The Message

<div class="version vid97 iso6393eng" data-vid="97" data-iso6393="eng">
    <div class="book bk2SA">
        <div class="chapter ch3" data-usfm="2SA.3">
            <div class="label">3</div><div class="p"><span class="content">  </span><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.3.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and on. The longer it went on the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting weaker.</span></span></div><div class="pc"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.3.1"><span class="content">* * *</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="2SA.3.1"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="label">2-5</span><span class="content">During the Hebron years, sons were born to David:</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel&#8212;the firstborn;</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal&#8217;s widow&#8212;his second;</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur&#8212;the third;</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Adonijah, born of Haggith&#8212;the fourth;</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Shephatiah, born of Abital&#8212;the fifth;</span></span></div><div class="li1"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">Ithream, born of Eglah&#8212;the sixth.</span></span></div><div class="m"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">These six sons of David were born in Hebron.</span></span></div><div class="pc"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">* * *</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v2 v3 v4 v5" data-usfm="2SA.3.2+2SA.3.3+2SA.3.4+2SA.3.5"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.3.6+2SA.3.7"><span class="label">6-7</span><span class="content">Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul and the house of David to gain power for himself. Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: &#8220;What business do you have sleeping with my father&#8217;s concubine?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v6 v7" data-usfm="2SA.3.6+2SA.3.7"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v8 v9 v10" data-usfm="2SA.3.8+2SA.3.9+2SA.3.10"><span class="label">8-10</span><span class="content">Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, &#8220;Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman! What </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> promised David, I&#8217;ll help accomplish&#8212;transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v8 v9 v10" data-usfm="2SA.3.8+2SA.3.9+2SA.3.10"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="2SA.3.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner&#8217;s outburst, couldn&#8217;t say another word.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="2SA.3.11"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="2SA.3.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: &#8220;Make a deal with me and I&#8217;ll help bring the whole country of Israel over to you.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="2SA.3.12"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="2SA.3.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">&#8220;Great,&#8221; said David. &#8220;It&#8217;s a deal. But only on one condition: You&#8217;re not welcome here unless you bring Michal, Saul&#8217;s daughter, with you when you come to meet me.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="2SA.3.13"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="2SA.3.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: &#8220;Give me back Michal, whom I won as my wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="2SA.3.14"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v15 v16" data-usfm="2SA.3.15+2SA.3.16"><span class="label">15-16</span><span class="content">Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. But Paltiel followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner told him, &#8220;Go home.&#8221; And he went home.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v15 v16" data-usfm="2SA.3.15+2SA.3.16"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v17 v18" data-usfm="2SA.3.17+2SA.3.18"><span class="label">17-18</span><span class="content">Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, &#8220;Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king. So do it&#8212;now! For </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> has given the go-ahead on David: &#8216;By my servant David&#8217;s hand, I&#8217;ll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.&#8217;&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v17 v18" data-usfm="2SA.3.17+2SA.3.18"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="2SA.3.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="content">Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="2SA.3.19"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="2SA.3.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content">When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="2SA.3.20"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="2SA.3.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content">Abner then said, &#8220;I&#8217;m ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They&#8217;ll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit.&#8221; Abner was sent off with David&#8217;s blessing.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="2SA.3.21"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v22 v23" data-usfm="2SA.3.22+2SA.3.23"><span class="label">22-23</span><span class="content">Soon after that, David&#8217;s men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David&#8217;s blessing. As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David&#8217;s blessing.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v22 v23" data-usfm="2SA.3.22+2SA.3.23"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v24 v25" data-usfm="2SA.3.24+2SA.3.25"><span class="label">24-25</span><span class="content">Joab went straight to the king: &#8220;What&#8217;s this you&#8217;ve done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free? You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you&#8217;re up to.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v24 v25" data-usfm="2SA.3.24+2SA.3.25"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v26 v27" data-usfm="2SA.3.26+2SA.3.27"><span class="label">26-27</span><span class="content">Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this. When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v26 v27" data-usfm="2SA.3.26+2SA.3.27"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v28 v29 v30" data-usfm="2SA.3.28+2SA.3.29+2SA.3.30"><span class="label">28-30</span><span class="content">Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, &#8220;Before </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content"> I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner. Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine.&#8221; (Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.)</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v28 v29 v30" data-usfm="2SA.3.28+2SA.3.29+2SA.3.30"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v31 v32" data-usfm="2SA.3.31+2SA.3.32"><span class="label">31-32</span><span class="content">David ordered Joab and all the men under him, &#8220;Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner&#8217;s funeral procession with loud lament!&#8221; King David followed the coffin. They buried Abner in Hebron. The king&#8217;s voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner&#8217;s grave. All the people wept, too.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v31 v32" data-usfm="2SA.3.31+2SA.3.32"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="label">33-34</span><span class="content">Then the king sang this tribute to Abner:</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="content">Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="content">You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="content">Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl.</span></span></div><div class="b"></div><div class="m"><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="content">And all the people wept&#8212;a crescendo of crying!</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v33 v34" data-usfm="2SA.3.33+2SA.3.34"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v35 v36 v37" data-usfm="2SA.3.35+2SA.3.36+2SA.3.37"><span class="label">35-37</span><span class="content">They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, &#8220;I&#8217;ll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!&#8221; Everyone at the funeral took notice&#8212;and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people. It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v35 v36 v37" data-usfm="2SA.3.35+2SA.3.36+2SA.3.37"><span class="content">  </span></span><span class="verse v38 v39" data-usfm="2SA.3.38+2SA.3.39"><span class="label">38-39</span><span class="content">The king spoke to his servants: &#8220;You realize, don&#8217;t you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel? And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. </span><span class="nd"><span class="content">God</span></span><span class="content">, requite the criminal for his crime!&#8221;</span></span></div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and on. The longer it went on the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting weaker.
* * *
During the Hebron years, sons were born to David:
Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel—the firstborn;
Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow—his second;
Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur—the third;
Adonijah, born of Haggith—the fourth;
Shephatiah, born of Abital—the fifth;
Ithream, born of Eglah—the sixth.
These six sons of David were born in Hebron.
* * *
Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul and the house of David to gain power for himself. Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: “What business do you have sleeping with my father’s concubine?”
Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, “Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman! What GOD promised David, I’ll help accomplish—transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me.”
Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner’s outburst, couldn’t say another word.

Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: “Make a deal with me and I’ll help bring the whole country of Israel over to you.”
“Great,” said David. “It’s a deal. But only on one condition: You’re not welcome here unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, with you when you come to meet me.”
David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: “Give me back Michal, whom I won as my wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. But Paltiel followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner told him, “Go home.” And he went home.
Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, “Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king. So do it—now! For GOD has given the go-ahead on David: ‘By my servant David’s hand, I’ll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.’”
Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do.
When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.
Abner then said, “I’m ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They’ll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit.” Abner was sent off with David’s blessing.

Soon after that, David’s men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David’s blessing. As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David’s blessing.
Joab went straight to the king: “What’s this you’ve done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free? You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you’re up to.”
Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this. When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel.
Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, “Before GOD I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner. Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine.” (Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.)
David ordered Joab and all the men under him, “Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner’s funeral procession with loud lament!” King David followed the coffin. They buried Abner in Hebron. The king’s voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner’s grave. All the people wept, too.
Then the king sang this tribute to Abner:

Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum?
You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished—
Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl.

And all the people wept—a crescendo of crying!
They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, “I’ll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!” Everyone at the funeral took notice—and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people. It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner.
The king spoke to his servants: “You realize, don’t you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel? And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. GOD, requite the criminal for his crime!”

Listen to 2 Samuel 3