Now there was long war between the house of Talut1 and the house of Dawud2: and Dawud grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Talut grew weaker and weaker. 2Sons were born to Dawud in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4and the fourth, Adonijah son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital; 5and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, Dawud’s wife. These were born to Dawud in Hebron.
6It happened, while there was war between the house of Talut and the house of Dawud, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Talut. 7Now Talut had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?
8Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? This day I show kindness to the house of Talut your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of Dawud; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman. 9May God3 do so to Abner, and more also, if, as YAHWEH4 has sworn to Dawud, I do not do even so to him; 10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Talut, and to set up the throne of Dawud over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
11Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
12Abner sent messengers to Dawud on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” Saying also, “Make your league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel to you.”
13Dawud said, “Good; I will make a league with you; but one thing I require of you: that is, you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Talut’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14Dawud sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Talut, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel son of Laish. 16Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return:” and he returned.
17Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you sought for Dawud to be king over you: 18now then do it; for YAHWEH has spoken of Dawud, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant Dawud I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'”
19Abner also spoke in the ears of Binyamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of Dawud in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Binyamin. 20So Abner came to Dawud at Hebron, and twenty men with him. Dawud made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21Abner said to Dawud, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” Dawud sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22Behold, the servants of Dawud and Joab came from a foray, and brought in great spoil with them: but Abner was not with Dawud in Hebron; for Dawud had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”
24Then Joab came to the king, and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why is it that you have sent him away, and he has already gone? 25You know Abner son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”
26After Joab had gone from Dawud’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but Dawud did not know it. 27When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and stabbed him there in the abdomen, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28Afterward, when Dawud heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before YAHWEH forever of the blood of Abner son of Ner: 29let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” 30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31Dawud said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” King Dawud followed the coffin. 32They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. 33The king lamented for Abner, and said,
Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters:
As a man falls before wicked men, so did you fall.
All the people wept again over him. 35All the people came to urge Dawud to eat bread while it was yet day; but Dawud swore, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, until the sun be down.” 36All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people. 37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner son of Ner. 38The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39I am weak this day, though anointed5 king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May YAHWEH reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.”
- 3:1 Talut, the Quranic Arabic version of the name of the first king of Israel. The Hebrew text reads Saul or Shaul. ↩︎
- 3:1 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 3:9 God, in Hebrew elohim, which is related to the Arabic allah. Both words translate correctly as “God,” referring to the one true God. ↩︎
- 3:9 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 3:39 anointed, in Hebrew mashiah, which gives rise to the Arabic masih, and the English messiah. In ancient Israel, kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their divine appointment to office. All of these anointed individuals point ahead to the ultimate Anointed One or Messiah (AL-MASIH) whose coming God has promised in his holy word. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎