Adam Clarke

On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp.

“A man came out of the camp - The whole account which this young man gives is a fabrication: in many of the particulars it is grossly self-contradictory.”

‘Who are you?’ he asked. So I told him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

“I am an Amalekite - Dr. Delaney remarks that an Amalekite took that crown from off the head of Saul, which he had forfeited by his disobedience in the case of Amalek.”

So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive.

“The crown - and the bracelet - The crown was probably no more than a royal fillet or diadem, both being the ensigns of royalty.”

For David had said to the Amalekite, “Your blood be on your own head because your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I killed the LORD’s anointed.’”

“Thy blood be upon thy head - If he killed Saul, as he said he did, then he deserved death; at that time it was not known to the contrary, and this man was executed on his own confession.”

and he ordered that the sons of Judah be taught the Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:

“The use of the bow - The use of is not in the Hebrew; it is simply the bow, that is, a song thus entitled. See the observations at the end, 2Sa 1:21 (note).”

Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

“Anointed David king - He was anointed before by Samuel, by which he acquired jus ad regnum, a right To the kingdom; by the present anointing he had jus in regno, authority Over the kingdom.”

So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead to tell them, “The LORD bless you, because you showed this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him.

“David sent messengers unto - Jabesh-gilead - This was a generous and noble act, highly indicative of the grandeur of David’s mind. He respected Saul as his once legitimate sovereign; he loved Jonathan as his most intimate friend.”

Now then, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me as their king.”

“Now let your hands be strengthened - David certainly wished to attach the men of Jabesh to his interest; he saw that they were generous and valiant, and must be of great service to him whose part they espoused; and he was no doubt afraid…”

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

“Abner the son of Ner - This man had long been one of the chief captains of Saul’s army, and commander-in-chief on several occasions; he was probably envious of David’s power, by whom he had often been out-generalled in the field.”

Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

“Ish-bosheth - reigned two years - It is well observed that Ish-bosheth reigned all the time that David reigned in Hebron, which was seven years and six months.”

Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.

“Let the young men - play before us - This was diabolical play, where each man thrust his sword into the body of the other, so that the twenty-four (twelve on each side) fell down dead together!”

Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side, and they all fell together.

“Caught every one his fellow by the head - Probably by the beard, if these persons were not too young to have one, or by the hair of the head.”

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was fleet of foot like a wild gazelle,

“Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe - To be swift of foot was deemed a great accomplishment in the heroes of antiquity; ποδας ωκυς Αχιλλευς, the swift-footed Achilles, is an epithet which Homer gives to that hero no less than thirty…”

So Abner told him, “Turn to your right or to your left, seize one of the young men, and take his equipment for yourself.”

“Take thee his armor - It seems Asahel wished to get the armor of Abner as a trophy; this also was greatly coveted by ancient heroes.”

Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

“There was long war - Frequent battles and skirmishes took place between the followers of David and the followers of Ish-bosheth, after the two years mentioned above, to the end of the fifth year, in which Ish-bosheth was slain by Rechab and Baanah.”

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.

“Abner made himself strong - This strengthening of himself, and going in to the late king’s concubine, were most evident proofs that he wished to seize upon the government. See 1Ki 2:21, 1Ki 2:22; 1Ki 12:8; 1Ki 16:21.”

Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked.

“Am I a dog’s head - Dost thou treat a man with indignity who has been the only prop of thy tottering kingdom, and the only person who could make head against the house of David?”

May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:

“Except, as the Lord hath sworn to David - And why did he not do this before, when he knew that God had given the kingdom to David? Was he not now, according to his own concession, fighting against God?”

Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

“Deliver me my wife - It is supposed that he meant to screen Abner; and to prevent that violence which he might have used in carrying off Michal.”

Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.

“Weeping behind her - If genuine affection did not still subsist between David and Michal, it was a pity to have taken her from Phaltiel, who had her to wife from the conjoint authority of her father and her king.”

Now take action, because the LORD has said to David, ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their…

“The Lord hath spoken of David - Where is this spoken? Such a promise is not extant. Perhaps it means no more than, “Thus, it may be presumed, God hath determined.””

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.

“And smote him there - Joab feared that, after having rendered such essential services to David, Abner would be made captain of the host: he therefore determined to prevent it by murdering the man, under pretense of avenging the death of his brother Asahel.”

All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.

“The people took notice - They saw that the king’s grief was sincere, and that he had no part nor device in the murder of Abner: see 2Sa 3:37.”

And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me.

“I am this day weak - Had Abner lived, all the tribes of Israel would have been brought under my government.”

Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.

“All the Israelites were troubled - Abner was their great support; and on him they depended; for it appears that Ish-bosheth was a feeble prince, and had few of those qualities requisite for a sovereign.”