2 Samuel 3:6

Abner Defects to David’s Camp

3:6 As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential ¹  in the house of Saul.

2 Samuel 3:25

3:25 You know Abner the son of Ner! Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return ²  and to discover everything that you are doing!”

2 Samuel 5:23

5:23 So David asked the Lord what he should do. ³  This time ⁴  the Lord ⁵  said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. ⁶ 

2 Samuel 18:7

18:7 The army of Israel was defeated there by David’s men. ⁷  The slaughter there was great that day – 20,000 soldiers were killed.

2 Samuel 18:13

18:13 If I had acted at risk of my own life ⁸  – and nothing is hidden from the king! – you would have abandoned me.” ⁹ 

2 Samuel 19:2

19:2 So the victory of that day was turned to mourning as far as all the people were concerned. For the people heard on that day, “The king is grieved over his son.”

2 Samuel 23:7

23:7 The one who touches them

must use an iron instrument

or the wooden shaft of a spear.

They are completely burned up right where they lie!” ¹⁰ 

2 Samuel 24:7

24:7 Then they went to the fortress of Tyre ¹¹  and all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went on to the Negev of Judah, to Beer Sheba.

¹ 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.

² tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.” The expression is a merism. It specifically mentions the polar extremities of the actions but includes all activity in between the extremities as well, thus encompassing the entirety of one’s activities.

³ tn The words “what to do” are not in the Hebrew text.

⁴ tn The words “this time” are not in the Hebrew text.

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Some translate as “balsam trees” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NLT); cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV “mulberry trees”; NAB “mastic trees”; NEB, REB “aspens.” The exact identification of the type of tree or plant is uncertain.

⁴ tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 9).

⁵ tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, and a number of the ancient versions in reading בְנַפְשִׁי (vÿnafshi, “against my life”) rather than the MT בְנַפְשׁוֹ (vÿnafsho, “against his life”).

⁶ tn Heb “stood aloof.”

⁶ tn Heb “and with fire they are completely burned up in [the place where they] remain.” The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb to emphasize that they are completely consumed by the fire.

⁷ map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.