Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

2 Samuel 3:1-20
New English Translation

3 1 However, the war was prolonged between the house of Saul and the house of David. David was becoming steadily stronger, while the house of Saul was becoming increasingly weaker.

2 Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. 3 His second son[a] was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow[b] of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. 4 His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abital. 5 His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons[c] were all born to David in Hebron.

Abner Defects to David’s Camp

6 As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential[d] in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish Bosheth[e] said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with[f] my father’s concubine?”[g]

8 These words of Ish Bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating[h] loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives[i] and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today![j] 9 God will severely judge Abner[k] if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him,[l] 10 namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!” 11 Ish Bosheth[m] was unable to answer Abner with even a single word because he was afraid of him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers[n] to David saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make an agreement[o] with me, and I will do whatever I can[p] to cause all Israel to turn to you.” 13 So David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to visit me.”[q]

14 David sent messengers to Ish Bosheth son of Saul with this demand:[r] “Give me my wife Michal whom I acquired[s] for 100 Philistine foreskins.” 15 So Ish Bosheth took her[t] from her husband Paltiel[u] son of Laish. 16 Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back!”[v] So he returned home.

17 Abner advised[w] the elders of Israel, “Previously you were wanting David to be your king.[x] 18 Act now! For the Lord has said to David, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save[y] my people Israel from[z] the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”

19 Then Abner spoke privately with[aa] the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately[ab] of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.[ac] 20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 3:3 tn The Hebrew text does not have the word “son.” So also in vv. 3-5.
  2. 2 Samuel 3:3 tn Heb “wife.”
  3. 2 Samuel 3:5 tn The Hebrew text does not have “sons.”
  4. 2 Samuel 3:6 tn Heb “was strengthening himself.” The statement may have a negative sense here, perhaps suggesting that Abner was overstepping the bounds of political propriety in a self-serving way.
  5. 2 Samuel 3:7 tc The Hebrew of the MT reads simply “and he said,” with no expressed subject for the verb. It is not likely that the text originally had no expressed subject for this verb, since the antecedent is not immediately clear from the context. We should probably restore to the Hebrew text the name “Ish Bosheth.” See a few medieval Hebrew mss, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Vulgate. Perhaps the name was accidentally omitted by homoioarcton. Note that both the name Ish Bosheth and the following preposition אֶל (ʾel) begin with the letter alef.
  6. 2 Samuel 3:7 tn The expression בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) means “come to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  7. 2 Samuel 3:7 sn This accusation against Abner is a very serious one, since an act of sexual infringement on the king’s harem would probably have been understood as a blatant declaration of aspirations to kingship. As such it was not merely a matter of ethical impropriety but an act of grave political significance as well.
  8. 2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “I do.”
  9. 2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
  10. 2 Samuel 3:8 tn Heb “and you have laid upon me the guilt of the woman today.”
  11. 2 Samuel 3:9 tn Heb “So will God do to Abner and so he will add to him.”
  12. 2 Samuel 3:9 tc Heb “has sworn to David.” The LXX, with the exception of the recension of Origen, adds “in this day.”
  13. 2 Samuel 3:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ish Bosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  14. 2 Samuel 3:12 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “on his behalf.”
  15. 2 Samuel 3:12 tn Heb “cut a covenant.” So also in vv. 13, 21.
  16. 2 Samuel 3:12 tn Heb “and behold, my hand is with you.”
  17. 2 Samuel 3:13 tn The words “when you come to see my face,” though found in the Hebrew text, are somewhat redundant given the similar expression in the earlier part of the verse. The words are absent from the Syriac Peshitta.
  18. 2 Samuel 3:14 tn Heb “to Ish Bosheth son of Saul saying.” To avoid excessive sibilance (especially when read aloud) the translation renders “saying” as “with this demand.”
  19. 2 Samuel 3:14 tn Heb “whom I betrothed to myself.”
  20. 2 Samuel 3:15 tn Heb “sent and took her.”
  21. 2 Samuel 3:15 tn In 1 Sam 25:44 this name appears as “Palti.”
  22. 2 Samuel 3:16 tn Heb “Go, return.”
  23. 2 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “the word of Abner was with.”
  24. 2 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “you were seeking David to be king over you.”
  25. 2 Samuel 3:18 tc The present translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate in reading “I will save,” rather than the MT “he saved” or “to save." The context calls for the first person common singular imperfect of the verb rather than the third person masculine singular perfect or the infinitive construct.
  26. 2 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
  27. 2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
  28. 2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “also Abner went to speak into the ears of David in Hebron.”
  29. 2 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “all which was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.”
Next
2 Samuel 2
2 Samuel 4
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.