Abner

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.

¹⁹ over Zebulun was Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali was Jerimoth son of Azriel;

²⁰ over the Ephraimites was Hoshea son of Azaziah; over one of the half-tribes of Manasseh was Joel son of Pedaiah;

²¹ over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin was Jaasiel son of Abner;

²² and over Dan was Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

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.

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.

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.

⁵¹ Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

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.”

⁵⁶ “Find out whose son this young man is!” said the king.

⁵⁷ So when David returned from killing the Philistine, still holding his head in his hand, Abner took him and brought him before Saul.

He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

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.

⁶ And David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” “I will go with you,” answered Abishai.

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.

¹⁴ And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who calls to the king?” Abner replied.

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?

⁸ Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,

⁹ and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.