Abner Joins David

2 Samuel 3

1 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.

2 v And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of w Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chileab, of w Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah x the daughter of Talmai king of y Geshur; 4 and the fourth, z Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was a Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, b "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?" 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I c a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 d God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David e what the Lord has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, f from Dan to Beersheba." 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, 1 saying, "To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you." 13 And he said, "Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, g you shall not see my face unless you first bring h Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face." 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, i for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to j Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." And he returned.

17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, "For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18 Now then bring it about, k for the Lord has promised David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.'" 19 Abner also spoke to l Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do.

20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, "I will arise and go and m will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may n reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace." 24 Then Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know o your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing."

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:2 - 5
    And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel.
    1 Chronicles 3:1 - 4
    These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:42 - 43
    And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
  3. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:2
    And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:37 - 38
    But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.
  5. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:32
    Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent word to you, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'
    2 Samuel 15:8
    For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, 'If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.'
    1 Samuel 27:8
    Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt.
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:5
    Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
  7. Cross References
    2 Samuel 21:8 - 10
    The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
  8. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:21
    Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:43
    And the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:35
    Then all the people came to persuade 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 till the sun goes down!
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
  11. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:28
    And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
    1 Samuel 16:1
    The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.
    1 Samuel 16:12
    And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he.
    1 Samuel 28:17
    The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.
    1 Chronicles 12:23
    These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord.
  12. Cross References
    2 Samuel 17:11
    But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered t...
    2 Samuel 24:2
    So the king said to Joab, the commander of the ...
    2 Samuel 24:15
    So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from th...
    Judges 20:1
    Then all the people of Israel came out, from Da...
    1 Samuel 3:20
    And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that ...
    1 Kings 4:25
    And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan ...
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 43:3
    But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 14:49
    Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:25
    Then Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, 'The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.'" Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
    1 Samuel 18:27
    David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:5
    When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually.
    2 Samuel 17:18
    But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it.
    2 Samuel 19:16
    And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
    1 Kings 2:8
    And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.
  17. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:9
    God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him.
  18. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 12:29
    Of the Benjaminites, the kinsmen of Saul, 3,000, of whom the majority had to that point kept their allegiance to the house of Saul.
  19. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:12
    And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:37
    And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 29:6
    Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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