2 Samuel 3

KJV · Chapter 3/24

¹Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

²And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

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, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

⁷And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish–bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?

⁸Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish–bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?

⁹So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;

¹⁰To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer–sheba.

¹¹And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

¹²And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.

¹³And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

¹⁴And David sent messengers to Ish–bosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

¹⁵And Ish–bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

¹⁶And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.

¹⁷And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you:

¹⁸Now then do it: for the Lord hath 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.

¹⁹And Abner also spake 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 that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast.

²¹And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

²²And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

²⁴Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?

²⁵Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.

²⁶And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah: but David knew it not.

²⁷And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

²⁹Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

³¹And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.

³²And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

³³And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

³⁴Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.

³⁵And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.

³⁶And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.

³⁸And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The war between the two houses drags on, with David growing ever stronger. Abner breaks with Ish-bosheth and negotiates to go over to David's side, but is treacherously killed by Joab, avenging the death of his brother Asahel.

Explanation

This chapter shows the political complexity of unifying the kingdom: alliances fall apart, loyalties shift over wounded pride (the accusation regarding Saul's concubine) and political interest. David publicly mourns Abner's death and distances himself from Joab's crime, showing that he does not endorse violence committed in his name. This reinforces an important principle: even strong leaders do not fully control the actions of those around them, but they can and should publicly take a stand against injustice.

Fun facts

Among the sons of David listed here is Absalom, whose mother Maacah was the daughter of the king of Geshur — a political alliance through marriage that was common at the time.
David's public mourning for Abner, including fasting, was a way of clearing his reputation before the people, showing that he had no part in Joab's betrayal.

Verse-by-verse explanation

2 Samuel 3:1A long war follows between the house of Saul and the house of David; over time David grows stronger while Saul’s side grows weaker.
2 Samuel 3:2David’s first son, Amnon, is born in Hebron to his wife Ahinoam the Jezreelitess.
2 Samuel 3:3Also born are Chileab, son of Abigail, and Absalom, son of Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur—Absalom will become central to the story later on.
2 Samuel 3:4Also born are Adonijah, son of Haggith, and Shephatiah, son of Abital, two more of David’s sons in Hebron.
2 Samuel 3:5The sixth son, Ithream, is born to Eglah, another of David’s wives—the list shows how David already had several sons by different mothers.
2 Samuel 3:6During the war between the two royal houses, Abner keeps growing stronger and more influential within the house of Saul.
2 Samuel 3:7Accusing Abner of sleeping with Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, is more than jealousy: in ancient politics, taking a dead king’s concubines was a way of laying claim to his throne—which is why Ish-bosheth reacts with such political, not just personal, fear.
2 Samuel 3:8Abner is offended by Ish-bosheth’s accusation and answers angrily, listing all the loyalty he had shown the house of Saul even though he could have handed everything over to David.
2 Samuel 3:9Abner swears, with a formal oath invoking God Himself, that he will carry out what the LORD had promised David.
2 Samuel 3:10Abner promises to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul to David, establishing his throne over all Israel and Judah, from one end of the territory to the other.
2 Samuel 3:11Ish-bosheth cannot answer Abner a word, because he is afraid of him—showing that Abner, not the king, was the one really in charge.
2 Samuel 3:12Abner sends messengers to David proposing an alliance, offering to bring all Israel over to his side.
2 Samuel 3:13David accepts the alliance, but sets one condition: he will only receive Abner if he first brings back Michal, Saul’s daughter, who had been his wife.
2 Samuel 3:14David also formally demands that Ish-bosheth return Michal, reminding him that he won her by paying the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.
2 Samuel 3:15Ish-bosheth sends for Michal and takes her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.
2 Samuel 3:16Paltiel walking behind Michal weeping as she is taken back to David shows the human side of a marriage undone by political decision—the law gave David the right to reclaim the wife Saul had forcibly taken from him, but the text does not hide the pain of the one who loses her.
2 Samuel 3:17Abner speaks with the elders of Israel, reminding them that they had already wanted David as king for some time.
2 Samuel 3:18Abner urges them to act now, citing the LORD’s promise that through David He would save His people from the hand of the Philistines and all their enemies.
2 Samuel 3:19Abner says the same to Benjamin, then goes in person to Hebron to tell David everything that seemed good to Israel and to Benjamin.
2 Samuel 3:20Abner arrives in Hebron with twenty men, and David holds a feast to welcome him and those who came with him.
2 Samuel 3:21Abner promises to gather all Israel to make a covenant with David, and David sends him away in peace, confident in the agreement.
2 Samuel 3:22David’s men and Joab return from a raid with much plunder, not knowing that Abner had just left Hebron in peace.
2 Samuel 3:23Joab is told that Abner had come to see the king and had been sent away in peace, with nothing bad happening.
2 Samuel 3:24Joab goes straight to the king to complain: why did David let Abner leave freely, without holding him back?
2 Samuel 3:25Joab accuses Abner of having come only to spy out David’s movements, without any real good intentions.
2 Samuel 3:26Without David’s knowledge, Joab sends messengers after Abner and brings him back from the well of Sirah.
2 Samuel 3:27Back in Hebron, Joab takes Abner aside, as if to speak with him privately, and kills him to avenge the death of his brother Asahel.
2 Samuel 3:28On hearing of Abner’s death, David declares publicly that neither he nor his kingdom bears any guilt for this bloodshed.
2 Samuel 3:29David’s curse on the house of Joab lists specific diseases and misfortunes—discharge, leprosy, lameness, death by the sword, hunger—the kind of catalog of plagues used in formal curses across the ancient Near East to underscore the weight of what was being invoked.
2 Samuel 3:30The text makes the motive for the murder clear: Joab and Abishai killed Abner in revenge for the death of their brother Asahel in the battle of Gibeon.
2 Samuel 3:31David orders Joab and all the people to tear their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner’s body, while the king himself walks behind the bier.
2 Samuel 3:32At Abner’s burial in Hebron, the king weeps openly at the grave, and all the people weep with him.
2 Samuel 3:33David sings a lament for Abner, asking why he had to die as a despised villain dies.
2 Samuel 3:34The lament recalls that Abner’s hands were not bound nor his feet put in fetters when he fell, treating his death as unjust—and this makes the people weep even more.
2 Samuel 3:35The people try to persuade David to eat while it is still day, but he swears publicly that he will taste nothing before sunset, as a sign of genuine mourning.
2 Samuel 3:36David’s display of mourning pleases the people, who come to view everything the king does at this moment favorably.
2 Samuel 3:37All Israel understands that day that Abner’s death had not come from any order of the king, clearing David of any suspicion.
2 Samuel 3:38David tells his servants that a prince and a great man had fallen in Israel that day, acknowledging the weight of Abner’s loss.
2 Samuel 3:39David admits he is weak before the sons of Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai, who act more harshly than he would like, and leaves it to the LORD to repay them for the evil they have done.

Chapters

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