2 Samuel 4 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Again we have the story of a murder unjustifiable and cruel, prompted solely by the hope of gaining favor with David. Once again the king made it perfectly clear that he had no part in any of these methods of obtaining the kingdom which was his by the gift of God.

His immediate punishment of the men who had murdered his rival proved him to be a man of faith, for faith consistently refuses to make use of subterfuge and injustice to secure the realization of the ends appointed by God.

While all this is true of the attitude of David, it is nevertheless patent that with the death of Abner and Ishbosheth the very center and strength of the cause of the house of Saul were destroyed.

This leads up to the "Then" with which the next paragraph begins.