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II Samuel
Chapter 3
1
Now there was long war between the house of Saul
and
the house of David.
But
David grew stronger and stronger,
and
the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2-5
And unto David were sons born in Hebron.
And
his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. 3
And
his second, Chileab, of Abigail,
the
{previous} wife of Nabal the Carmelite;
and
the third, Absalom the son of Maacah
the
daughter of Talmai king of Geshur.4
And
the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
and
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5
And
the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife.
These were 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 for the house of Saul.
7
And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah,
the
daughter of Aiah.
And Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in unto my father's concubine?"
8
Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said,
"Am
I a dog's head,
which
against Judah do show kindness this day
unto
the house of Saul your father,
to
his brethren, and to his friends,
and
have not delivered you into the hand of David,
that
you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?"
9
So do 'Elohiym/Godhead to Abner, and more also, except,
as
Jehovah/God has sworn to David,
even
so I do to him.
10
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.
11
And he could not answer Abner a word {dabar} again,
because
he feared him.
{Verses
12-16: The Wages of Vindictiveness}
12~~Then
Abner
{Saul's chief of staff - wants to make a peace treaty with David
and avoid civil war in the land}
sent
messengers to David on his behalf, saying,
"Whose
is the land?
saying
also,
Make
a treaty with me,
and,
behold, my hand/allegiance shall be with you,
to
bring about all Israel over to you."
{Note: Here David is king and 30 years old. This is five years after I Samuel 25:44 where Michal, David's first wife, as been married to another man. She lived with David for 1 year in marriage.}
13~~And
he {David} said,
"'Very
good'/agreed.
I
will make a treaty with you.
But
one thing I require of you . . .that is,
you
shall not 'see my face'/'come into my presence',
except
you bring - in company with you - Michal, Saul's daughter,
when
you come to 'see my face'/'come into my presence'.
14~~And
David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying,
"Deliver
my wife, Michal,
who
I intensely espoused/betrothed {'aras} to me
for
an hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
{Verses
15-16: Tragedy of True Love}
15~~So
Ishbosheth sent,
and
took her from her husband . . .
even
from Phalti/Phaltiel
the
son of Laish {see I Samuel 25:44}. 16^~
But
her husband 'could not bring himself to leave her' {yalak yalak}
{idiom: literally ' walking along beside her, he kept going with
her' -
genuine love for Michal},
and
kept on weeping behind her to Bahurim.
{where Abner took up command of this group}
Then
said Abner unto him,
"Go
{an order}, return."
And
he {Phalti} kept on returning
{so eventually Phalti - whose name means deliverance - maybe was
delivered from his reversionist wife - though he loved her dearly}.
{Note: Phalti is apparently a sweet person who loves Michal. But she just uses him and he is a lap-dog who just wants to be near her. So, she says come and he comes. But Abner knew this was not going to work for David so he tells him to go home. Phalti has no doctrine in his soul to sustain him. He has no real capacity for happiness. All he can do is weep from being separated from this woman who he loves (no record she loves him at all).}
17
And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying,
"You
all sought for David in times past to be king over you."
18
Now then do it.
For
Jehovah/God 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."
19
And 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
that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.
20
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.
21
And Abner said unto David,
"I
will arise and go, and will gather all Israel
unto
my lord/'adown the king,
that
they may make a league with you,
and
that you may reign over all that your 'right lobe'/heart desires."
And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22
And, behold, the army/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.
23
When Joab and all the army/host that was with him were come,
they
told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king,
and
he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace."
24
Then Joab came to the king, and said,
"What
have you done?
Behold,
Abner came unto you.
Why
is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone? 25
You
know Abner the son of Ner,
that
he came to deceive you,
and
to know your going out and your coming in,
and
to know all that you do."
26
And 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.
27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron,
Joab
took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly,
and
struck him there 'in his guts'/'under the fifth rib'
{the same place Asahel was struck by Abner},
so
that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28
And afterward when David heard it, he said,
"I
and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah/God
forever
from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:"
29
"Let 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 has an issue,
or
that is a leper,
or
that leans on a staff,
or
that falls on the sword,
or
that lacks bread."
30
So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner,
because
he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31
And David said to Joab,
and
to all the people who were with him,
"Tear
your clothes, and wrap yourself with sackcloth,
and
mourn before Abner."
And
king David himself followed the bier.
32
And they buried Abner in Hebron.
And
the king lifted up his voice,
and
wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33
And the king lamented over Abner, and said,
"The
dying Abner . . . a senseless/foolish death?"
34
"Your hands were not bound,
nor
your feet put into fetters
as
a man falls before wicked men, so fell you."
And
all the people wept again over him.
35
And when all the people came to cause David
to
eat food/meat while it was yet day,
David
made a vow, saying,
So
do 'Elohiym/Godhead to me, and more also,
if
I taste food,
or
anything else, till the sun be down."
36
And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them
as
whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
37
For all the people and all Israel understood that day
that
it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
38
And the king said unto his army/servants,
"Do
you all not know that there is a prince
and
a great man fallen this day in Israel?"
39
"And I {David} am this day weak, though anointed king;
And
these men the sons of Zeruiah be too stubborn for me.
Jehovah/God shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
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