2 Samuel 4:1-12

4:4 | With the death of Ishbosheth, the only remaining heir to the throne was Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth (9:1-13; 16:1-4; 19:24-29; 21:7). His original name was Merib-Baal, derived from the idol Baal (1 Chron. 8:34); Samuel changed his name to Mephibosheth, which probably means “He Strikes Down Shame.” Because he was lame and was a child, he was not a likely candidate to inherit the throne from Ishbosheth. Hence, Mephibosheth is introduced in this passage to show that there was no real threat to David’s kingship from Saul’s family once Ishbosheth was killed.

4:5-12 | Apparently Recab and Baanah were not aware of David’s response to the death of Saul. They expected accolades and status for killing Ishboshet but instead received the death penalty for killing him under such unjust circumstances. David consistently showed that he would not take personal revenge on his enemies and would deliver the death penalty to anyone who killed in an unjust manner.