What does 2 Samuel 3:28 mean?
ESV: Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
NIV: Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
NASB: Afterward, when David heard about this, he said, 'I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
CSB: David heard about it later and said: "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
NLT: When David heard about it, he declared, 'I vow by the Lord that I and my kingdom are forever innocent of this crime against Abner son of Ner.
KJV: And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
NKJV: Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
In 2 Samuel 3:26–30, Joab avenges his brother Asahel. Two years prior, as Israel fought with Judah, Abner, Israel's army commander, reluctantly killed the brother of Judah's commander in self-defense (2 Samuel 2:19–23). Abner now wants to convince the tribes of Israel to accept David as their king (2 Samuel 3:12–19). But Joab remembers his brother and murders Abner. David must act quickly to keep the deal alive. He disavows Joab's actions and writes a short psalm of lament for Abner (2 Samuel 3:31–39).
Chapter Summary:
In 2 Samuel 3, God arranges for all of Israel to accept David as king. Abner, the former commander of Saul's army, turns against David's rival, Ish-bosheth, after an argument about a woman. Abner persuades the elders of Israel to take David as their king and arrives in Hebron to deliver the news. Joab, the commander of David's army, is furious because Abner killed his brother Asahel. When Abner leaves, Joab murders him. David declares a curse on Joab and his descendants and publicly mourns for Abner, demonstrating to all that he had nothing to do with Abner's death.
Chapter Context:
In 2 Samuel 3, the civil war winds down. Abner, Saul's cousin, made Saul's son Ish-bosheth king. Abner commands the army of Israel. Joab, David's nephew, commands Judah's army. They have been locked in a civil war for two years, not least because Abner killed Joab's brother in self-defense (2 Samuel 2). When Abner realizes he can't take the throne from Ish-bosheth, he arranges for Israel to follow David before he's killed by Joab. Not long after, Ish-bosheth is murdered, and David is made king of all Israel (2 Samuel 4:1—5:4).
Book Summary:
Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.
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