When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him.
Comment: When Jonathan died in the same battle as Saul died, Ish-bosheth, Saul’s other remaining son, became king of most of Israel. David was king of Judah. Jonathan had an infant son who when being rescued by the lady who cared for him was severely injured in his legs and became lame. That would probably exclude him from leading a warrior people, and at this point he was only a small boy. Abner had been the strength at the head of Ish-bosheth’s reign. No doubt the 2 brothers who slew Ish-bosheth, seeing no leadership material, wanted David as king. Abner before going to David had gone to the Benjamites for discussion. We don’t know what had been decided but Abner went straight back to David and was murdered. Saul’s lineage was non-existent apart from the lame son of Jonathan and as Ish-bosheth’s hold on the remainder of Israel weakened these brothers thought that they would present David with the leadership of all the descendants of Jacob.
Prayer: Don’t let me seek my way by evil means, O God.
As I read it! 