3:1 However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.
There was a long civil war between the house of Ish-shobeth and the house of David. Power was beginning to be transferred towards David.
3:2 Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite.
It was against the Mosaic Law for an Israeli king to multiply horses or wives. Horses were multiplied to give strength in the military. Wives were multiplied from foreign nations in order to form alliances and produce multiple heirs to keep the dynasty active. God wanted the kings of Israel to depend upon Jehovah alone for protection. Kings were not to count on their military or their foreign alliances for protection. David married six wives. These boys will cause David a lot of trouble. For example, Amnon will rape his sister Tamar.
3:3 His second son was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur.
Kileab apparently died before he was able to enter into position to contend for the throne. Absalom means “The father of peace." Absalom will lead a rebellion against his father.
3:4 His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abitail.
Adonijah means “The Lord is Jehovah." He was in the contention for David’s throne at the end of his reign, but was assassinated, allowing the throne to be given to Solomon. Shephatiah means “The Lord Judges.” Abitail means “My Divine Father is Dew."
3:5 His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons were all born to David in Hebron.
Adonijah will lead a rebellion while David is in his deathbed.
Abner Defects to David’s Camp
3:6 As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential in the house of Saul.
Abner was a dangerous man. As Ish-bosheth grew weaker, Abner grew stronger. Abner put Ish-bosheth on the throne. It was Abner’s power who kept Ish-bosheth there. As time passed, Abner began to make his own move towards the throne.
3:7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you have sexual relations with my father’s concubine?”
It was the exclusive right of the man who was the successor to the throne to cohabit with the deceased king’s concubines. When a powerful person went to bed with the king’s concubine, then he was making a statement of power and a rightful claim to the throne. Abner made a clear statement to the people that he would be the next king. Ish-bosheth challenged Abner’s claim to the throne. Again, both Abner and Ish-bosheth were fighting against the will of God.
3:8 These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!
Abner was not a despicable dog who would betray Ish-bosheth to David. Abner reminded Ish-bosheth that he was the one keeping Ish-bosheth in power.
3:9 God will severely judge Abner if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him, 3:10 namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!”
Abner planned on making David the next king of Israel. "From Dan to Beer Sheba" represented the entire nation of Israel.
3:11 Ish-bosheth was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.
How could Abner speak to a king in such a disrespectful manner? Ish-bosheth had no military training. He feared Abner’s power, so he said nothing. Ash-bosheth was basically a puppet king. Abler controlled the military, so he was the one who was pulling the strings.
3:12 Then Abner sent messengers to David saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make an agreement with me, and I will do whatever I can to cause all Israel to turn to you.”
Abner recognized that God would eventually make David king. Abner switched sides for political reasons, not messianic reasons.
3:13 So David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.”
Michal was Saul’s daughter and David’s first wife. David wanted his wife back in order to strengthen his claim to Saul’s throne. It would be dangerous for David to travel into Benjaminite territory, find her, and take her by force. Abner could accomplish this task very easily.
3:14 David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul with this demand: “Give me my wife Michal whom I acquired for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
Kind David demanded to King Ish-bosheth that his wife Michal must be returned. David paid a double dowry to get her, so she legally belonged to David. This request was a political nightmare for King Ish-shobeth, because he had just lost his commander and his army. This command would show that Ish-bosheth was losing his power.
3:15 So Ish-bosheth took her from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.
King Ish-bosheth agreed to David’s strong-armed political request. Michal was Ish-bosheth’s sister. She was living in royalty while her brother was king. David had already taken five other wives.
3:16 Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!” So he returned home.
Michal’s husband was greatly in love with Michal. Abner told her husband to return home. Michal was being returned to King David.
3:17 Abner advised the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king.
The elders of Israel were the advisers of King Ish-bosheth. They were usually advised by the king before any important decisions were made. Abner was powerful enough to receive an audience with all of these elders without the king’s knowledge or consent.
3:18 Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”
General Abner referred to David as the servant of Jehovah. He reminded these elders that David was Jehovah’s choice.
3:19 Then Abner spoke privately with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.
Abner was also powerful enough to receive an audience with the Benjaminite elders. They would be a tougher sell, because they received many individual privileges from having a family member on the throne.
3:20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him.
David treated Abner as a very important political ally.
3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.
Abner left the banquet to consolidate all of Israel underneath the reign of David.
Abner Is Killed
3:22 Now David’s soldiers and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away and he had left in peace.
General Abner had killed General Joab’s younger brother in self-defense. Joab was planning blood revenge upon Abner.
3:23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!”
General Joab was informed about the political alliance which was made between King David and General Abner.
3:24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way!
General Joab was angry at the king for sending him away. Joab was the kinsman-redeemer of his little brother. He was the avenger of blood. Joab wanted to execute Abner. Joab did not have the right to avenge his brother, because Abner was acting in self-defense.
3:25 You know Abner the son of Ner! Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return and to discover everything that you are doing!”
General Joab saw General Abner as a dangerous spy on the side of the House of Ish-bosheth.
3:26 Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.)
Without the consent of King David, General Joab sent messengers to retrieve General Abner.
3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.
General Joab tricked Abner into thinking that he had a very important political message for him. When they were both alone, Joab killed Abner. Since Joab was the avenger of blood for his little brother, then Abner should have been more careful.
3:28 When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!
People may have accused David for being the instigator of this murder. David stopped these rumors first by declaring that he and his kingdom were innocent of this murder. Jehovah was the witness that David was telling the truth.
3:29 May his blood whirl over the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! May the males of Joab’s house never cease to have someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”
David asked Jehovah to get involved in Joab’s punishment. He pronounced a national curse upon Joab and his house. This action showed the nation that David was not involved in this blood feud. David would not tolerate murder in his kingdom, even if the murder evolved inside high political offices who were dangerous to his throne.
3:30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.
Joab and Abishai were the avengers of blood, but Abner was only acting in self-defense.
3:31 David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed behind the funeral bier.
David instructed all of the people to mourn for Abner, including Joab.
3:32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.
King David attended the funeral and lamented the death of Abner.
3:33 The king chanted the following lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died like a fool?
King David was a very gifted and talented musician. He wrote a lamentation, or a funeral song, for Abner. The first verse of the song began as “Should Abner have died like a fool?” Abner did die foolishly. He should have recognized Joab’s intent.
3:34 Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put into irons. You fell the way one falls before criminals.”
All the people wept over him again.
Abner was executed like a criminal, except he was not bound.
3:35 Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”
The people of Israel encouraged King David to eat. In honor of Abner, David refused to eat until the next day.
3:36 All the people noticed this and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.
The people were very impressed with King David’s handling of this dangerous political situation.
3:37 All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation.
The people knew that King David was not the one who ordered the death of Abner.
3:38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel?
For a long time. General Abner was an enemy of King David. David informed his servants that Abner was a great leader of Israel. David was able to use his leadership skills to turn his enemies into his friends. This is the same thing that the Apostle commands of believer. Believers are to turn their enemies into friends. One can turn an enemy into a friend by sharing with him the Gospel.
3:39 Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”
David did not have all of the support of Israel at this time, but he was getting closer to this objective. Joab and Abishai were the sons of Zeruiah, who was David’s sister. David was too weak at this time to execute Joab and Abishai. Therefore, he asked Jehovah to judge them.