Study Desk

"May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just as the LORD has sworn to him,

So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for [the price of] a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish [to whom Saul had given her].

But her husband went with her, weeping continually behind her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner told him, "Go, return." And he did so.

So Abner came to David at Hebron, and [brought] twenty men along with him. And David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him.

Abner said to David, "Let me stand up and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant (treaty) with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why did you send him away, so that he is already gone?

So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate to speak to him privately, and there he struck Abner in the abdomen so that he died, to avenge the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.

So Joab and Abishai his brother murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

"Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; As a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen." And all the people wept again over him.

All the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets."

So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, left and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.

So David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-bosheth's head and buried it in Hebron in the tomb of Abner [his relative].

So all the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed him king over Israel.

Then David said on that day, "Whoever strikes the Jebusites, let him go up through the [underground] water shaft to strike the lame and the blind, who are detested by David's soul [because of their arrogance]." So [for that reason] they say, "The blind or the lame (Jebusites) shall not come into the [royal] house [of Israel]."

So David lived in the stronghold and called it the City of David. And he built all around [the surrounding area] from the Millo [fortification] and inward.

So David came to Baal-perazim, and he defeated them there, and said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." So he named that place Baal-perazim (master of breakthroughs).

The Philistines abandoned their [pagan] idols there, so David and his men took them away [to be burned].

So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking in front of the ark.