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Now there was a long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.
Verse 1. War, the particulars of which are not given. Calmet.—But David’s power continually increased, and he was blessed with many children. Bible.—“Legions and fleets are not such strong bulwarks of the throne, as a numerous family.” Tacit. Hist. v.
Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
Verse 2. Amnon, who was murdered by Absalom, for his incest. Calmet. 13:32. Menochius.
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;
Verse 3. Cheleab, or Daniel. 1 Chronicles 3:1. Septuagint “Dalnia.” Calmet.—Alex. “Dalouja.” Bible.—Others, “Abia.”—Gessur, not far from Damascus. The lady probably first embraced the true religion, though the Scripture seldom enters into these details. Calmet.—David is never blamed for marrying strange women. Salien supposes that he entered into this alliance before the civil war broke out, that Isboseth, who had fixed his court at Mahanaim, might have an opponent near at hand. The fruits of this marriage were very unfortunate, and brought great distress upon David: so little do men know what will be the event of the most splendid connections! Bible.
and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
Verse 4. Adonias was slain by Solomon, (3 Kennicott. 2:24. Menochius.) for arrogating to himself the right of the first-born, and pretending that the crown belonged to him. Bible.—The names of his mother, and of those who follow, are barely known. Salien.
and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
Verse 5. Wife. She was otherwise of no nobility, but perhaps loved by David more than the rest, as Rachel was by Jacob. The Rabbins would infer that Egla and Michol are the same person. But the latter had no children, (Calmet. 6:23. Salien) and is mentioned verse 13.
While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house.
Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!
Verse 8. Concubine. To marry the king’s widow was deemed an attempt upon the throne. 3 Kennicott. 2:22. Hence Solomon was so displeased at Adonias, verse 24. Some think that Isboseth formed the accusation on mere conjecture; but Abner does not deny the fact. Calmet.—Dog’s head: of no account, like a dead dog; ( Bible.) or no better than a servant, who leads a dog. The Jews considered the dog as one of the vilest of animals. Calmet. 9:8, Job 30:1.—Juda. This word is neglected by the Septuagint Some would substitute Liduth, “to be cast away.” Calmet.—God permits the defenders of a wrong cause to fall out, that the right one may be advanced. Worthington.
God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as the LORD has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him:
Verse 9. Sworn. It seems therefore that he knew of God’s appointment, and had hitherto resisted it for his own temporal convenience. Bible.—If both he and Isboseth were ignorant of this decree, Abner had no right to deprive the latter of the crown. Abulensis, q. 7. Menochius.
to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.
Verse 11. Him. And no wonder; since even David could not repress the insolence of his chief commander, verse 39. So Otho “had not yet sufficient authority to hinder the perpetration of crimes.” Tacit. Hist. i.
Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around to you.”
Verse 12. Himself. Hebrew may be also “immediately,” (Piscat.) or “in secret,” (Kimchi) as the matter seems not to have transpired. Calmet.—Septuagint Alex. “to Thelam, where he was, without delay, saying, Make,” and so forth Bible.—Land? Is it not thine? or have not I the disposal of a great part of it? Menochius.
David said, “Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”
Verse 13. Thee. Could David thus authorize treachery? It is answered, that Abner knew that the throne belonged to him, and he was already responsible for all the evils of the civil war. David does not approve of his conduct, but only makes use of him to obtain his right.—Michol. He might justly think that the people would have less repugnance to acknowledge him for their sovereign, when they saw that he had married the daughter of Saul. she had never been repudiated by him. Calmet.
David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
Verse 14. Isboseth. Thus he would screen the perfidy of Abner, ( Menochius.) and hinder him from using any violence. Calmet.—The pacific king accedes immediately to the request, as he had no personal aversion to David, and saw that he was in a far more elevated condition than Phaltiel. Bible.—Moreover, this was no time to irritate him more, as Abner was discontented. Menochius.
Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.
Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned.
Verse 16. Bahurim, in the tribe of Benjamin. Adric. 28.
Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.
Now then do it! For the LORD 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.’”
Verse 18. Enemies. We read not of this promise elsewhere. But how many other things are omitted in the sacred books? Calmet.—Abner alleges God’s decree, that he may not be deemed a traitor. Cajet.
Abner 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.
Verse 19. Benjamin, which tribe was naturally most attached to Saul’s family. They followed, however, the example of the ten tribes, and 20 of them accompanied their general to Hebron. Salien.
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
Verse 20. Feast, through joy at the reception of his wife, and of such good news. Menochius.
Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
Verse 21. And may. Some Latin copies read with the Hebrew “and it (Israel) may enter,” ineat.
Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
Verse 22. Robbers. Amalecites, (Salien) or Philistines, who had made some incursions into David’s territories. Abulensis.
When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”
Then 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 already gone?
You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”
Verse 25. Dost. This explains going out, and so forth Bible.—Joab pretends to be wholly solicitous for the king’s welfare. But he was afraid lest Abner should take his place, and he also desired to revenge Asael’s death. Menochius.
When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it.
Verse 26. Messengers, in the king’s name.—Sira. See Judges 3:26. Josephus says the place was 20 stadia from Hebron. Ant. vii. 1.
When 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.
Verse 27. Middle. Septuagint “sides.”—Brother; (who had been wounded in the same place) a just punishment of Abner’s licentiousness. Salien.—This was given out as the pretext of the murder; but envy seems to have been the chief promoter. Menochius.—Joab treated Amasa in the same manner. Calmet. 20:10. Ambition was his god. Calmet.—Abisai was ready to assist him to murder Abner, verse 30. Thus the fairest prospects of union seemed to vanish, and David was sincerely grieved, as he manifested in the most decided manner, confessing it was only the want of power which prevented him from bringing these merciless and potent brothers, his own nephews, to immediate punishment, verse 39. Bible.
Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
Verse 28. Innocent. I would not purchase a kingdom at such a price. Calmet.—I beg that the crime may not be imputed to us, who are innocent. Bible.—God sometimes punishes a whole kingdom for the sins of the rulers. Menochius.—Yet not without some fault of the subjects. Bible.
Let 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.”
Verse 29. Issue. Such were looked upon as unclean, (Leviticus 15:3,) and incapable of having children. Aquila translates zab, “blind.” Septuagint “afflicted with the gonorrhœa.”—Distaff, like eunuchs. Delrio, adag. 190. Claud in Eutrop. Tu telas non tela pati, and so forth Some translate a stick, with which the blind, lame and aged endeavour to walk. Calmet.—Any of these conditions would be very mortifying to great warriors. Bible.—Bread. Hunger and famine were considered as a scourge of God. Psalms 58:7, 15, and 108:10. David is not moved with hatred, but foretells what will befall the posterity of these men, whose crime he abhors. Calmet.
So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.
Verse 31. Joab. Requiring him to make some reparation, at least, for the offence, and to render the funeral pomp more solemn. All were obliged to rend their garments, and to put on sackcloth, on such occasions. It was very rough, and consisted chiefly of goat and camel’s hair.—Bier, contrary to the custom of kings. Some copies of the Septuagint say, he “went before the bier,” ( Calmet.) where women commonly were placed. Grotius.
They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept.
The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
Verse 33. Died. Hebrew “Is Abner dead, like Nabal,” “a fool,” (Chal.) “like the wicked?” “Ought so brave a man to have died in this treacherous manner?”
Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.
Verse 34. Iniquity. David does not spare Joab, in this canticle, which was sung by all the people. Calmet.—He intimates, that if he had not used deceit, Abner would not have been so easily overcome. Bible.
All the people came to urge 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.”
Verse 35. David. Hebrew “to cause David to eat meat” ( Bible.) at the feast, which usually accompanied funerals. Genesis 50:3. Calmet.
All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people.
So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.
The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?
Verse 38. Israel. And that all this pomp is not unseasonable. Menochius.—The chief, if not the only virtue of Abner, was military skill, or a blunt valour.
I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May the LORD reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
Verse 39. King. Septuagint “and that I am to-day a relation, (by my wife) and appointed king by the king?” Bible.—He seemed as yet to have little more than the title. His throne was not well established; ( Calmet. Worthington.) and to undertake to punish the offenders now, might have had so pernicious consequences as the attempt of Isboseth to correct his general. Bible.—It is better to temporize than to increase the distemper, ( Calmet.) by a fruitless zeal for justice. Bible.—The punishment was only deferred. 3 Kennicott. 2:5. Menochius.—Hard. Powerful or insupportable. Calmet.—This year was memorable for the death of Codrus, king of Athens. Salien, A. 2985.