Who is…
Eshbaal

also known as: Ishbosheth and Ish-bosheth and Ishbaal

Hebrew: אֶשְׁבַּעַל‎ —transliteration: Eshbaal —meaning: “man of Baal,” or “Baal exists,” or “fire of Baal”

He is the 4th son of King Saul (1 Chronicles 8:33; 9:39) and possibly the only son that survived Saul after the disastrous battle of Gilboa.

He is also called Ish-bosheth in 2 Samuel 2:8.

He reigned as king for 2 years and was fouly murdered in his bed by his own army-captains (2 Samuel 4:7) Rechab and Baanah. David executed these men for treason.

Eshbaal’s head was buried in Abner’s grave at Hebron (2 Samuel 4:12).

Relatives of Prince Eshbaal

Archaeology

Eshbaal is not the only man known to have this name during the time of David. Archaeologists found a 3,000 year old inscription on a large ceramic jar at Khirbet Qeiyafa, Israel (2012). It clearly records the name “Eshbaal Ben Beda”. Archaeologists Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor think he was likely the owner of an agricultural estate.

More information

Article Version: December 29, 2025