2 Samuel 3:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.

NIV: During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.

NASB: Now it happened that while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was strengthening himself in the house of Saul.

CSB: During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept acquiring more power in the house of Saul.

NLT: As the war between the house of Saul and the house of David went on, Abner became a powerful leader among those loyal to Saul.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

In 2 Samuel 3:6–11, General Abner makes a move for the crown. He installed Saul's son Ish-bosheth as king over the northern and eastern tribes, but after two years, he's grown tired of his puppet. He sleeps with Saul's concubine Rizpah: a move typically made to demonstrate authority over the woman's husband. Ish-bosheth confronts Abner, and Abner gets so angry he vows to give Ish-bosheth's kingdom to David. He will, but he will give his life to do it (2 Samuel 3:12–30).

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.

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).

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.

Accessed 12/13/2025 11:09:58 PM