2 Samuel 3:9
in 2 Samuel 3May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah hath sworn to David, I do not even so to him;
KJV
So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;
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This verse in 2 Samuel 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseExcept, 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?
This site's exposition
as the Lord hath sworn to David
on 2 Samuel 3:9-11
Abner's oath, so do God to Abner and more also, is the same self-cursing form David himself will use at verse 35, and here it turns his whole army over to the man he has spent the chapter's opening fighting. He states the transfer as a thing already sworn, to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan even to Beer-sheba, language the book has not put in his mouth before this quarrel. Gill notes he speaks of the Lord's own oath as though his defection accomplishes it, and Ish-bosheth, who cannot answer him a word, is left holding a crown Abner has just declared forfeit.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
God having promised, by David's hand, to save Israel, it is both your duty, in compliance with God's will, and your interest, in order to your victories over your enemies, to submit to him; and it is the greatest folly in the world to oppose him." Who would have expected such reasonings as these out of Abner's mouth?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
So do God to Abner, and more also,....
Abner's ambition made him zealous for Ish-bosheth, and now his revenge made him as zealous for David. If he had sincerely regarded God's promise to David, and acted with an eye to that, he would have been steady and uniform in his counsels, and acted in consistency with himself.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה | yaaseh | may he do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֙ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְאַבְנֵ֔ר | leavner | to Abner | H74 → | 63 times |
| וְכֹ֖ה | vekhoh | and thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| יֹסִ֣יף | yosif | may he add | H3254 → | 212 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| כִּ֗י | ki | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֤ע | nishba' | he swore | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְדָוִ֔ד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֵ֖ן | khen | so | H3651 → | 771 times |
| אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ | ʾeeseh- | I will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לּֽוֹ׃ | lo | for <the> him |
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֤הmay he do
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
אֱלֹהִים֙God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לְאַבְנֵ֔רto Abner
leavnerH74 →63 times
וְכֹ֖הand thus
vekhohH3541 →577 times
יֹסִ֣יףmay he add
yosifH3254 →212 times
ל֑וֹto <the> him
lo
כִּ֗יif
kiH3588 →4482 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֤עhe swore
nishba'H7650 →186 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְדָוִ֔דto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כֵ֖ןso
khenH3651 →771 times
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־I will do
ʾeeseh-H6213 →2628 times
לּֽוֹ׃for <the> him
lo
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
Ruth 1:17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
it leads to
- 2 Kings 6:31
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 3:17
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
- 2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
- 1 Kings 2:23
Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.
- 2 Kings 6:31
Through
1 Kings 19:2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 20:10
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ruth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- 1 Kings 20:10
Through
1 Chronicles 12:23Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 2:3–4
David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.
- 1 Chronicles 11:10
Now these were the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who, together with all Israel, bolstered and strengthened his kingdom, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
- 2 Samuel 2:3–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.