2 Samuel 3:20-25

3:20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him. 3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me leave so that I may go and gather all Israel to my lord the king so that they may make an agreement ¹  with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace.

Abner Is Killed

3:22 Now David’s soldiers ²  and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David ³  had sent him away and he had left in peace. 3:23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!”

3:24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner ⁴  has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way! ⁵  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 ⁶  and to discover everything that you are doing!”

[3:21]  ¹ tn After the cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[3:22]  ² tn Heb “And look, the servants of David.”

[3:22]  ³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “Look, Abner.”

[3:24]  ⁵ tc The LXX adds “in peace.”

[3:25]  ⁶ 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.