2 Samuel 3
General Joab murders General Abner
Six sons for David in Hebron
1 Chronicles 3:1-4 1The civil war between Saul’s kingdom and David’s tribe lasted a long time. [1] It weakened Saul’s dynasty and strengthened David’s kingdom.
2Six of David’s wives gave birth to a son in Hebron:
Amnon was born first, to Ahinoam of Jezreel.
3Chileab, to Abigail of Carmel and widow of Nabal.
Absalom, to Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur
4Adonijah, to Haggith.
Shephatiah, to Abital.
5Ithream, to Eglah. All six were born in Hebron. Abner loads himself with power
6During the war between the ruling families of David and Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, Abner continued to support Saul’s dynasty. And his influence there took an incredible leap. 7Ishbosheth once asked him, “What do you think you’re doing sleeping with one of my father’s concubines?” [2] The woman was Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.
8Abner was livid at such a question. He said, “Do I look like a Judean dog wagging my tail for you? I’ve served your father’s dynasty, family, and friends with nothing but loyalty. And I didn’t arrest you and turn you over to David? Yet your reward for this devotion is to complain about me having sex with this woman? 9As God is my witness, Your Highness, I’ll give you an answer. I’m going to help David get what God said he would get. 10I’m going to give him your kingdom. God said he would transfer Saul’s kingdom to David and that David would rule the entire country, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11Stunned, Ishbosheth didn’t say a word. He was too afraid. General Abner betrays his king
12Abner sent a secret message to David: “We both know this land belongs to you, don’t we? Let’s work out a deal between the two of us. And I’ll throw my support to you and say you are the rightful king of Israel.”
13David said, “Great. Let’s agree to make peace between the two of us. But I have one non-negotiable: Michal. [3] Don’t come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter.” David takes Michel from her husband
14Afterward, David sent ambassadors to Ishbosheth with a formal message: “Give me back my wife, Michal. I bought her at the high price of 100 foreskins of Philistines.”
15Ishbosheth gave the order. He had Michal taken from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. 16Crying, her husband walked behind her all the way to Bahurim. [4] Finally, Abner told him, “Go home.” So he left. Preping to declare David king of Israel
17Abner sent a message to leaders throughout the northern tribes of Israel. He said, “You’ve been wanting David as your king for a long time. 18Now is the time to make it happen. God gave David this promise: ‘I’m going to save my people of Israel from the Philistines and all their enemies. I’m going to use you to do it.’”
19Abner delivered this message in person to leaders of his tribe, Benjamin. Then he went to David, in Hebron, and told him that Israel was ready to transfer power to him.
20David threw a feast to welcome Abner and the 20 men who came with him. 21Abner said, “Let me go back and call the people together so everyone in Israel can pledge their allegiance to you. Then you can begin to rule wherever you like.” David sent Abner on his way to do that. Joab murders Abner
22Abner left peacefully about the time Joab and his men returned from raiding enemies. They came loaded with property they stole from places they raided.
23Someone told Joab, “Just so you know, Abner the son of Ner was here to see the king. Afterward, the king sent him on his way in peace.” 24Joab went to the king and said, “What are you doing? Abner came here and you let him go? Why did you do that? 25Don’t you realize he came here on a scouting mission, to learn as much as possible about you and what you’re up to?”
26Joab stormed out of that meeting with David and secretly sent messengers to Abner. They caught up with him at the cistern well of Sirah. [5] 27Abner went back to Hebron. Joab met him at the city gate and asked him to step to the side so they could have a private talk. Instead, Joab stabbed him in the stomach. It was payback for killing Joab’s brother, Asahel. [6] David puts a curse on Joab
28David heard about it later. He said, “I had nothing to do with Abner’s death. I didn’t approve of this. 29Joab did this on his own. So let him suffer the consequences. May every generation of his family have at least one reminder of this sin, whether it’s a person with an oozing skin disease, or someone who has to walk with a crutch, or someone killed by a sword, or someone starving.”
30Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner for killing their brother, Asahel, in the Battle of Gibeon. Forced mourning Abner
31David gave orders to Joab and all the people in on the murder: “Tear your clothes to express some mourning. Then put on sackcloth [7] clothes and drop ashes on your head. You need to go into mourning for Abner.” David followed the body to burial. 32They buried Abner in Hebron. King David cried out loudly, weeping for him. Those with him wept, as well.
33The king wrote a chorus, mourning Abner:
You died the death of a mark.
34No need to tie your hands.
No need to chain your feet.
You fell into the trap
Of a man without honor.
Everyone wept at Abner’s death. David fasts for Abner
35David stopped eating that day. Some people tried to talk him into eating something before nightfall. He said, “No. As God is my witness, I won’t eat anything until the sun goes down.” 36When people realized David was fasting over Abner’s death, they were happy to see their king doing that.
37Word spread about Abner’s death. Everyone in Judah and all over Israel knew David had no part of it. 38David told his servants, “Do you understand that a great leader of Israel has died today? 39I’m the king. But I don’t have the kind of power it takes to control these two violent sons of Zeruiah. The LORD has to deal with them and give them what they deserve for what they’ve done.” [8] 
Footnotes
13:1The writer doesn’t say how long. But Saul’s son reigned for two years. Fighting may have lasted that long.
23:7Concubines were women who lived with a man in a legally binding relationship as secondary wives, but who had less social status and fewer perks than a wife (1 Kings 11:3). With King Saul dead, his concubines became Ishbosheth’s property. If Abner did sleep with Rizpah, he was perhaps exerting his power over the king, revealing Ishbosheth as more of a pretend king than one with real power.
33:13Michal had been David’s first wife. Saul got angry with David and gave his daughter to another man (1 Samuel 25:44). David didn’t know Michal had settled into her new life, and she loved her second husband. Given what follows in their story, David didn’t seem to care. It seems, too, that she never forgave him for taking her away from her husband (2 Samuel 6:23; 1 Chronicles 15:29).
43:16Location of Bahurim is uncertain. Scholars suggest several locations, most of which are a few miles or kilometers east of Jerusalem and along the trail down to Jericho, in the Jordan River Valley.
53:26First-century Jewish historian, Josephus, called the town Besera and said it was two miles (3 km) north of Hebron.
63:272 Samuel 2:23.
73:31Sackcloth was a rough fabric like burlap feed sacks. It was made from goat hair and camel hair. Farmers and their customers used those sacks to store grain. People mourning in Bible times dressed in rough clothes and sprinkled their heads and bodies with dirt or cooled ashes from firewood. This disheveled look expressed the chaos and grief inside them. Today, we’ll dress in black, wear armbands, or get memorial tattoos. By the way, memorial tattoos aren’t kosher: “Don’t do anything to commemorate the dead if it involves cutting your body or permanently painting yourself with tattoos. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28).
83:39What Joab and his brother did, as far as David was concerned, was to halt the peaceful transfer of power. Abner was orchestrating the transfer of Saul’s kingdom to David. Joab killed the deal with a dagger to Abner’s gut. So, when David cried for Abner, he may have cried a bit for what his kingdom lost and the price they might have to pay to unite the kingdoms.
Discussion Questions
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Joab murders Abner
David's kingdomVideos
2Six of David’s wives gave birth to a son in Hebron:
Amnon was born first, to Ahinoam of Jezreel.
3Chileab, to Abigail of Carmel and widow of Nabal.
Absalom, to Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur
4Adonijah, to Haggith.
Shephatiah, to Abital.
5Ithream, to Eglah. All six were born in Hebron.
Abner loads himself with power
6During the war between the ruling families of David and Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, Abner continued to support Saul’s dynasty. And his influence there took an incredible leap. 7Ishbosheth once asked him, “What do you think you’re doing sleeping with one of my father’s concubines?” [2] The woman was Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.8Abner was livid at such a question. He said, “Do I look like a Judean dog wagging my tail for you? I’ve served your father’s dynasty, family, and friends with nothing but loyalty. And I didn’t arrest you and turn you over to David? Yet your reward for this devotion is to complain about me having sex with this woman? 9As God is my witness, Your Highness, I’ll give you an answer. I’m going to help David get what God said he would get. 10I’m going to give him your kingdom. God said he would transfer Saul’s kingdom to David and that David would rule the entire country, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11Stunned, Ishbosheth didn’t say a word. He was too afraid.
General Abner betrays his king
12Abner sent a secret message to David: “We both know this land belongs to you, don’t we? Let’s work out a deal between the two of us. And I’ll throw my support to you and say you are the rightful king of Israel.”13David said, “Great. Let’s agree to make peace between the two of us. But I have one non-negotiable: Michal. [3] Don’t come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter.”
David takes Michel from her husband
14Afterward, David sent ambassadors to Ishbosheth with a formal message: “Give me back my wife, Michal. I bought her at the high price of 100 foreskins of Philistines.”15Ishbosheth gave the order. He had Michal taken from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. 16Crying, her husband walked behind her all the way to Bahurim. [4] Finally, Abner told him, “Go home.” So he left.
Preping to declare David king of Israel
17Abner sent a message to leaders throughout the northern tribes of Israel. He said, “You’ve been wanting David as your king for a long time. 18Now is the time to make it happen. God gave David this promise: ‘I’m going to save my people of Israel from the Philistines and all their enemies. I’m going to use you to do it.’”19Abner delivered this message in person to leaders of his tribe, Benjamin. Then he went to David, in Hebron, and told him that Israel was ready to transfer power to him.
20David threw a feast to welcome Abner and the 20 men who came with him. 21Abner said, “Let me go back and call the people together so everyone in Israel can pledge their allegiance to you. Then you can begin to rule wherever you like.” David sent Abner on his way to do that.
Joab murders Abner
22Abner left peacefully about the time Joab and his men returned from raiding enemies. They came loaded with property they stole from places they raided.23Someone told Joab, “Just so you know, Abner the son of Ner was here to see the king. Afterward, the king sent him on his way in peace.” 24Joab went to the king and said, “What are you doing? Abner came here and you let him go? Why did you do that? 25Don’t you realize he came here on a scouting mission, to learn as much as possible about you and what you’re up to?”
26Joab stormed out of that meeting with David and secretly sent messengers to Abner. They caught up with him at the cistern well of Sirah. [5] 27Abner went back to Hebron. Joab met him at the city gate and asked him to step to the side so they could have a private talk. Instead, Joab stabbed him in the stomach. It was payback for killing Joab’s brother, Asahel. [6]
David puts a curse on Joab
28David heard about it later. He said, “I had nothing to do with Abner’s death. I didn’t approve of this. 29Joab did this on his own. So let him suffer the consequences. May every generation of his family have at least one reminder of this sin, whether it’s a person with an oozing skin disease, or someone who has to walk with a crutch, or someone killed by a sword, or someone starving.”30Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner for killing their brother, Asahel, in the Battle of Gibeon.
Forced mourning Abner
31David gave orders to Joab and all the people in on the murder: “Tear your clothes to express some mourning. Then put on sackcloth [7] clothes and drop ashes on your head. You need to go into mourning for Abner.” David followed the body to burial. 32They buried Abner in Hebron. King David cried out loudly, weeping for him. Those with him wept, as well.33The king wrote a chorus, mourning Abner:
You died the death of a mark.
No need to chain your feet.
You fell into the trap
Of a man without honor. Everyone wept at Abner’s death.
David fasts for Abner
35David stopped eating that day. Some people tried to talk him into eating something before nightfall. He said, “No. As God is my witness, I won’t eat anything until the sun goes down.” 36When people realized David was fasting over Abner’s death, they were happy to see their king doing that.37Word spread about Abner’s death. Everyone in Judah and all over Israel knew David had no part of it. 38David told his servants, “Do you understand that a great leader of Israel has died today? 39I’m the king. But I don’t have the kind of power it takes to control these two violent sons of Zeruiah. The LORD has to deal with them and give them what they deserve for what they’ve done.” [8]
Footnotes
The writer doesn’t say how long. But Saul’s son reigned for two years. Fighting may have lasted that long.
Concubines were women who lived with a man in a legally binding relationship as secondary wives, but who had less social status and fewer perks than a wife (1 Kings 11:3). With King Saul dead, his concubines became Ishbosheth’s property. If Abner did sleep with Rizpah, he was perhaps exerting his power over the king, revealing Ishbosheth as more of a pretend king than one with real power.
Michal had been David’s first wife. Saul got angry with David and gave his daughter to another man (1 Samuel 25:44). David didn’t know Michal had settled into her new life, and she loved her second husband. Given what follows in their story, David didn’t seem to care. It seems, too, that she never forgave him for taking her away from her husband (2 Samuel 6:23; 1 Chronicles 15:29).
Location of Bahurim is uncertain. Scholars suggest several locations, most of which are a few miles or kilometers east of Jerusalem and along the trail down to Jericho, in the Jordan River Valley.
First-century Jewish historian, Josephus, called the town Besera and said it was two miles (3 km) north of Hebron.
2 Samuel 2:23.
Sackcloth was a rough fabric like burlap feed sacks. It was made from goat hair and camel hair. Farmers and their customers used those sacks to store grain. People mourning in Bible times dressed in rough clothes and sprinkled their heads and bodies with dirt or cooled ashes from firewood. This disheveled look expressed the chaos and grief inside them. Today, we’ll dress in black, wear armbands, or get memorial tattoos. By the way, memorial tattoos aren’t kosher: “Don’t do anything to commemorate the dead if it involves cutting your body or permanently painting yourself with tattoos. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28).
What Joab and his brother did, as far as David was concerned, was to halt the peaceful transfer of power. Abner was orchestrating the transfer of Saul’s kingdom to David. Joab killed the deal with a dagger to Abner’s gut. So, when David cried for Abner, he may have cried a bit for what his kingdom lost and the price they might have to pay to unite the kingdoms.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
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