Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. VII, 1951 Sacred Scripture Peoples and figures

Isboseth

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Also known as: Ishbaal, Eshbaal, Ish-Bosheth, Ish-bosheth; אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת; Italian: Isboset

ISBOSETH. - The only one of Saul's (v.) four sons surviving after the day of Gilboa (v.).

His original name 'Īl-ba'al (I Chron. 8:34), "man of the Lord," was later deformed into 'Īl-bōleth, "man of ignominy," through the change that came into use of ba'al to bōleth.

An ineffectual man, and yet placed on the throne by his uncle Abner (v.) at Mahanaim beyond the Jordan, he fought uselessly for seven years against David (v.), whom the south obeyed (II Sam. 2:8-32). He first lost the support of Abner, through an ill-timed reproach (II Sam. 3:6-12); then, after Abner's death, he too was killed, in his own house, during the afternoon rest. His head, carried by the assassins to David to win his favor - and they received death as their reward - was buried together with the ashes of Abner in Hebron (II Sam. 4).

Another I. ('Īlba'al) was among David's chief captains (II Sam. 23:8, critical text).

Gino Bressan

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By Gino Bressan

How we know signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII (1951), col. 247.

More by Gino Bressan: Jesse (HEB. ISHAJ; VULG. JESSE) · Joab (HEB. JÔ'ÂBH "YAHWEH IS FATHER") · Goliath (Heb. Goljath) · Jonathan (Heb. Yônāthān, "Yahweh Has Given") · Michal (Hebrew Mikhāl: « Who is powerful? » [?]; « The Almighty » [?]; « Who like God? » [?])

Cite this article

Chicago

Bressan, Gino. “Isboseth.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII, col. 247. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951. https://azioneromana.com/article/isboseth.

MLA

Bressan, Gino. “Isboseth.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951, col. 247. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/isboseth.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec7_isboseth,
  author    = {Bressan, Gino},
  title     = {Isboseth},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {VII},
  pages     = {247},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1951},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/isboseth}
}

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