Son of and successor to king Saul who was rescued by Abner (his uncle and commander of Saul's army) and made king of Ephraim and Gilead (2 Sam 2:8-15), while David was proclaimed king over Judah at Hebron. Ish-Bosheth is also known as Esh-Baal in 1 Chron (8:33; 9:39).
Ish-bosheth's reign was essentially a puppet government lasting only two short years; he was weak—and he knew it—and the real power resided in Abner. When Abner began sleeping with Saul's concubine, Ish-bosheth rebuked him. Angered, Abner went over to join David but was soon murdered by Joab, David's commander. Thinking they could make a profit from the occasion, two brigands murdered Ish-boseth and brought his head to David. David, recognizing both the moral and political implications of their acts, had them put to death (2 Sam 4:1-12). In the aftermath of Ish-bosheth's death, the northern tribes recognized David as their king.
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