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: AMP
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2 Samuel 3
3
1There followed a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, in which David grew ever stronger, but the house of Saul ever weaker.
Sons Born in Hebron. 2#1 Chr 3:1–4. Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam from Jezreel; 3the second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;#2 Sm 13:37; 15:8. 4the fourth, Adonijah, son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, son of Abital;#1 Kgs 1:5. 5and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
Ishbaal and Abner Quarrel. 6During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was gaining power in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal, son of Saul, said to Abner, “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?”#Asserting a right to the late king’s harem was tantamount to claiming his kingship; cf. 16:21–22; 1 Kgs 2:21–22. #2 Sm 16:21–22; 21:8–10; 1 Kgs 2:21–22. 8Enraged at the words of Ishbaal, Abner said, “Am I a dog’s head from Judah? As of today, I have been loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and I have kept you out of David’s clutches; and today you charge me with a crime involving a woman! 9May God do thus to Abner, and more, if I do not carry out for David what the Lord swore to him—#Ru 1:17. 10that is, take away the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.”#2 Sm 5:2; 1 Sm 25:30. 11Ishbaal was no longer able to say a word to Abner, he feared him so.
Abner and David Reconciled. 12Then Abner sent messengers to David in Telam, where he was at the moment, to say, “Make a covenant with me, and you have me on your side, to bring all Israel over to you.” 13He replied, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you. You must not appear before me unless you bring back Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to present yourself to me.”#1 Sm 18:20–27. 14At the same time David sent messengers to Ishbaal, son of Saul, to say, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed by paying a hundred Philistine foreskins.” 15Ishbaal sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish,#1 Sm 25:44. 16who followed her weeping as far as Bahurim. But Abner said to him, “Go back!” So he turned back.
17Abner then had a word with the elders of Israel: “For some time you have been wanting David as your king. 18Now take action, for the Lord has said of David: By David my servant I will save my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and from the power of all their enemies.” 19Abner also spoke with Benjamin, and then went to speak with David in Hebron concerning all that would be agreeable to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. 20When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him. 21Then Abner said to David, “I will now go to assemble all Israel for my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you; you will then be king over all whom you wish to rule.” So David let Abner go on his way in peace.
Death of Abner. 22Just then David’s servants and Joab were coming in from an expedition, bringing much plunder with them. Abner, having been dismissed by David, was no longer with him in Hebron but had gone on his way in peace. 23When Joab and the whole force he had with him arrived, he was informed, “Abner, son of Ner, came to David, and he let him go on his way in peace.” 24So Joab went to the king and said: “What have you done? Abner came to you! Why did you let him get away? 25Don’t you know Abner? He came to trick you, to learn your comings and goings, to learn everything you do.” 26Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner to bring him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know. 27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside within the city gate to speak with him privately. There he stabbed him in the abdomen, and he died for the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother.#2 Sm 2:17–23; 1 Kgs 2:5, 31–33. 28Later David heard of it and said: “Before the Lord, I and my kingdom are forever innocent.#3:28, 30] 2 Sm 2:22–23. 29May the blood of Abner, son of Ner, be on the head of Joab and all his family. May Joab’s family never be without one suffering from a discharge, or one with a skin disease, or a man who holds the distaff, or one falling by the sword, or one in need of food!”#An assortment of imprecations, consisting of physical ailments, weakness, violent death, and poverty. 30Joab and Abishai his brother had been lying in wait for Abner because he killed Asahel their brother in battle at Gibeon.
David Mourns Abner. 31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” King David himself followed the bier.#2 Sm 21:10. 32When they had buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33And the king sang this lament over Abner:
Should Abner have died like a fool?
34Your hands were not bound with chains,
nor your feet placed in fetters;
As one falls before the wicked, you fell.
And all the people continued to weep for him. 35Then they went to console David with food while it was still day. But David swore, “May God do thus to me, and more, if before the sun goes down I eat bread or anything else.”#Ru 1:17. 36All the people noted this with approval, just as everything the king did met with their approval. 37So on that day all the people and all Israel came to know that it was not the king’s doing that Abner, son of Ner, was put to death. 38The king then said to his servants: “Do you not know that a prince, a great man, has fallen today in Israel. 39Although I am the anointed king, I am weak this day, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too ruthless for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer in accordance with his evil deed.”#Ps 28:4; Is 3:11.
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