Commentary - 2 Samuel 3:6-21

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we see the corroded and hollowed-out house of Saul beginning to collapse, not from a great external blow, but from the internal rot of pride, fear, and foolishness. The civil war has been a long, grinding affair, but the end comes about through a tawdry domestic dispute. God's sovereign purposes are not carried out in a sterile environment. He is not afraid to get His hands dirty, and He accomplishes His holy will through the unholy motivations of sinful men. Abner's wounded pride becomes the hinge on which the kingdom turns toward David, its rightful king. Ish-bosheth's weakness creates the power vacuum, Abner's arrogance fills it, and David's patient wisdom receives it. This is a master class in how divine providence operates in the midst of grubby human politics, always moving inexorably to place God's anointed on the throne.

The central theme is the transfer of power, but it is a transfer dictated by God long before it happens here. Abner is not originating a new plan; he is simply getting with God's program, albeit for all the wrong reasons. David, in contrast, shows himself to be a true king. He does not grasp for power, but makes a righteous demand that reestablishes a broken covenant, his marriage to Michal. In this, David is a type of Christ, who reclaims His bride, the Church, not through raw power alone, but through righteous claim and covenant faithfulness.

Outline

Commentary

v. 6 Now it happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.

The war was between two houses, but the real power was consolidating around two men: David and Abner. Abner was not strengthening the house of Saul for its own sake. He was using the house of Saul as his personal scaffolding. He was the kingmaker, and the one propping up the puppet king, Ish-bosheth. This is the way of the world. Men build their own little empires under the guise of loyalty to a cause, a nation, or a house. Abner's strength was the measure of Ish-bosheth's weakness.

v. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

Here is the spark that lights the fuse. Ish-bosheth finally decides to act like a king, but he does so in the most foolish way possible. To take a king's concubine was tantamount to a claim on the throne, a power play (see 2 Sam. 16:21-22). Whether Abner actually did this is not stated. It is entirely possible that he did, as it would be in keeping with his ambition. But it is also possible this was just a rumor that the weak king decided to act upon. Either way, Ish-bosheth is accusing the one man holding his kingdom together of the highest treason. He is picking a fight he cannot possibly win.

v. 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show lovingkindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman."

Abner explodes. His indignation is white-hot. A "dog's head" was a term of utter contempt. He is saying, "Am I some worthless traitor from the enemy's tribe?" He then recites his resume. He has shown lovingkindness (hesed), covenant loyalty, to Saul's entire family. He is the one who has kept Ish-bosheth from being crushed by David. And what is his reward? This petty, insulting accusation over a woman. Abner's pride is deeply wounded. He sees himself as the patron and protector, and he is being treated like a disloyal servant. His fury is the reaction of a man whose entire sense of self-worth has been assaulted.

vv. 9-10 May God do so to Abner, and more also, if as Yahweh has sworn to David, I do not do this for him, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.

And here is the pivot. In his rage, Abner makes a solemn oath. But notice what he does. He wraps his personal vendetta in the flag of theological correctness. He knows full well that Yahweh had sworn the kingdom to David. He has been fighting against God's revealed will this whole time. Now, because his pride is hurt, he will suddenly get on board with God's plan. He is going to do the right thing for entirely the wrong reason. God uses the wrath and wounded pride of Abner to accomplish His sovereign decree. Abner intends it for revenge; God intends it for redemption. He will establish David's throne over the whole land, from the far north (Dan) to the far south (Beersheba).

v. 11 And he could no longer respond a word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

The puppet king is exposed. He poked the bear, and the bear roared back, and now the man is paralyzed with fear. This is what happens when a man without substance tries to exercise authority. His words are empty because he has no power to back them up. Ish-bosheth's reign is effectively over in this moment of terrified silence.

v. 12 Then Abner sent messengers to David in his place, saying, "Whose is the land? Cut your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to turn all Israel over to you."

Abner wastes no time. He immediately begins negotiations with David. "Whose is the land?" is a rhetorical question that is also a proposition. He is acknowledging David's ultimate right to the land, but he is also reminding David that, practically speaking, he, Abner, is the one who controls it. He is offering to be the broker for the kingdom. He will deliver all Israel to David, but it requires a covenant, a formal, binding agreement. Abner is still operating from a position of strength, or so he thinks.

v. 13 And he said, "Good! I will cut a covenant with you, but I ask one thing of you, namely, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."

David's response is brilliant. He agrees to the deal, but he sets a non-negotiable precondition. This is not about romantic sentimentality, though he may have still had affection for Michal. This is a righteous and politically shrewd demand. First, it forces Abner and Ish-bosheth to publicly acknowledge David's prior, legitimate claim to the throne through his marriage into Saul's family. Second, it rights a wrong. Michal was his lawful wife, and she had been sinfully given to another man. By demanding her return, David is acting as a king who restores justice and honors covenant. He is demonstrating the kind of king he will be.

v. 14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

Notice that David does not ask Abner to get Michal. He sends his demand directly to the man pretending to be king, Ish-bosheth. This is a power move. He is forcing Ish-bosheth to honor the covenant that his father Saul made. He even reminds him of the bride price, a bloody and heroic deed that proved his worthiness. He is not asking for a favor; he is demanding his property, his wife.

vv. 15-16 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." So he returned.

The weak Ish-bosheth complies immediately. He has no choice. And here we have the tragic little vignette of Paltiel. His grief is genuine. He loves his wife. But his personal sorrow is swept aside by the great movements of God's kingdom. The establishment of David's throne requires the breaking of this illicit union. Paltiel's weeping is a picture of the personal cost that often accompanies the setting of things to right. Abner's command to him is blunt and unsympathetic: "Go, return." The business of the kingdom is more important than your tears. So he returned.

vv. 17-18 Now Abner had consultation with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. So now, do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.' "

Abner is now a salesman for David. He goes to the leaders of the northern tribes and makes his pitch. He reminds them that they had wanted David as king before. Then, like he did in his oath, he brings in the theological justification. He quotes God's promise about David. Abner is a pragmatist, but he knows that the best way to move men is to appeal to God's declared will. He is persuading them to do what God wanted all along.

v. 19 Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that was good in the sight of Israel and in the sight of the whole house of Benjamin.

He makes a special effort with his own tribe, Benjamin, which was also Saul's tribe. This was the heart of the opposition to David, and securing their loyalty was essential. Having done his political groundwork, he goes to David in Hebron to report that the deal is done. The tribes are ready to come over to him.

vv. 20-21 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. And Abner said to David, "Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may cut a covenant with you, and that you may be king over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

The deal is sealed with a covenant meal. A feast in the ancient world was not just a meal; it was a ceremony of peace, fellowship, and agreement. David, the true king, is the gracious host. Abner, the former enemy, is the honored guest. Abner then pledges to finalize the transfer of power, to gather all the people so they can make a covenant with David as their king. David sends him off in peace, the mission now fully underway. Despite the sordid motivations that started it all, the result is peace and the unification of God's people under God's chosen king.

Application

First, we must recognize that God's sovereign will is always accomplished, and He is not shy about using crooked sticks to draw straight lines. Abner's tantrum, born of wounded pride, became the very instrument God used to fulfill His promise to David. We should not be surprised, then, when we see God working in our world through flawed politicians, ambitious leaders, or messy church situations. Our job is not to despair at the flawed instruments, but to trust the perfect hand of the One who wields them.

Second, David provides a model of righteous patience. He did not try to force the kingdom into his hands. He waited for God to bring it to him. And when the opportunity came, his first demand was not for power or wealth, but for the restoration of a broken covenant. He wanted his wife back. This shows us that true leadership is concerned with righteousness, justice, and faithfulness. Before we seek to expand our influence, we must first seek to be faithful in the covenants we have already made, in our marriages, in our families, and in our churches.

Finally, this entire narrative points us to a greater King. David's throne was being established over a united Israel, but this was just a shadow of the throne of his greater Son, Jesus Christ. Christ is the one who reclaims His bride, the Church, from her unholy unions with the world. He is the one who makes a new covenant, sealed not with a feast on earth, but with His own blood. And He is the one whose kingdom is established over all that His soul desires, a kingdom that will have no end. The political machinations of Abner and David are a dusty story from the past, but the establishment of Christ's throne is a present and eternal reality.