Misinterpretations of II Samuel 2:10 often include assuming Ishbosheth reigned over the entire nation of Israel for only two years, overlooking that his authority was limited to the northern tribes excluding Judah, where David ruled concurrently for over seven years in Hebron; another error is portraying Ishbosheth as the rightful or enduring successor to Saul, disregarding the biblical narrative of David's divine anointing and the civil war that led to the house of Saul's decline, or confusing the timeline by implying a seamless transition rather than a period of conflict and Abner's manipulations.
II Samuel 2:10
King James Version (1769)
10 Ish–bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
II Samuel 2:10 describes the brief kingship of Ishbosheth, Saul's son, who at age forty began ruling over the northern tribes of Israel for two years following Saul's death, while the southern tribe of Judah remained loyal to David; this verse underscores the temporary division of the kingdom, highlighting God's unfolding plan for David to unite Israel under his leadership as the anointed king, despite initial tribal loyalties and political fragmentation.