2 Samuel 3:1-21
ABNER LEAVES ISHBOSHETH FOR DAVID... [ Continue Reading ]
ABNER LEAVES ISHBOSHETH FOR DAVID... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, literally, "the war was protracted," a state of war continued to exist, since neither acknowledged the other as king, although outward hostilities were apparently not renewed; BUT DAVID, patiently waiting and relying upon the... [ Continue Reading ]
And unto David were sons born in Hebron; and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess;... [ Continue Reading ]
and his second, Chileab (or Daniel, 1 Chronicles 3:1), OF ABIGAIL, THE WIFE OF NABAL, THE CARMELITE; AND THE THIRD, ABSALOM, THE SON OF MAACAH, THE DAUGHTER OF TALMAI, KING OF GESHUR, a small principality in Syria;... [ Continue Reading ]
and the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital;... [ Continue Reading ]
and the sixth Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. The three women mentioned last are otherwise unknown. THESE WERE BORN TO DAVID IN HEBRON, the fruit of his strange polygamous marriages.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, while the state of hostility continued, THAT ABNER MADE HIMSELF STRONG FOR THE HOUSE OF SAUL, his strong influence enabled the house of Saul to maintain itself.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine? The reproof was given because Abner, by his action, had presumed upon royal rights, for in the ancient Orient claim to the harem was claim to th... [ Continue Reading ]
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, for he seems to have been self-willed and presumptuous in his conduct toward the weak man whom he had made king, AND SAID, AM I A DOG'S HEAD, a low, contemptible person, WHICH AGAINST JUDAH, who sides with Judah? (I) DO SHOW KINDNESS THIS DAY UN... [ Continue Reading ]
So do God to Abner, and more also, a strong oath of a vigorous, autocratic man, EXCEPT, AS THE LORD HATH SWORN TO DAVID, EVEN SO I DO TO HIM,... [ Continue Reading ]
to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, to take it away and transfer it, AND TO SET UP THE THRONE OF DAVID OVER ISRAEL AND OVER JUDAH, FROM DAN EVEN TO BEERSHEBA, from the extreme north to the extreme south of Canaan. Abner had evidently recognized the fact, even before this, that Ishboshet... [ Continue Reading ]
And he, Ishbosheth, COULD NOT ANSWER ABNER A WORD AGAIN, BECAUSE HE FEARED HIM, he was too feeble, too cowardly, to back up his reproof with action.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, as an embassy representing him, SAYING, WHOSE IS THE LAND? His pride caused him to intimate that he was the real master of Israel. SAYING ALSO, MAKE THY LEAGUE WITH ME, AND, BEHOLD, MY HAND SHALL BE WITH THEE TO BRING ABOUT ALL ISRAEL UNTO THEE, to g... [ Continue Reading ]
And he, David, SAID, WELL; I WILL MAKE A LEAGUE WITH THEE; BUT ONE THING I REQUIRE OF THEE, this was his one condition upon whose fulfillment he insisted, THAT IS, THOU SHALT NOT SEE MY FACE EXCEPT THOU FIRST BRING MICHAL, SAUL'S DAUGHTER, WHEN THOU COMEST TO SEE MY FACE. It was not merely that Mich... [ Continue Reading ]
And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that being the purchase price, the morning gift which Saul had demanded, 1 Samuel 18:25,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ishbosheth, who would not have been able to refuse the demand of David even if he had been so inclined, SENT AND TOOK HER FROM HER HUSBAND, EVEN FROM PHALTIEL, THE SON OF LAISH, the man who seems to have taken her in good faith, 1 Samuel 25:44.... [ Continue Reading ]
And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim, on the boundary of Judah, his behavior showing that he was truly fond of Michal. THEN SAID ABNER, who, in accordance with David's condition, had taken charge of this mission, UNTO HIM, GO, RETURN. AND HE RETURNED.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abner, even before he restored Michal to her rightful husband, HAD COMMUNICATION WITH THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, SAYING, YE SOUGHT FOR DAVID IN TIMES PAST, literally, "yesterday as well as the day before," TO BE KING OVER YOU, their dissatisfaction with Ishbosheth had probably been voiced more than o... [ Continue Reading ]
now, then, do it: for the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies. This was the promise implied in the prophetic tradition and the duty laid upon the king chosen by Jeh... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin, here distinguished from the northern tribes, because its members had been very strongly attached to the house of Saul; AND ABNER WENT ALSO TO SPEAK IN THE EARS OF DAVID IN HEBRON ALL THAT SEEMED GOOD TO ISRAEL, AND THAT SEEMED GOOD TO THE WHOLE HOUSE OF... [ Continue Reading ]
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him, as representatives of all Israel, as witnesses of the covenant. AND DAVID MADE ABNER AND THE MEN THAT WERE WITH HIM A FEAST, a formal festival meal.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king that they may make a league with thee, acknowledging him as the chosen king of Jehovah, through whom, as His instrument, the Lord Himself would rule over His people, AND THAT THOU MAYEST REIGN OVER ALL T... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, the servants of David and Joab, the latter being the general of the army of Judah, CAME FROM PURSUING A TROOP, they had been out on a raid against one of the neighboring nations, AND BROUGHT IN A GREAT SPOIL WITH THEM, such expeditions being necessary at that time to support the army. B... [ Continue Reading ]
ABNER MURDERED BY JOAB, MOURNED BY DAVID... [ Continue Reading ]
When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, some people promptly informed him, SAYING, ABNER, THE SON OF NER, CAME TO THE KING, AND HE HATH SENT HIM AWAY, AND HE IS GONE IN PEACE.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Joab, who was filled with hatred against Abner, CAME TO THE KING AND SAID, WHAT HAST THOU DONE? BEHOLD, ABNER CAME UNTO THEE; WHY IS IT THAT THOU HAST SENT HIM AWAY, instead of holding him captive? AND HE IS QUITE GONE; no one had made a move to secure him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou knowest Abner, the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, with an evil and hostile purpose, AND TO KNOW THY GOING OUT AND THY COMING IN, AND TO KNOW ALL THAT THOU DOEST. In his reproach of David, Joab accused Abner of being a spy, a traitor, who was seeking information favorable to his schem... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Joab was come out from David, after this interview, HE SENT MESSENGERS AFTER ABNER, WHICH BROUGHT HIM AGAIN FROM THE WELL, or cistern, OF SIRAH, for he had progressed to that point when the messengers reached him; BUT DAVID KNEW IT NOT, he was unacquainted with Joab's plans, much less did h... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, undoubtedly under the impression that David had some further instructions for him, JOAB TOOK HIM ASIDE IN THE GATE TO SPEAK WITH HIM QUIETLY, in secret, in private, his attendants therefore retiring, AND SMOTE HIM THERE UNDER THE FIFTH RIB, in the abdomen, THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
And afterward, when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let it, the guilt, REST ON THE HEAD OF JOAB AND ON ALL HIS FATHER'S HOUSE, the punishment of God should turn, roll, plunge upon the entire family of Joab; AND LET THERE NOT FAIL FROM THE HOUSE OF JOAB, not one escaping this fate, ONE THAT HATH AN ISSUE, Leviticus 15:2, OR THAT IS A LEPER, OR THAT LE... [ Continue Reading ]
So Joab and Abishai, his brother, who was an accomplice, SLEW ABNER BECAUSE HE HAD SLAIN THEIR BROTHER ASAHEL AT GIBEON IN THE BATTLE. The deed showed traits in Joab's character which appeared once more at a later time, in the murder of Amasa, 2 Samuel 20:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
And David said to Joab and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, the signs of deepest grief, AND MOURN BEFORE ABNER, in the presence of his corpse, by an official lamentation. AND KING DAVID HIMSELF FOLLOWED THE BIER, his share in the ceremonies showin... [ Continue Reading ]
And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, his tears being further evidence of the genuineness of his grief; AND ALL THE PEOPLE WEPT, sharing his trouble and his sympathy.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king lamented over Abner, in an elegy expressing his deepest sorrow over Abner's innocent and shameful death, AND SAID, DIED ABNER AS A FOOL DIETH, like a good-for-nothing, worthless fellow?... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters, he was not guilty of any crime; AS A MAN FALLETH BEFORE WICKED MEN, before assassins, SO FELLEST THOU, murdered in malice. AND ALL THE PEOPLE, moved by the lament of this elegy, WEPT AGAIN OVER HIM.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat, to partake of food, WHILE IT WAS YET DAY, DAVID SWARE, SAYING, SO DO GOD TO ME AND MORE ALSO IF I TASTE BREAD OR AUGHT ELSE TILL THE SUN BE DOWN; his grief culminated in his voluntary fasting.... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people, he won the love and confidence of the people by his manner of acting and freed himself from all suspicion of complicity in the murder of Abner.... [ Continue Reading ]
For all the people, those present in Hebron, AND ALL ISRAEL, to whom the news was brought, UNDERSTOOD THAT DAY THAT IT WAS NOT OF THE KING TO SLAY ABNER, THE SON OF NER.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? Abner had been a prince by reason of his distinguished military ability, and a great man on account of his lofty character and virtues of value to the nation.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I am this day weak, still powerless to act as the occasion really required, THOUGH ANOINTED KING; AND THESE MEN, THE SONS OF ZERUIAH, BE TOO HARD FOR ME, he did not feel able as yet to bring them to justice. THE LORD SHALL REWARD THE DOER OF EVIL ACCORDING TO HIS WICKEDNESS. Into Jehovah's hands... [ Continue Reading ]