקַטְלִינוּן וּקְצִיצוּ יַת יְדֵיהוֹן וְיַת רַגְלֵיהוֹן וּצְלָבוּ עַל בְּרֵכָתָא בְּחֶבְרוֹן וְיַת רֵישׁ אִישׁ בּוֹשֶׁת נְסִיבוּ וּקְבָרוּ בְּקִבְרָא דְאַבְנֵר בְּחֶבְרוֹן:

    So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.