The Treacherous Captain Who Sought a Crown
While the name Baanah (meaning “son of affliction” or “in affliction”) is applied to several faithful officials in Scripture, its most infamous bearer is one of two brothers, captains who committed an act of cold-blooded regicide in a misguided attempt to secure personal favor and power. This Baanah, the son of Rimmon the Beerothite, is a stark biblical example of how wicked men seize the opportunity for selfish gain in times of political upheaval.
The Tumultuous Time of Transition
The story unfolds after the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan, when the kingdom of Israel was fractured. David was reigning in Hebron over Judah, while Saul’s surviving son, Ish-bosheth, was tenuously holding the throne over the northern tribes of Israel. The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long and fierce, but the tide had turned irrevocably in David’s favour. The assassination of Ish-bosheth’s general, Abner, had left Ish-bosheth completely disheartened.
It was into this power vacuum that Baanah and his brother, Rechab, stepped forward. They were captains of Ish-bosheth’s own raiding bands, of the tribe of Benjamin, and sworn to protect him.
2 Samuel 4:2 (KJV): “And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin…”
The Crime of Calculated Treason
Seeing Ish-bosheth’s authority weaken, the brothers plotted to murder their own king and present the spoils to David, believing this act would win them high honors in the new unified kingdom.
The Bible records their treacherous method: they came to Ish-bosheth’s house during the heat of the day when he was taking his noon rest, using a ruse to gain entrance.
2 Samuel 4:5-7 (KJV): “And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon… For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.”
They presented the severed head to David in Hebron, arrogantly claiming to have carried out the will of God and avenged David against his enemy.
David’s Righteous Verdict
Baanah and Rechab misjudged David’s character entirely. David was a man after God’s own heart, and his rule was founded on righteousness and a refusal to sanction murder. He recalled his previous execution of the Amalekite who falsely claimed to have slain King Saul (2 Samuel 1:15).
David condemned the brothers, not as political allies, but as wicked murderers who had slain a righteous man in his own home. He declared:
2 Samuel 4:11 (KJV): “How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
David commanded his young men to slay Baanah and Rechab immediately, and their hands and feet were cut off and their bodies hung publicly by the pool in Hebron, serving as a solemn and severe warning against treachery and opportunistic violence.
The Defence of Justice
The story of Baanah the assassin provides a powerful lesson in divine justice and integrity. It confirms that the true King’s rule is founded on moral law, not political expediency. David’s action was a clear Defence of the Truth—the truth that innocent blood cries out from the ground, and that God’s plan does not require sinful shortcuts or treacherous acts.
For those who look for the Lord’s Return, this narrative is a reminder that the King of Glory will judge the world with righteousness (Psalm 9:8, KJV). Every secret act of treachery, every attempt to gain power through unrighteous means, will be exposed and judged.