2 Samuel 3 - Study the King James Bible

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.

And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

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.

And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, 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?

So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;

2 Samuel 3:9. So do God to Abner, and more also— We have here a clear discovery of the character of Abner. Instigated by revenge, he not only threatens to abandon his master, but acknowledges the injustice of the cause in which he had engaged, and the divine appointment of David to the throne. "Such," says Pellican, "is the character of many courtiers. Irritated upon slight occasions to the greatest contradictions, they are less the subjects of kings than their masters."

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 Beer-sheba.

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, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

2 Samuel 3:13. One thing I require— David did right in making this stipulation; for, whatever may be said of his other wives, he had certainly a claim to this, as she was his first wife, and a king's daughter: and there was something of true generosity in this, both to her and to Saul, in that he received her after she had been another man's, remembering how once she loved him; knowing, probably, that she was without her consent separated from him, and to shew that he did not carry his resentment of Saul's cruel and unjust persecutions of him to any of his family; whereas many princes, for much less provocations of a wife's father, would have turned off their consorts, in revenge of them; and even put them to death for having been married to another. Chandler. Mr. Bayle considers it as cruelty in David to ravish Michal from a husband who loved her so well; see 2 Samuel 3:16.; that is, Mr. Bayle thinks it a great cruelty in David to disturb Phaltiel in an adultery which was agreeable to him, and to restore Michal to her only husband, the husband of her affection and her choice, for whom she had so much tenderness as to save his life at the hazard of her own. Phaltiel certainly is no proper object of pity; and yet his distress upon this occasion as one of the finest pictures of silent grief that any history has left us. Conscious that he had no right to complain, or molest Michal with his lamentations, he follows her at a distance, with a distress silent and self-confined, going and weeping behind her. However such fine paintings of nature pass unregarded in the sacred writings, I am satisfied that in Homer we should survey this with delight. The Jewish rabbies are unanimously of opinion, that Phaltiel was a strictly religious man, and had no nuptial commerce with Michal. Note; Polygamy had long received sanction from prevailing custom; but it is in itself evil, and no custom or authority can consecrate a bad practice. And could David, indeed, have foreseen how his children would have turned out, it would have abated his joy at their birth; for three of them at least lived to give him many a bitter pang. So often do we find our scourges in that wherein we promised ourselves the greatest comfort.

14.

And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

15.

And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel 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 times 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, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

2 Samuel 3:27. For the blood of Asahel his brother— How empty and ill-founded are the purposes of vain man! Abner, who promises kingdoms, (2 Samuel 3:10.) cannot secure to himself one single hour of life. David had sent him away, and he departed in peace; but being called back by Joab, he fell. Envy, doubtless, and jealousy of Abner's merit with David in gaining over the tribes to him, were principal motives to this base action, as well as revenge for the blood of Asahel.

28.

And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood 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 fail 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.

2 Samuel 3:29. Let it rest on the head of Joab— Houbigant very properly renders this in the future tense, but it shall, or will rest upon the head of Joab, and on all his father's house, and there will not fail, &c. by which rendering every thing doubtful in the text is removed. The king commanded a general mourning to be made for Abner; and it is remarkable, that the command begins with Joab. David wept over Abner, and buried him with all solemnity, himself attending the bier, which was not the custom of kings; and he added a lamentation (2 Samuel 3:33.) which every eye will discern to be truly poetic in the most literal translation, though none have pretended to determine the measure.
As dies the criminal, shall Abner die?— Thy hands not bound, Nor to the fetters were thy feet applied: As is their fate that fall Before the faces of the sons of guilt, So art thou fallen.
Josephus says, that David interred Abner magnificently, and that he wrote funeral lamentations to his honour; i.e. as some suppose, he raised a magnificent tomb for him, and engraved upon it an epitaph in his praise.

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.

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 wicked 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.

2 Samuel 3:35. All the people came to cause David to eat— When any one died among the Jews, it was customary with the friends of the family to resort to the house immediately after the funeral, and bring the best provisions they had along with them, to support and refresh their friends in afflictions to the utmost of their power, The presumption was, that the people in affliction forgot, or, it may be, neglected their proper refreshment, at a time when they most needed it; and therefore it was the business of friendship, and one of its kindest offices, to supply that care. Agreeably to this usage, all the people waited upon the king, to cause him to take meat, as the text express it, whilst it was yet day; but David absolutely refused to touch a morsel; and confirmed the refusal by an oath, that he would taste nothing till the sun went down. He was resolved to clear his innocence by all the tests of real sorrow; and, to satisfy the people that this was a just occasion of grief, he put them in mind of his dignity to whom he paid it: 2 Samuel 3:38.

36.

And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king 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, 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.