---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  2 Samuel 3"
description: "CHAPTER 3   :-. SIX SONS
BORN TO DAVID. 1. there was long war between the
house of Saul and the house of David—The rival parties had
varying success, but"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/2-samuel/3"
---

CHAPTER 3

. SIX SONS
BORN TO DAVID.

**1. there was long war between the
house of Saul and the house of David**—The rival parties had
varying success, but David's interest steadily increased; less,
however, by the fortunes of war, than a growing adherence to him as
the divinely designated king.

**2. unto David were sons born in
Hebron**—The six sons mentioned had all different mothers.

**3. Chileab**—("his father's
picture")—called also Daniel ().
**Maacah the daughter of Talmai
king of Geshur**—a region in Syria, north of Israel. This
marriage seems to have been a political match, made by David, with a
view to strengthen himself against Ish-bosheth's party, by the aid of
a powerful friend and ally in the north. Piety was made to yield to
policy, and the bitter fruits of this alliance with a heathen prince
he reaped in the life of the turbulent Absalom.

**5. Eglah David's wife**—This
addition has led many to think that Eglah was another name for
Michal, the *first* and *proper* wife, who, though she had
no family after her insolent ridicule of David (), might have had a child before.
. ABNER REVOLTS
TO DAVID.

**6-11. Abner made himself strong for
the house of Saul**—In the East, the wives and concubines of a
king are the property of his successor to this extent, that for a
private person to aspire to marry one of them would be considered a
virtual advance of pretensions to the crown (see ). It is not clear whether the accusation against Abner was
well or ill founded. But he resented the charge as an indignity, and,
impelled by revenge, determined to transfer all the weight of his
influence to the opposite party. He evidently set a full value on his
services, and seems to have lorded it over his weak nephew in a
haughty, overbearing manner.

**12, 13. Abner sent messengers to
David**—Though his language implied a secret conviction, that in
supporting Ish-bosheth he had been laboring to frustrate the divine
purpose of conferring the sovereignty of the kingdom on David, this
acknowledgment was no justification either of the measure he was now
adopting, or of the motives that prompted it. Nor does it seem
possible to uphold the full integrity and honor of David's conduct in
entertaining his secret overtures for undermining Ish-bosheth, except
we take into account the divine promise of the kingdom, and his
belief that the secession of Abner was a means designed by Providence
for accomplishing it. The demand for the restoration of his wife
Michal was perfectly fair; but David's insisting on it at that
particular moment, as an indispensable condition of his entering into
any treaty with Abner, seems to have proceeded not so much from a
lingering attachment as from an expectation that his possession of
her would incline some adherents of the house of Saul to be favorable
to his cause.

**17-21. Abner had communication with
the elders of Israel**—He spoke the truth in impressing their
minds with the well-known fact of David's divine designation to the
kingdom. But he acted a base and hypocritical part in pretending that
his present movement was prompted by religious motives, when it
sprang entirely from malice and revenge against Ish-bosheth. The
particular appeal of the Benjamites was a necessary policy; their
tribe enjoyed the honor of giving birth to the royal dynasty of Saul;
they would naturally be disinclined to lose that *prestige.*
They were, besides, a determined people, whose contiguity to Judah
might render them troublesome and dangerous. The enlistment of their
interest, therefore, in the scheme, would smooth the way for the
adhesion of the other tribes; and Abner enjoyed the most convenient
opportunity of using his great influence in gaining over that tribe
while escorting Michal to David with a suitable equipage. The mission
enabled him to cover his treacherous designs against his master—to
draw the attention of the elders and people to David as uniting in
himself the double recommendation of being the nominee of Jehovah, no
less than a connection of the royal house of Saul, and, without
suspicion of any dishonorable motives, to advocate policy of
terminating the civil discord, by bestowing the sovereignty on the
husband of Michal. In the same character of public ambassador, he was
received and feted by David; and while, ostensibly, the restoration
of Michal was the sole object of his visit, he busily employed
himself in making private overtures to David for bringing over to his
cause those tribes which he had artfully seduced. Abner pursued a
course unworthy of an honorable man and though his offer was accepted
by David, the guilt and infamy of the transaction were exclusively
his.
. JOAB KILLS
ABNER.

**24-27. Joab came to the king, and
said, What hast thou done?**—Joab's knowledge of Abner's wily
character might have led him to doubt the sincerity of that person's
proposals and to disapprove the policy of relying on his fidelity.
But undoubtedly there were other reasons of a private and personal
nature which made Joab displeased and alarmed by the reception given
to Abner. The military talents of that general, his popularity with
the army, his influence throughout the nation, rendered him a
formidable rival. In the event of his overtures being carried out,
the important service of bringing over all the other tribes to the
king of Judah would establish so strong a claim on the gratitude of
David, that his accession would inevitably raise a serious obstacle
to the ambition of Joab. To these considerations was added the
remembrance of the blood feud that existed between them since the
death of his brother Asahel (). Determined, therefore, to get Abner out of the way, Joab
feigned some reason, probably in the king's name, for recalling him,
and, going out to meet him, stabbed him unawares; not within Hebron,
for it was a city of refuge, but at a noted well in the neighborhood.

**31. David said to Joab, and to all
the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with
sackcloth**—David's sorrow was sincere and profound, and he took
occasion to give it public expression by the funeral honors he
appointed for Abner.
**King David himself followed
the bier**—a sort of wooden frame, partly resembling a coffin,
and partly a hand-barrow.

**33, 34. the king lamented over
Abner**—This brief elegy is an effusion of indignation as much as
of sorrow. As Abner had stabbed Asahel in open war [], Joab had not the right of the Goel. Besides, he had
adopted a lawless and execrable method of obtaining satisfaction (see
on ). The deed was an insult
to the authority, as well as most damaging to the prospects of the
king. But David's feelings and conduct on hearing of the death,
together with the whole character and accompaniments of the funeral
solemnity, tended not only to remove all suspicion of guilt from him,
but even to turn the tide of popular opinion in his favor, and to
pave the way for his reigning over all the tribes more honorably than
by the treacherous negotiations of Abner.

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