2 Samuel 3:1-39
1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab,a of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.
7 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?
8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
9 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
10 To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.
11 And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
13 And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is,b Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
14 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.
15 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltielc the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.
17 And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in timesd past to be king over you:
18 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.
19 And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: 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 Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.
21 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, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
23 When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?
25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.
26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.
27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly,e and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the bloodf of Abner the son of Ner:
29 Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not failg from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.h
32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?
34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wickedi men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the kingj did pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am this day weak,k though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
Though Saul had died, yet there continues long war between his house and the house of David. We have seen that Saul stands for the energy of the flesh, which does not easily give up though it is doomed. The house of David waxes stronger and stronger, but the flesh cannot but expose its own weakness when it is given time.
We are told now of David's having six sons, each by a different wife (vs.2-5). Never was it God's intention that a man should have more than one wife. At the beginning He had said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife" -- not "his wives." Yet under law God bore with bigamy and polygamy because of the hardness of men's hearts (cf. Matthew 19:8). Also, far above men's natural thoughts, God used this occasion to illustrate various distinct characteristics of the Lord Jesus in His coming kingdom. Those who are interested to check this in detail will find the Numerical Bible (2 Samuel, pages 405-407) most enlightening. This enforces the striking truth that God can overrule man's failure in order to serve the greater purpose of highly exalting His beloved son, and reminds us that there will be certain precious fruits showing themselves in the Lord Jesus in "communion" (Hebron) before He reigns in glory.
The combination of Abner with Ish-bosheth seems to indicate the opposition of anti-christ in the Tribulation period, Abner showing his strength and Ish-bosheth his weakness (v.6). For the anti-christ will put on a show of strength that will in the end prove to be weakness, so that he will have an ignominious fall, as did both Abner and Ish-bosheth.
Verse 7 shows the beginning of the fall of Israel's government. How many since Abner have ruined themselves by similar moral infractions! When Ish-bosheth made an issue of Abner's having taken one of Saul's concubines, Abner was furious that the question was even raised (v.8). He has no defense, but attacks Ish-bosheth as being ungrateful for Abner's having elevated him to the place of king. He thinks Ish-bosheth should ignore his moral evil since he had backed up Ish-bosheth. Actually it was not really kindness to Ish-bosheth that had moved Abner, but jealousy for his own position of power.
Therefore his kindness quickly turns to bitter animosity. He will show Ish-bosheth who is in authority by just as quickly deposing him as he had exalted him. He would translate the kingdom from the house of Saul to the house of David, and thereby fulfil the word that God had sworn to David, that David would be king of all Israel (vs.9-10). Abner had known God's expressed oath as this matter, but until this time had brazenly defied it. Even now he was not changing because of any real regard for the word of God, but because Ish-bosheth had questioned his character. In changing he was of course counting on David's favor toward him.
This withering outburst was too much for Ish-bosheth: he was totally silenced from fear of Abner (v.11). If he had been a wise man he would have before refused to listen to Abner, to take any part in ruling Israel, for he knew he was not qualified for it. He loses everything.
But Abner does not intend to lose out. He immediately contacts David by Messenger, urging him to make a league with Abner, who would on his part bring all Israel into subjection to David (v.12). David responded also by messengers who told Abner that a league could be formed, but only on condition that Michal, Saul's daughter should be returned to David as his wife. David confirmed this to Ish-bosheth by insisting that Michal, whom he had purchased by his slaughter of 100 Philistines, should be given back to him (v.14, Though the Lord does not comment on whether David should have done this, yet the subsequent history (ch.6:16-23) shows that their relationship was far from satisfactory. In fact, Michal had shown no fidelity to David in 1 Samuel 19:17, when she told her father that David had threatened to kill her if she did not let him escape from Saul. Why should he want her returned when she had proven undependable? Was it only his own rights he was thinking of? He could have reasoned too that since he had not taken the initiative, in putting her away, the Deuteronomy 24:1 would not apply. But that passage does say that the first husband was not to take his wife back after she had been defiled by marrying another man (v.4). If David had sought wisdom from God, this scripture might have been a protection for him.
At Ish-bosheth's order Michal was taken from her husband, Phaltiel (v.15). Though she was not his in the first place the wrong was only compounded by her being taken from him and given again to David. When Phaltiel follows her weeping, Abner summarily tell him to return home. Saul had given Michal to Phaltiel but Abner does not have to reckon with a living Saul any longer. He wants David's patronage.
Verse 17 tells us that Abner had already spoken with the elders of Israel, reminding them that before this they had desired David as king. He knew this, yet he had tried to overrule it by exalting Ish-bosheth. When this did not work out, then he can easily ignore his mistake and ignore Ish-bosheth by telling the elders of Israel to now accept David as king. In this he appeals to what God had already said: "By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies" (v.18).
In verse 19 we are told that Abner boldly took the message of his decision to turn the kingdom over to David, to the tribe of Benjamin. These of course would likely be slow to accept David, since Saul (and of course Ish-bosheth) were Benjamites. Being a strongly influential man (in contrast to Ish-bosheth), Abner was able to persuade them, so that he could go to David as representing Israel and the whole house of the Benjamites. He therefore made an agreement with David that he would gather Israel in order that they might make a covenant with David. David approvingly sent him away with this understanding (v.21).
Joab knew nothing of this until he returned from a raid in which he and his men had been successful in gaining "much spoil." However, when he heard of David's favorable reception of Abner, he sensed danger, -- not actually danger to David, but danger as regards his own position in David's government. He would see Abner as a threat to his prominence. Immediately he went in to David and remonstrated strongly with him (v.24). He made it clear that he thought David ought to have killed Abner when he had the opportunity, or to have at least imprisoned him. He claims that Abner came as a spy to deceive David and learn of David's activities in order to take advantage of him. Of course this was not true, but Joab wanted an excuse for getting rid of Abner. Nothing is said of how David responded to Joab's accusation.
Joab saw his opportunity to act quickly. Without David's knowledge, he sent messengers after Abner to bring him back. Abner, fully unsuspecting, came back willingly. Joab was ready to meet him at the gate of the city, and there took him aside as though to speak privately to him, and immediately plunged him through with his weapon "under the fifth rib," as Abner had done to Asahel (ch.2:23), killing him instantly with this blow to the heart (v.27).
Joab no doubt considered that he was "the avenger of blood" on behalf of Asahel, his brother, and was able to kill Abner just outside Hebron, the city of refuge (Joshua 20:7). Inside the city Abner would have been safe. Joab ignored the fact that Asahel had been killed in battle, and he killed Abner when showing himself outwardly on friendly terms with him. Joab had reproved David for being deceived by Abner, but he practiced far more cunning deception himself in dealing with Abner.
David was deeply affected by this news, and disavowed on behalf of himself and his kingdom all responsibility for the death of Abner. He does virtually ask for the intervention of God in discipline to Joab and to his family, that they might suffer as a consequence of this. But did David forget that he was king, and responsible to carry out some judgment against Joab? Joab had actually been guilty of cold-blooded, premeditated murder, and for this he deserved the death penalty. David very soon after ordered the death of the two men who murdered Ish-bosheth (ch.4:10-12). The murder of Abner was just as serious, but evidently because Joab was captain of his army, David made a difference. There is no word of David even speaking directly to Joab about this, let alone exercising more serious discipline. In this the weakness of David's kingdom is evident from the beginning.
Verse 30 also involves Abishai in the death of Abner, though we are not told exactly what part he had. We are reminded again that they killed Abner in reprisal for Abner's killing Asahel "in the battle," a far different matter than deception in a time of peace.
David does tell Joab and all the people to rend their clothes and put on sackcloth in mourning for Abner. So far as Joab and Abishai were concerned, this would only be a false show, for they had no regrets for the death of Abner. But David, following the coffin, wept at the grave of Abner, and the people followed his example. His lamentation would no doubt make Joab feel uncomfortable: "Died Abner as a fool dieth? Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put in fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou" (v.34). If Abner had been on guard, he would have been sure to at least get inside the city of refuge before meeting Joab, for he had before anticipated that he would incur Joab's anger by his killing Asahel (ch.2:22). wisdom deserted him at that time, and he fell as "before wicked men." But his wisdom deserted him at that time, and he fell as "before wicked men."
The genuineness of David's mourning was further proven by his refusal to eat until the sun was down (v.35). The people were impressed by this and fully realized that David did not approve the killing of Abner. He said that Abner was "a prince and a great man" in Israel, and his fall was not an asset to David's kingdom, but rather weakened David, though he was anointed king. He tells the people also that the sons of Zeruiah (Joab and Abishai) were too hard for him, and that the Lord would justly reward their acts of wickedness.