2 Samuel 3:8
in 2 Samuel 3Abner 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!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head that belongeth to Judah? This day do I show kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman.
KJV
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish–bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
⋯
This verse in 2 Samuel 3
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAm 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?
This site's exposition
made himself strong for the house
on 2 Samuel 3:6-8
Abner is the power behind Ish-bosheth's throne, and Clarke reads his taking of Saul's concubine Rizpah as a claim on the kingdom itself, the same reading the narrator later gives Absalom's act at 16:22 and Adonijah's request for Abishag at 1 Kings 2:21-22. Ish-bosheth's question is timid rather than accusing, and Gill notes he had been the one strongly supported by Abner throughout the war just named in verse 6. Abner's answer, a dog's head, weighs every service he has done the house of Saul against one suspicion voiced by a king he privately despises.
This site's exposition
Am I the head of a dog
Albert Barnes finds the words that belongs to Judah obscure, and he reads them as Abner throwing back the charge of Ish-bosheth that he sided with Judah. Matthew Henry notes that Abner never denies the act. He answers with his record of loyalty.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), but we suspect he was guilty, for he does not expressly deny it; and, though he was, he lets Ish-bosheth know, (1.) That he scorned to be reproached with it by him, and would not take reproof at his hands. "What!" says Abner, " Am I a dog's head, a vile and contemptible animal, that thou exposest me thus?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The words against Judah are very obscure. If the text be correct, the words would seem to be Ish-bosheth’s, who in his anger had charged Abner with being a vile partisan of Judah: Abner retorts, “Am I (as you say) a dog’s head which belongeth to Judah, or on Judah’s side! This day I show you kindness, etc., and this day thou chargest me with a fault, etc.”
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּחַר֩ | vaiyichar | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| לְאַבְנֵ֨ר | leavner | to Abner | H74 → | 63 times |
| מְאֹ֜ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | Ish- | H378 → | 22 times |
| בֹּ֗שֶׁת | boshet | bosheth | H378 → | 22 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הֲרֹ֨אשׁ | harosh | ¿ [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| כֶּ֥לֶב | kelev | a dog | H3611 → | 32 times |
| אָנֹ֘כִי֮ | ʾanokhi | [am] I | H595 → | 359 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לִֽיהוּדָה֒ | lihudah | [belongs] to Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| הַיּ֨וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ | ʾeeseh- | I show | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| חֶ֜סֶד | chesed | loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בֵּ֣ית׀ | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| שָׁא֣וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אָבִ֗יךָ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶחָיו֙ | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּ | mereehu | friend[s] his | H4828 → | |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הִמְצִיתִ֖ךָ | himtzitikha | I have delivered you | H4672 → | 455 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| דָּוִ֑ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַתִּפְקֹ֥ד | vatifkod | and you have visited | H6485 → | 303 times |
| עָלַ֛י | ʾalai | on me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֲוֹ֥ן | ʾavon | [the] guilt of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| הָאִשָּׁ֖ה | haishah | the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| הַיּֽוֹם׃ | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
וַיִּחַר֩and it burned
vaiyicharH2734 →91 times
לְאַבְנֵ֨רto Abner
leavnerH74 →63 times
מְאֹ֜דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
אִֽישׁ־Ish-
ʾish-H378 →22 times
בֹּ֗שֶׁתbosheth
boshetH378 →22 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הֲרֹ֨אשׁ¿ [the] head of
haroshH7218 →599 times
כֶּ֥לֶבa dog
kelevH3611 →32 times
אָנֹ֘כִי֮[am] I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לִֽיהוּדָה֒[belongs] to Judah
lihudahH3063 →819 times
הַיּ֨וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־I show
ʾeeseh-H6213 →2628 times
חֶ֜סֶדloyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
בֵּ֣ית׀[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
שָׁא֣וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אָבִ֗יךָfather your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶחָיו֙brothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
מֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּfriend[s] his
mereehuH4828 →
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הִמְצִיתִ֖ךָI have delivered you
himtzitikhaH4672 →455 times
בְּיַד־in [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
דָּוִ֑דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַתִּפְקֹ֥דand you have visited
vatifkodH6485 →303 times
עָלַ֛יon me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
עֲוֹ֥ן[the] guilt of
ʾavonH5771 →233 times
הָאִשָּׁ֖הthe woman
haishahH802 →781 times
הַיּֽוֹם׃this day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Samuel 16:9Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
it leads to
- Exodus 22:28
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- 2 Samuel 9:8
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
- 1 Samuel 24:14
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
- Exodus 22:28
Through
2 Samuel 9:8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 16:9
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
- Matthew 15:26–27
But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
- 1 Samuel 24:14–15
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea?
- 2 Samuel 16:9
Through
Psalms 76:10Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.
it leads to
- Romans 9:17
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
- Romans 9:17
Through
1 Samuel 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 28:17–18
He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
- 1 Samuel 28:17–18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.