2 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 2 Samuel 4:4 The information about Mephibosheth is probably put here to show why there was no move to make him king after Ish-bosheth’s death. He was still a child, and he was crippled. Apparently his real name was “Merib-baal” (1 Chronicles 8:34). Because “baal” could mean “lord” in general, the name probably referred to the Lord of Israel (as in 2 Samuel 5:20). At some point, to avoid using the name of the god Baal, in Samuel he is referred to as “Mephibosheth.” Similarly, Saul’s son Ish-bosheth is called “Eshbaal” in 1 Chronicles 8:33, but “Ish-bosheth” in Samuel. Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon; Judges 6:32) is called “Jerubbesheth” in 2 Samuel 11:21.

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