2 Samuel 3
3
The House of David Strengthened
1There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker [to the point of being powerless].
2Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of [his wife] Maacah, daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur; 4the fourth, Adonijah the son of [his wife] Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of [his wife] Abital; 5and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These [sons] were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Joins David
6Now while war continued between the houses of Saul and David, Abner was proving himself strong in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had a #3:7 See note Gen 22:24.concubine whose name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, #3:7 Being intimate with the former king’s concubine was a way for Abner to assert a claim on the throne.“Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, “Am I a dog’s head [a despicable traitor] that belongs to Judah? #3:8 Abner reminds Ish-bosheth that he put Ish-bosheth on the throne of Israel.Today I show loyalty and kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, by not having you handed over to David; and yet you charge me today with guilt concerning this woman. 9May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just as the Lord has sworn to him, 10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south].” 11And Ish-bosheth could not say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12Then Abner sent messengers to David [who was] in his place [at Hebron], saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant (treaty) with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.” 13David said, “Good! I will make a covenant (treaty) with you, but I require one thing of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see #3:13 Lit see my face.me.” 14So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “#3:14 Saul promised Michal to David as his wife. See 1 Sam 18:25-27.Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was #3:14 I.e. a legal and binding promise of marriage.betrothed for [the price of] a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her]. 16But her husband went with her, weeping continually behind her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner told him, “Go, return.” And he did so.
17Abner talked with the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18Now then, do it [and make him king]! For the Lord has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.’ ” [1 Sam 9:16] 19Abner also spoke #3:19 Lit in the ears of Benjamin.to [the men of] Benjamin. Then he also went to #3:19 Lit speak in the ears of David.tell David at Hebron everything that seemed good #3:19 Lit in the eyes of Israel.to Israel and to the entire house of Benjamin.
20So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him. 21Abner said to David, “Let me stand up and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant (treaty) with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22Then the servants of David came with Joab from a raid and brought a great quantity of spoil with them; but Abner was not with David at Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.” 24Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone? 25You know Abner the son of Ner, that he [only] came to deceive you [with flattering words] and to learn of your going out and coming in, and to find out what you are doing.”
Joab Murders Abner
26When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew nothing [about Joab’s action]. 27So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he struck Abner in the abdomen so that he died, #3:27 This was an act of murder, not justifiable revenge, because Abner had killed Asahel in self-defense during a battle.to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother. 28Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29Let #3:29 Lit it.the guilt fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house (family); and may there never disappear from the house of Joab one who suffers with a discharge or one who is a leper or one who walks with a crutch [being unfit for war], or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks food.” 30So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
David Mourns Abner
31Then David said to Joab and to all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33And the king sang a dirge (funeral song) over Abner and said,
“Should Abner [the great warrior] die as a fool dies?
34“Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters;
As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him. 35All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.” 36And all the people took notice of it and it #3:36 Lit was good in their eyes.pleased them, just as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39Today I am weak, though anointed king; these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer [Joab] in accordance with his wickedness!”
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2 Samuel 3
3
1The war between Saul’s house and David’s house was long and drawn out. David kept getting stronger, while Saul’s house kept getting weaker.
David’s family
2David’s sons were born in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, by Ahinoam from Jezreel; 3the second was Chileab, by Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel; the third was Absalom, by#3.3 Or son of; also twice in 3:4 Maacah, who was the daughter of Geshur’s King Talmai; 4the fourth was Adonijah, by Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital; 5and the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These are David’s sons that were born in Hebron.
Joab kills Abner
6Throughout the war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner was gaining power in Saul’s house. 7Now Saul had a secondary wife named Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter. Ishbosheth#3.7 Or he, supplied from 3:8; see note at 2:8 on Ishbosheth. said to Abner, “Why have you had sex with my father’s secondary wife?”
8Abner got very angry over what Ishbosheth had said.
“Am I some sort of dog’s head?”#3.8 LXX; MT adds that belongs to Judah. Abner asked. “I’ve been nothing but loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his brothers and his friends. I haven’t handed you over to David, but today you accuse me of doing something wrong with this woman. 9May God deal harshly with me, Abner, and worse still if I don’t do for David exactly what the LORD swore to him— 10removing the kingdom from Saul’s house and securing David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan all the way to Beer-sheba!”
11Ishbosheth couldn’t say a single word in reply to Abner because he was afraid of him.
12Abner sent messengers to represent him to David and to say, “Who will own the land?#3.12 Heb uncertain; LXX lacks Who will own the land? Make a covenant with me, then I’ll help bring all Israel over to your side.”
13“Good!” David replied. “I will make a covenant with you, but on one condition: don’t show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
14Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth. “Give me my wife Michal,” he demanded. “I became engaged to her at the cost of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15Ishbosheth then sent for Michal and took her from her husband Paltiel, Laish’s son. 16Her husband went with her all the way to Bahurim, crying as he followed her.
“Go home!” Abner told him. So he went home.
17Abner then sent word to Israel’s elders. “You’ve wanted David to be your king for some time now,” he said. 18“It’s time to act because the LORD has said about David: I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and all their enemies through my servant David.”
19Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites. He then went to inform David in person at Hebron regarding everything that all Israel and the house of Benjamin were willing to do.
20When Abner, along with twenty others, reached David at Hebron, David threw a celebration for Abner and his men. 21Then Abner said to David, “Please let me get going so I can assemble all Israel for my master the king. Then they can make a covenant with you, and you will rule over everything your heart#3.21 Or soul desires.” At that, David sent Abner off in peace.
22Right then, David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing a great deal of loot with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron because David had sent him off in peace. 23When Joab and all the troops with him returned, Joab was told that Abner, Ner’s son, had come to the king and that David had sent him off in peace.
24Joab went to the king and asked, “What have you done? Abner came to you here! Why did you send him off? Now he’s gotten away! 25Don’t you know the evil ways of Abner, Ner’s son?#3.25 LXX; MT You know Abner, Ner’s son. He came to trick you, to find out where you come and go, and to learn everything you do!”
26Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David didn’t know anything of this. 27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside next to#3.27 LXX; MT to the middle of the gate to speak with him in private. But instead Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died for shedding the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother.
28When David heard about this later, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the shedding of the blood of Abner, Ner’s son. 29May it fall upon the head of Joab and his entire family tree! May Joab’s family never be without someone with a discharge or a skin disease,#3.29 Traditionally leprosy, a term used for several different skin diseases someone who uses a crutch,#3.29 Or who holds a spindle someone who dies by the sword, or someone who is hungry!”
30So that is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31Then David ordered Joab and all the troops who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on funeral clothes! Mourn for Abner!” King David himself walked behind the body. 32They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner’s grave. All the troops cried too. 33Then the king sang this funeral song#3.33 Or lament for Abner:
“Should Abner have died like a fool dies?
34Your hands weren’t bound,
your feet weren’t chained,
but you have fallen
like someone falls before the wicked.”
Then the troops cried over Abner again.
35Then all the soldiers came to urge David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, “May God deal harshly with me and worse still if I eat bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” 36All the troops took notice of this and were pleased by it. Indeed, everything that the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the troops and all Israel knew that it wasn’t the king’s idea to kill Abner, Ner’s son.
38The king told his soldiers, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man in Israel has fallen today? 39And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak. These men, Zeruiah’s sons, are too strong for me.#3.39 Or more ruthless than me;DSS (4QSama) lacks this clause. May the LORD repay the one who does evil according to the evil they did!”
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