2 Samuel 3 · WEB
Abner Defects to David; Joab Murders Abner
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Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelite;
3and 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;
4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.
7Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
8Then Abner was very angry about the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David. Yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman.
9God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don't do this to him:
10to transfer 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."
11He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
12Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" and also saying, "Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around to you."
13He said, "Good. I will make a covenant with you; but one thing I require of you. That is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."
14David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Deliver my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to me for a hundred Philistine foreskins."
15Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.
16Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go! Return!" and he returned.
17Abner communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past you sought David to be king over you.
18Now then do it, for Yahweh has 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.'"
19Abner also spoke 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 to the whole house of Benjamin.
20So Abner came to David at Hebron, with twenty men. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
21Abner said to David, "I will arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you; and you will reign over all that your soul desires." David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22Behold, David's servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great amount of plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23When Joab and all the army that was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, "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 is it that you have sent him away, and he is gone?
25You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do."
26When Joab had gone out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David didn't know it.
27When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."
30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had killed Asahel their brother at Gibeon in the battle.
31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." King David himself followed the bier.
32They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept aloud at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33The king lamented over Abner and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell." All the people wept over him again.
35All the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, "God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else until the sun goes down."
36All the people noticed it, and it pleased them. Whatever the king did pleased all the people.
37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.
38The king said to his servants, "Don't you know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
39I am this day weak, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness."
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Summary
The civil war between David's house and Saul's house slowly tips in David's favor. A quarrel between Abner and Ish-bosheth over a concubine causes Abner to defect and negotiate with David, who demands the return of his wife Michal as a condition. Just as Abner is about to unify Israel under David, Joab murders Abner to avenge his brother Asahel's death. David publicly mourns Abner and distances himself from the killing, winning the sympathy of all Israel.
Themes
- The unstoppable rise of David according to God's promise
- Vengeance and justice: Joab's unauthorized blood feud
- David's political wisdom and public integrity
- The complicated transition of power and loyalty
Key verses
- 2 Sam 3:1 — “David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.”
- 2 Sam 3:28 — “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.”
- 2 Sam 3:38 — “Don't you know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?”
- 2 Sam 3:39 — “I am this day weak, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me.”
Context & background
Hebron (modern Hebron/Al-Khalil, West Bank) serves as the central location of this chapter, where both the negotiations and Abner's murder take place. The gate of a city was the official public space for legal and political transactions in the ancient Near East — Joab lured Abner aside "into the middle of the gate," a public disgrace to what should have been a protected space. Taking a king's concubine was tantamount to claiming his throne (compare Absalom's act in 2 Sam 16), so Ish-bosheth's accusation against Abner was politically explosive. David's insistence on recovering Michal (Saul's daughter) was both personal and political, reinforcing his legitimate connection to the house of Saul.
Cross-references
- 1 Kgs 2:5-6 — Solomon later executes Joab partly for this murder of Abner
- 2 Sam 16:21-22 — Absalom takes David's concubines, echoing the Abner-Rizpah incident
- 2 Sam 2:23 — Abner kills Asahel, planting the seed for Joab's revenge
- Gen 9:6 — The principle that blood demands justice
- Rom 12:19 — "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord" — the contrast with Joab's self-appointed justice