Abner in the Bible

Meaning: father of light

Exact Match

Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

Thematic Bible



There was a man from Benjamin named Kish, Abiel's son, the grandson of Zeror and great-grandson of Aphiah's son Becorath. A prominent man from Benjamin,

Saul's wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, while the commander of his army was Saul's uncle Ner's son Abner. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.


Saul's wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, while the commander of his army was Saul's uncle Ner's son Abner.

When Saul saw David going out to meet the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, "Whose son is this young man, Abner?" Abner said, "As surely as you live, your majesty, I don't know."

David rose and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner, his Commander-in-Chief, lay down. Saul was lying down within the encampment, and the army was camped all around him.

David called out to the army and to Ner's son Abner, "Abner, won't you answer me?" Abner answered: "Who are you who calls out to the king?"


They dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the Temple of the LORD from spoils of war. Furthermore, everything that Samuel the seer, Kish's son Saul, Ner's son Abner, and Zeruiah's son Joab had dedicated all of their dedicated gifts were under the care of Shelomoth and his brothers.


When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab brought him aside within the gateway to talk to him alone and then stabbed him in the abdomen. So he died for shedding the blood of Joab's brother Asahel. Later on, David found out about it and proclaimed, "Let me and my kingdom remain guiltless forever in the LORD's presence for the death of Ner's son Abner. May judgment rest on Joab's head and on his father's entire household. May Joab's dynasty never be without one who has a discharge, who is a leper, who walks with a cane, who commits suicide, or who lacks food!" read more.
He said this because Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner after he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon. David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." King David walked behind the funeral procession, and they buried Abner at Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner's grave, and all the people wept, too. The king composed this mourning song for Abner: "Should Abner's death be like a fool's? Your hands were not bound, nor were your feet in irons. As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen." Then all the people cried again because of him. Everyone tried to persuade David to have a meal while there was still daylight, but David took an oath by saying, "May God to do like this to me and more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!" Everybody took note of this and was very pleased, just as everything else the king did pleased everyone. As a result, the entire army and all of Israel understood that day that the king had nothing to do with the murder of Ner's son Abner. The king reminded his staff, "Don't you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? Today, even though I'm anointed as king, I'm weak. These men, sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the one who acts wickedly in accordance with his wickedness!"


While war continued between the dynasties of Saul and David, Abner was growing in influence within the dynasty of Saul. Meanwhile, Saul had a mistress named Rizpah, who was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth asked Abner, "Why did you have sex with my father's mistress?" What Ish-bosheth said made Abner furious, so he replied, "A dog's head for Judah is that what I am? Up until today I've kept on showing loyalty to your father Saul's dynasty, to his relatives and friends, and I haven't turned you over to David, but you're charging me today with moral guilt regarding this woman! read more.
Therefore may God do to me and more also! just as the LORD has promised to David, since I'm doing this for him: I will take away the kingdom from the dynasty of Saul by making the throne of David firm over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba!" Ish-bosheth couldn't say another word in response to Abner, because he was terrified of him. So Abner sent messengers to David at Hebron to ask him, "Who owns this land? Cut a deal with me, and look! I'll lend my hand in bringing all of Israel over to you!" David replied, "Sounds good to me! I'll cut a deal with you under one condition: you're not to show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul's daughter with you when you come to see me." Then David sent a delegation to Saul's son Ish-bosheth to say, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was engaged with a dowry of 100 Philistine foreskins." So Ish-bosheth ordered that she be taken away from her husband, Laish's son Paltiel. Her husband accompanied her, crying as he followed after her all the way to Bahurim, where Abner told him, "Leave! Go back!" So he went back. Later, Abner had a talk with the elders of Israel. He said, "In the past you were looking to see David made king over you. So do it, then! Because the LORD has said this about David: "Through my servant David I will save my people Israel from the control of the Philistines and from all of their enemies.'" Abner also addressed the tribe of Benjamin. Furthermore, with David's permission, Abner said anything that seemed like it would be good for Israel and for the entire tribe of Benjamin. Afterwards, Abner brought 20 soldiers to David at Hebron, and David threw a party for Abner and the men who were with him. So Abner told David, "Give me permission to go out and rally all of Israel to your majesty the king so they can enter into a formal agreement with you to reign over everything that your heart desires." So David sent Abner off, and he went away in peace.


Meanwhile, Ner's son Abner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth and brought him to Mahanaim. He installed him as king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all of the rest of Israel. Ish-bosheth began to reign over Israel at the age of 40 years, and he reigned for two years, even though Judah's lineage followed David. read more.
The period of David's kingship in Hebron lasted seven years and six months. Ner's son Abner and the servants of Saul's son Ish-bosheth set out from Mahanaim for Gibeon. Zeruiah's son Joab and some of David's staff went out to meet them at the pool of Gibeon. One side encamped on one side of the pool while the other encamped on the other side of the pool. Abner told Joab, "Let's have the young men get up and fight in our presence." Joab replied, "Let them come." So they got up and twelve were counted to represent Benjamin and Saul's son Ish-bosheth and twelve to represent members of David's staff. Each man grabbed his opponent by the head, plunged his sword into his opponent's side, and then they both fell together. That's why the place at Gibeon was named The Field of Swords. The battle was very violent that day, with Abner and the men of Israel being defeated in the presence of David's servants. Zeruiah's three sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were there. As a runner, Asahel was fast, like one of the wild gazelles. So Asahel ran straight after Abner, following him. When Abner looked behind him, he said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "I am." Abner told him, "Go off to your right or left after one of the young men and grab some war spoils." But Asahel would not stop following him, so Abner told Asahel again, "Stop following me. Why should I strike you down? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?" But Asahel refused to turn away, so Abner struck Asahel in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear protruded through his back. He collapsed to the ground and died where he fell. Everyone gathered round the place where Asahel had collapsed and died, and stood still there. Meanwhile, Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. At dusk, as they approached the hill of Ammah that is located near Giah on the way to the Gibeon desert, the descendants of Benjamin rallied around Abner, forming a single military force. They took their stand on top of the hill. Then Abner called out to Joab, "Must the battle sword keep on devouring forever? Don't you realize that the end result is bitterness? How long will it take for you to order your army to stop pursuing their own relatives?" Joab answered, "As God lives, if you hadn't spoken up, by morning my army would have broken off their pursuit of their own relatives." So Joab sounded his battle trumpet, his entire army stopped pursuing Israel any longer, and they quit fighting. Abner and his army traveled through the Arabah by night, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Mahanaim after marching all morning. Joab returned from his pursuit of Abner, and when he had mustered his entire army, nineteen of David's soldiers were missing besides Asahel. Meanwhile, other soldiers of David had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. They retrieved Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night until daybreak and arrived back in Hebron.


David ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." King David walked behind the funeral procession,


Zeruiah's three sons Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were there. As a runner, Asahel was fast, like one of the wild gazelles. So Asahel ran straight after Abner, following him. When Abner looked behind him, he said, "Is that you, Asahel?" He answered, "I am." read more.
Abner told him, "Go off to your right or left after one of the young men and grab some war spoils." But Asahel would not stop following him, so Abner told Asahel again, "Stop following me. Why should I strike you down? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?" But Asahel refused to turn away, so Abner struck Asahel in the abdomen with the butt end of his spear, and the spear protruded through his back. He collapsed to the ground and died where he fell. Everyone gathered round the place where Asahel had collapsed and died, and stood still there. Meanwhile, Joab and Abishai continued to chase Abner. At dusk, as they approached the hill of Ammah that is located near Giah on the way to the Gibeon desert,


References

Hastings

Easton

American

Fausets

Morish

Smith

Watsons

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.