2 Samuel 4

3 1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Verses 2-5. Sons born to David in Hebron.

6. And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheh said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine? Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheh, and said, Am I a dog’s head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I shew kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman. God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as the LORD hath sworn to David, I do not even so to him; to 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 Beersheba. And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

Verses 12-16. Abner proposes to “bring all Israel” to David. As a condition David requires the return of Michal; and she is sent back.

17. And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, In times past ye sought for David to be king over you: now 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. And 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 to the whole house of Benjamin. So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

Verses 22-27. Joab reproaches David for his dealing with Abner. Luring Abner back by a deceitful message, Joab murders him in the gate of Hebron.

28. And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner: let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon 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 by the sword, or that lacketh bread. So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

31. And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and 32 gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier. And 33 they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. And the king lamented for Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

34. Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters:

As a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall.

35. And all the people wept again over him. And all the people came to cause 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 aught else, till the sun be down. And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever 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 slay Abner the son of Ner. And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the Loup reward the wicked doer according to his wickedness.

Ch. 4: 1-12. Murder of Ishbosheth, and execution of the murderers by David.

3: 1. “There was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David.” The war was not carried on by pitched battles, but by a series of fretting and worrying skirmishes. But the drift of things was manifest. “David waxed stronger and stronger; but the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.” The cause of the house of Saul was weak because God was against it; it was weak in its champion Ishbosheth; its only element of strength was Abner, and even he could not make head against such odds. W. G. B.

2-5. The list of David’s sons born in Hebron appears to interrupt the course of the narrative here, but it is quite in accordance with the usual practice of Old Testament historians to insert information about the family of a king at critical points in the history of his reign, and moreover it is in place here as a practical evidence of the strengthening of David’s house. A. F. K.

Of how many grievous sins and sorrows did he sow the seed when he thus multiplied wives to himself! We do not hesitate to ascribe to the life of David an influence on successive generations on the whole pure and elevating; but it is impossible not to own that by many, a justification of relaxed principle and unchaste living has been drawn from his example. W. G. B.

6-11. Quarrel between Abner and Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth was evidently weak and incapable, a mere puppet in the hands of Abner, who had made himself the mainstay of Saul’s house, partly from his family connection, partly with a view to secure the greatest amount of influence, possibly with the hope of eventually becoming king himself. At length, foreseeing the impossibility of continuing a successful opposition to David’s growing power, he took the opportunity of a quarrel with Ishbosheth to make such overtures to David as might secure him favorable terms and an influential position. A. F. K.

9. As the Lord hath sworn to David.** Abner is self-convicted by these words. He knew that the Lord had sworn to give the throne to David, and yet he had resisted—consciously resisted—to the best of his power, the fulfilment of that high decree. He now reaps his reward in this—that his return to what was really his duty bears the aspect of treachery, meanness, and dishonor. Kit.—

12. Even now there is no trace of humility in the language of Abner. He approaches King David, not as one who has done him a great wrong, but as one who offers to do him a great favor. There is no word of regret for his having opposed what he knew to be God’s purpose and promise, no apology for the disturbance he had wrought in Israel, no excuse for all the distress which he had caused to David by keeping the kingdom and the people at war. He does not come as a rebel to his sovereign, but as one independent man to another. Make a league with me. Secure me from punishment; promise me a reward. For this he simply offers to place at David’s disposal that powerful hand of his that had been so mighty for evil. W. G. B.

13. David’s reasons for demanding the restoration of Michal were probably genuine affection for the wife of his youth who had saved his life, a desire to efface the slight put upon him by the deprivation, and a wish to conciliate the good-will of the northern tribes by an alliance with Saul’s family.

14. David sent messengers to Ishbosheth.** The acceptance of the condition by Abner is implied, but the formal demand was made from Ishbosheth, who was powerless to resist the will of his master. Thus the restoration of Michal took place openly as a public act of justice; it clearly exhibited the strength of David and the weakness of Ishbosheth; it gave Abner opportunity to go to Hebron as Michal’s escort, and mature his plans for deposing Ishbosheth. A. F. K.

17-21. Abner set himself with great vigor to fulfil the promise made by him in his league with David. First, he held communication with the representatives of the whole nation, “the elders of Israel,” and showed to them his own self-condemnation, how God had designated David as the king through whom deliverance would be granted to Israel from the Philistines and all their other enemies. Next, remembering that Saul was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, he took special pains to attach that tribe to David, and as he was himself likewise a Benjamin, he must have been eminently useful in this service. Thirdly, he went in person to Hebron, David’s seat, “to speak in the ears of David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.” Finally, after being entertained by David at a great feast, he set out to bring about a meeting of the whole congregation of Israel, that they might solemnly ratify the appointment of David as king, in the same way as, in the early days of Saul, Samuel had convened the representatives of the nation at Gilgal. That in all this Abner was rendering a great service both to David and the nation cannot be doubted. He was doing what no other man in Israel could have done at the time for establishing the throne of David and ending the civil war.

22-27. In these measures Joab had not been consulted. When Abner was at Hebron, Joab was absent on a military enterprise. In that enterprise he had been very successful, and had brought back a large amount of spoil. When he heard of David’s agreement with Abner he was highly displeased. His rudeness to David is highly offensive. He speaks to him in the tone of those servants who rule their master, as if he were accountable to Joab, and not Joab to him. Of the king’s answer to Joab nothing is recorded; but from David’s confession (verse 39) that the sons of Zeruiah were too strong for him, we may infer that it was not very firm or decided, and that Joab set it utterly at nought. For the very first thing that Joab did after seeing the king was to send a message to Abner, most likely in David’s name but without David’s knowledge, asking him to return. Joab was at the gate ready for his treacherous business, and taking Abner aside as if for private conversation, he plunged his dagger in his breast, ostensibly in revenge for the death of his brother Asahel. There was something eminently mean and dastardly in the deed. Abner was now on the best of terms with Joab’s master, and he could not have apprehended danger from the servant. The laws of hospitality were outraged when one who had just been David’s guest was assassinated in David’s city. The outrage was all the greater, as was also the injury to King David and to the whole kingdom, that the crime was committed when Abner was on the eve of negotiation with the other tribes of Israel. W. G. B.

Joab’s act was not justifiable on the score of blood-revenge. This was merely a convenient pretext for getting rid of a dangerous rival. He foresaw that if he allowed Abner to have the credit of placing the crown of Israel on David’s head, he would lose his own position and influence. Failing in his endeavor to persuade David that Abner was playing him false, with characteristic unscrupulousness he planned this deliberate and treacherous murder, as on a later occasion he murdered his rival Amasa (ch. 20 : 10). A. F. K.—Abner, who promises kingdoms (verse 10), cannot secure to himself one certain hour of life. David had sent him away, and he departed in peace; but, being called back by Joab, he fell. Delaney.

28. I and my kingdom are guiltless.** With a strong asseveration David asserts his entire innocence of any complicity in this murder. Neither upon himself personally nor upon “his kingdom”—i.e., the royal house, his descendants and successors, could punishment for shedding this innocent blood justly fall. A. F. K.

29. That Joab deserved to die for his dastardly crime, none could have denied; if David abstained from inflicting that punishment, it was only natural that he should be very emphatic in proclaiming what such a criminal might look for, in never-failing visitations on himself and his seed, when he was left to be dealt with by the God of justice. W. G. B.—David ought to have done his duty, and trusted God with the issue. If the law had had its course against Joab, perhaps the murder of Ishbosheth, Amnon, and others had been prevented. It was carnal policy and cruel pity that spared Joab. Righteousness supports the throne, and will never shake it. Yet it was only a reprieve that David gave to Joab; on his death-bed, he left it to Solomon (who could the better wield the sword of justice, because he had no occasion to draw the sword of war) to avenge the blood of Abner. Evil pursues sinners, and will overtake them at last. David preferred Abner’s son Jassiel (1 Chron. 27 : 21). H.

37. All the people and all Israel.** Not only David’s own subjects in Judah, but the people of the northern kingdom, who must have been specially aggrieved by the murder of their hero, recognized the sincerity of David’s grief, and acquitted him of all complicity in the act. A. F. K.

The people were pleased with the evidence afforded of David’s feelings, and the event that had seemed likely to destroy his prospects turned out in this way in his favor. “The people took notice of this, and it pleased them, as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.” It was another evidence of the conquering power of goodness and forbearance. By his generous treatment of his foes, David secured a position in the hearts of his people, and established his kingdom on a basis of security which he could not have obtained by any amount of severity.

4 : 1-8. Ishbosheth, in setting up a claim to the throne in opposition to the Divine call of David, not only lost the distinction he coveted, but also his life. One day, while lying in his bed at noon, he was despatched by two of his servants. The two men that murdered him seem to have been among those whom Saul enriched with the spoil of the Gibeonites. They were brothers, men of Beeroth, which was formerly one of the cities of the Gibeonites, but was now reckoned to Benjamin. Mistaking the character of David as much as it had been mistaken by the Amalekite who pretended that he had slain Saul, they hastened to Hebron, bearing with them the head of their victim, a ghastly evidence of the reality of the deed. This revolting trophy they carried all the way from Mahanaim to Hebron, a distance of some fifty miles. W. G. B.

9-11. If David had put the Amalekite to death for merely saying that he had slain Saul, even at his own command, how much more would he take signal vengeance of their united treachery and murder? The Amalekite might have some ground of vengeance against Saul, in respect of the destruction he had wrought upon his nation; but what had they—the trusted servants of Ishbosheth, the appointed guardians of his life—what had they to allege against their master? Kit.—David’s behavior in this treatment of the murderers of Ishbosheth was not only an act of justice in itself, but it publicly declared that he would never be served by treachery and murder, nor ever forgive such crimes, however the pretence for committing them might be for his own interest and service. The concern he expressed for the death of Ishbosheth, especially for the manner of it, “in his own house upon his bed,” argued humanity and honor, and an utter abhorrence of villains and their crimes. Chandler.

And thus at last, not by his own act, but through circumstances over which he had had no control,—allowed by Him who gives full liberty to each man, though He overrules even the darkest deeds of the wicked for the evolving of good—David was left undisputed claimant to the throne of Israel. Faith, patience, and integrity were vindicated; the Divine promises to David had come true in the course of natural events—and all this was better far than even if Saul had voluntarily resigned his place, or Abner succeeded in his plans.

The Divine principle of monarchy was that the will of the earthly should be in avowed subjection to that of the heavenly King. This was right in itself; it was expressive of the covenant-relationship by which Jehovah became the God of Israel, and Israel the people of Jehovah; and it embodied the typical idea of the kingdom of God, to be fully realized in the King of the Jews, who came not to do His own will. Saul was the king after Israel’s own heart; David the king after God’s own heart, not because of his greater piety or goodness, but because, despite his failings and his sins, he fully embodied the Divine idea of Israel’s kingdom; and for this reason also he and his kingdom were the type of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His kingdom. A. E.

DAVID’S THIRD ANOINTING, AT HEBRON, AS KING OVER ALL ISRAEL, BY A GREAT HOST FROM ALL THE TRIBES. JERUSALEM CAPTURED AND MADE HIS CAPITAL.