ISBOSETH. — The only one of the four sons of Saul (q.v.) to survive the day of Gelboe (q.v.).
His original name, *’îš-ba‘al* (1 Chron. 8:34), meaning “man of the Lord,” was later deformed into *’îš-bôšet* (“man of shame”) by the invalid substitution of *ba‘al* with *bôšet*.
A feeble man, yet placed on the throne by his uncle Abner (q.v.) at Mahanaim beyond the Jordan, he fought for seven fruitless years against David (q.v.), to whom the south had submitted (2 Sam. 2:8–32). First, he lost Abner’s support through an untimely reproach (2 Sam. 3:6–12); then, after Abner’s death, he too was slain in his house during the afternoon rest. His head, brought by the assassins to David to curry favor—and rewarded with their deaths—was buried with Abner’s ashes in Hebron (2 Sam. 4).
Another I. (*’îš-ba‘al*) was numbered among David’s chief warriors (2 Sam. 23:8, critical text).