The Meaning of 2 Samuel 4:7 Explained

2 Samuel 4:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: yea, they come in to the house, and he is lying on his bed, in the inner part of his bed-chamber, and they smite him, and put him to death, and turn aside his head, and they take his head, and go the way of the plain all the night,

Darby: They came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him; and they took his head, and went by the way of the plain all night.

ASV: Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 4:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 4:1-12 - Another Treacherous Deed And Its Penalty
Abner's death rendered hopeless the cause of Ish-bosheth. Two captains incurred lasting shame and deserved punishment by their dastardly act of murder. Their act was the more despicable because of their prince's trust.
How little do coarse natures understand the workings of a really religious nature! These men knew that, if they were in David's place, nothing would please them better than the removal of the last obstacle to the throne. They reasoned that David would feel thus and reward them munificently. But to their astonishment, he turned on them with honest indignation. We must dare to act apart from self-interest, as in the light and fire of the Eternal Throne.
Notice David's devout spirit. He ascribed his redemption to God's tender mercy, 2 Samuel 4:9. His first thought was always of God's love and grace and help. Ah, Christian soul, you, too, will one day attain the sunny heights, standing on which you also will be able to say, "He hath redeemed my soul from all adversity." The night may be long, but the day-spring is at hand. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 4

1  The Israelites being troubled at the death of Abner
2  Baanah and Rechab slay Ish-Bosheth, and bring his head to Hebron
9  David causes them to be slain, and Ish-Bosheth's head to be buried

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 4:7 mean?

For when they came into the house and he was lying on his bed in his bedroom then they struck him and killed him and beheaded - him and took his head and were escaping through the plain all night
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ הַבַּ֗יִת וְהֽוּא־ שֹׁכֵ֤ב עַל־ מִטָּתוֹ֙ בַּחֲדַ֣ר מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ וַיַּכֻּ֙הוּ֙ וַיְמִתֻ֔הוּ וַיָּסִ֖ירוּ אֶת־ רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּקְחוּ֙ רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ דֶּ֥רֶךְ הָעֲרָבָ֖ה כָּל־ הַלָּֽיְלָה

וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ  For  when  they  came  into 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַבַּ֗יִת  the  house 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְהֽוּא־  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
שֹׁכֵ֤ב  was  lying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
מִטָּתוֹ֙  his  bed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִטָּה  
Sense: couch, bed, bier.
מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ  his  bedroom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּב  
Sense: a lying down, couch, bier, act of lying.
וַיַּכֻּ֙הוּ֙  then  they  struck  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
וַיְמִתֻ֔הוּ  and  killed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וַיָּסִ֖ירוּ  and  beheaded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וַיִּקְחוּ֙  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
רֹאשׁ֔וֹ  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ  and  were  escaping 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דֶּ֥רֶךְ  through 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָעֲרָבָ֖ה  the  plain 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
הַלָּֽיְלָה  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.