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Abner

Abner, the son of Ner, was King Saul's cousin and the commander of his army; he later supported Saul's son Ish-bosheth as king before defecting to David.

The name Abner means “father of light”

MaleDavid's compatriotTribe of BenjaminUnited Monarchy eraOld Testament4 books62 verses

Summary

A warrior from the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1 Samuel 14:50; only referred to as Abner (אֲבִינֵר); a son of Ner; father of Jaasiel.

Profile

Abner, son of Ner, was King Saul’s cousin and his general (1 Samuel 14:49–52). Under Abner's command, Saul’s armies won key battles against the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:1–58). Abner also dined with David and Jonathan at the king’s table (1 Samuel 20:24–25). However, Jonathan and David both surpassed Abner in Saul’s army.

David embarrassed Abner once (1 Samuel 26:1–25). Saul was chasing David to kill him. Saul and his troops camped in a circle, with Saul sleeping in the center and Abner beside him. Abishai and David sneaked into the camp and could have killed Saul. Instead, they took some items from beside Saul’s head. After retreating, David shouted to wake Saul and Abner and criticized Abner for being careless.

After Saul and Jonathan died, Abner supported Saul’s son Ishbosheth (2 Samuel 2:8–12) while the tribe of Judah made David king. During this period, Abner held the real power in the north. When Ishbosheth accused Abner of having relations with one of Saul’s concubines, Abner handed control of the northern kingdom to David. Ishbosheth was later murdered (2 Samuel 4:1–12).

During the battle between Ishbosheth and David, Abner had to kill Joab’s brother Asahel in self-defense. He did not want to kill Asahel and had warned him to turn back (2 Samuel 2:18–32). Joab later murdered Abner in a planned act of revenge (2 Samuel 3:22–30), which David could not stop (see 2 Samuel 3:38–39). David honored Abner with a eulogy (a speech of praise commemorating his life and achievements), public mourning, and a state funeral (2 Samuel 3:31–37). Later, David remembered these events and ensured Joab was punished for the murder (1 Kings 2:5–6).

Passages for Further Study

1 Samuel 14:49–52; 17:55–58; 26:5–16; 2 Samuel 2:8–29; 3:6–39; 1 Kings 2:5, 32

Glossary entries

Abner

Family members

Father

Ner

Children

Jaasiel

Alternative names

Mentions

Includes 9 verses that refer to Abner without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. 1 Samuel 14:50
    His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.
  2. 1 Samuel 14:51
    Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.
  3. 1 Samuel 17:55
    As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”
  4. 1 Samuel 17:56Referred to, not named
    “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.
  5. 1 Samuel 17:57
    So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.
  6. 1 Samuel 20:25
    He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
  7. 1 Samuel 26:5
    Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general of his army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the inner circle of the camp, with the troops camped around him.
  8. 1 Samuel 26:7
    That night David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the troops were lying around him.
  9. 1 Samuel 26:14
    And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who are you who calls to the king?” Abner replied.
  10. 1 Samuel 26:15
    So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?
  11. 1 Samuel 26:16Referred to, not named
    This thing you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, all of you deserve to die, since you did not protect your lord, the LORD’s anointed. Now look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
  12. 2 Samuel 2:8
    Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,
  13. 2 Samuel 2:9Referred to, not named
    …and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.
  14. 2 Samuel 2:12
    One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
  15. 2 Samuel 2:13Referred to, not named
    So Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
  16. 2 Samuel 2:14
    Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.
  17. 2 Samuel 2:17
    The battle that day was intense, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the servants of David.
  18. 2 Samuel 2:19
    …and he chased Abner, not turning to the right or to the left in his pursuit.
  19. 2 Samuel 2:20
    And Abner glanced back and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” “It is,” Asahel replied.
  20. 2 Samuel 2:21
    So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.
  21. 2 Samuel 2:22
    Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
  22. 2 Samuel 2:23
    But Asahel refused to turn away. So Abner thrust the butt of his spear into his stomach, and it came out his back, and he fell dead on the spot. And every man paused when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
  23. 2 Samuel 2:24
    But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
  24. 2 Samuel 2:25
    The Benjamites rallied to Abner, formed a single unit, and took their stand atop a hill.
  25. 2 Samuel 2:26
    Then Abner called out to Joab: “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not realize that this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers?”
  26. 2 Samuel 2:27Referred to, not named
    “As surely as God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not spoken up, the troops would have continued pursuing their brothers until morning.”
  27. 2 Samuel 2:29
    And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.
  28. 2 Samuel 2:30
    When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,
  29. 2 Samuel 2:31
    …but they had struck down 360 Benjamites who were with Abner.
  30. 2 Samuel 3:6
    During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul.
  31. 2 Samuel 3:7
    Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
  32. 2 Samuel 3:8
    Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!
  33. 2 Samuel 3:9
    May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
  34. 2 Samuel 3:10Referred to, not named
    …to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
  35. 2 Samuel 3:11
    And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him.
  36. 2 Samuel 3:12
    Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
  37. 2 Samuel 3:13Referred to, not named
    “Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
  38. 2 Samuel 3:16
    Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.
  39. 2 Samuel 3:17
    Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “In the past you sought David as your king.
  40. 2 Samuel 3:19
    Abner also spoke to the Benjamites. Then he went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
  41. 2 Samuel 3:20
    When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
  42. 2 Samuel 3:21
    Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
  43. 2 Samuel 3:22
    Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing with them a great plunder. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, because David had sent him on his way in peace.
  44. 2 Samuel 3:23
    When Joab and all his troops arrived, he was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, who sent him on his way in peace.”
  45. 2 Samuel 3:24
    So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away!
  46. 2 Samuel 3:25
    Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”
  47. 2 Samuel 3:26
    As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David was unaware of it.
  48. 2 Samuel 3:27
    When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
  49. 2 Samuel 3:28
    Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
  50. 2 Samuel 3:30
    (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
  51. 2 Samuel 3:31
    Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
  52. 2 Samuel 3:32
    When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
  53. 2 Samuel 3:33
    And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?
  54. 2 Samuel 3:34Referred to, not named
    Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.
  55. 2 Samuel 3:37
    So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
  56. 2 Samuel 4:1
    Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.
  57. 2 Samuel 4:12
    So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
  58. 1 Kings 2:5
    Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
  59. 1 Kings 2:32
    The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
  60. 1 Kings 2:33Referred to, not named
    Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever.”
  61. 1 Chronicles 26:28
    Everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, along with everything else that was dedicated, was under the care of Shelomith and his brothers.
  62. 1 Chronicles 27:21
    …over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin was Jaasiel son of Abner;