Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

He could not answer Abner a word - Miserable is the lot of a king who is governed by the general of his army, who may strip him of his power and dignity whenever he pleases! Witness the fate of poor Charles I. of England and Louis XVI. of France. Military men, above all others, should never be intrusted with any civil power, and should be great only in the field.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And he could not answer Abner a word again,.... That is, he would not, he durst not; otherwise, if it was fact he charged him with, he could have insisted on the truth of it, and aggravated the crime and scandal of it; and observed it to him, that the kindness he had shown him was no excuse for it; but such things, though he would, he durst not say:

because he feared him; he had the army at his command, and could dethrone him when he pleased; and it has been the fate of greater men than Ishbosheth to be awed by their generals, and even David himself; see 2 Samuel 3:39.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 3:11 And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

Ver. 11. And he could not answer Abner a word.] Wherein he showed himself to be no less timorous than timerarious. And the truth is he was overpowered and overawed by Abner.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

He could not answer Abner, because he durst not provoke Abner further, lest he should really execute what he supposed as yet he only threatened. Because he feared him, as having a greater interest in, and power with, both the army and the rest of the people, than himself had.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

11.He could not answer Abner — “Miserable,” says Clarke, “is the lot of the king who is governed by the general of his army.” Ishbosheth was silenced and terrified at the fierce wrath of Abner, and his solemn oath to revolt and go over to David.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

2 Samuel 3:11. He could not answer Abner a word — Being thunderstruck with so unexpected a declaration. If he had had the spirit of a man, especially of a prince, he might have answered him, that his merits were the aggravation of his crimes; that he would not be served by so ill a man, and that he doubted not but he should do well enough without him. But he was conscious to himself of his own weakness, and therefore said not a word, lest he should make a bad matter worse.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Him. And no wonder; since even David could not repress the insolence of his chief commander, ver. 39. So Otho "had not yet sufficient authority to hinder the perpetration of crimes." (Tacitus, Hist. i.)

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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