Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

2 Samuel 2:8

in 2 Samuel 2

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

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

KJV

But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish–bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

⋯

This verse in 2 Samuel 2

Commentary

5 notes on this verse
But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,.... This man's father, Ner, was Saul's uncle, 1Sa 14:50, and he was his own cousin, and being general of his army, a post he was willing to keep, might be the reasons for doing what he did, as follows: took Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and who seems to be his only son left, except what he had by his concubine. This man's name is Eshbaal in 1Ch 8:33. Baal is the name of a shameful idol, and which was therefore sometimes called Bosheth, "shame".

This site's exposition

took Ish–bosheth the son of Saul

on 2 Samuel 2:8-9

Abner, captain of Saul's host, takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king, not over Judah but over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Chronicles gives the same man's name as Esh-baal, and the readings among the scholars hold that Samuel's text substitutes bosheth, shame, for baal in later transmission. The kingdom Abner builds is Abner's in substance; Ish-bosheth's name fills the verse, but every verb belongs to the son of Ner.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

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.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host took Ish-bosheth--Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner. Ish-bosheth--or "Esh-baal" (1Ch 8:33;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

Mahanaim - See Gen 32:2. From 2Sa 2:12 it would seem to have been Ish-bosheth’s capital.

The words behind it

15 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְאַבְנֵ֣רand Abner

    veavnerH74 →63 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • נֵ֔רNer

    nerH5369 →17 times

  • שַׂר־[the] commander of

    sar-H8269 →421 times

  • צָבָ֖א[the] army

    tzava'H6635 →485 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לְשָׁא֑וּל[belonged] to Saul

    leshaulH7586 →402 times

  • לָקַ֗חhe had taken

    lakachH3947 →966 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אִ֥ישׁIsh-

    ʾishH378 →22 times

  • בֹּ֙שֶׁת֙bosheth

    boshetH378 →22 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • שָׁא֔וּלSaul

    shaulH7586 →402 times

  • וַיַּעֲבִרֵ֖הוּand he had brought over him

    vaiyaavirehuH5674 →556 times

  • מַחֲנָֽיִם׃Mahanaim

    machanayimH4266 →13 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

15 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Samuel 14:50His 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.5 worksGenesis 32:2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.5 works2 Samuel 17:24Then David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.4 works1 Chronicles 8:33Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.4 worksJoshua 13:26the territory from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;3 works2 Samuel 2:29And all that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning, and arrived at Mahanaim.3 works
The other 9 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 26:14And David shouted to the troops and to Abner son of Ner, “Will you not answer me, Abner?” “Who calls to the king?” Abner replied.2 works2 Samuel 17:26–27So the Israelites and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.2 works2 Samuel 3:7–8Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”2 works2 Samuel 4:5–6Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.2 works1 Chronicles 9:39Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.2 works1 Samuel 17:55As 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.”2 works2 Samuel 3:38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?2 works1 Kings 4:14Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;2 worksPsalms 108:8Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.1 works

The walk

7 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Genesis 32:2

    When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.

    it leads to

    • Joshua 21:38

      And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, a city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim,

    • Joshua 5:14

      “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”

    • Psalms 148:2

      Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.

    • 2 Samuel 17:24

      Then David went to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

    • Psalms 34:7

      The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • 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…

    • 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,”…

About 2 Samuel

Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 2 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel.

Read on in 2 Samuel 2 →