Abner Series

Abner

In the Hebrew Bible, Abner was the cousin of King Saul and the commander-in-chief of his army. His name also appears as “Abiner son of Ner,” whereas the more extended form Abiner means “my father is Ner.”

Abner is initially mentioned incidentally in Saul’s history, first appearing as the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle and the commander of Saul’s army. He then comes to the story again as the commander who introduced David to Saul following David’s killing of Goliath. He is not mentioned in the account of the disastrous battle of Gilboa when Saul’s power was crushed. Seizing the youngest but only surviving of Saul’s sons, Ish-bosheth, also called Eshbaal, Abner set him up as king over Israel at Mahanaim, east of the Jordan. David, who was accepted as king by Judah alone, was meanwhile reigning at Hebron, and for some time, war was carried on between the two parties.

The only engagement between the rival factions, told at length, is noteworthy since it was preceded by an encounter at Gibeon between 12 chosen men from each side, in which all 24 seem to have perished. Abner was defeated and put to flight in the general engagement that followed. He was closely pursued by Asahel, brother of Joab, who is said to have been “light of foot as a wild roe.” As Asahel would not desist from the pursuit, though warned, Abner was compelled to slay him in self-defense. This originated a deadly feud between the leaders of the opposite parties, for Joab, as next of kin to Asahel, was by the law and custom of the country the avenger of his blood. However, according to Josephus, in Antiquities, book 7, chapter 1, Joab had forgiven Abner for the death of his brother, Asahel, the reason being that Abner had slain Asahel honorably in combat after he had first warned Asahel and tried to knock the wind out of him with the butt of his spear. However, probably by the intervention of God, it went through Asahel. The Bible says everyone stopped and looked. That shows that something like this has never happened before. This battle was part of a civil war between David and Ish-bosheth. After this battle, Abner switched sides and granted David control over the tribe of Benjamin. This act put Abner in David’s favor.

For some time afterward, the war was carried on, the advantage being invariably on the side of David. At length, Ish-bosheth lost the main prop of his tottering cause by accusing Abner of sleeping with Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines, an alliance which, according to contemporary notions, would imply pretensions to the throne.

Abner was indignant at the rebuke and immediately opened negotiations with David, who welcomed him on the condition that his wife Michal should be restored to him. This was done, and a feast ratified the proceedings. Almost immediately after, however, Joab, who had been sent away, perhaps intentionally returned and slew Abner at the gate of Hebron. The apparent motive for the assassination was a desire to avenge Asahel, which would be a sufficient justification for the deed according to the moral standard of the time (although Abner should have been safe from such a revenge killing in Hebron, which was a City of Refuge). The conduct of David after the event was such as to show that he had no involvement in the act, though he could not undertake to punish its perpetrators.

David had Abner buried in Hebron, as stated in Samuel 3:31–32, “And David said to all the people who were with him, ‘Rend your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and wail before Abner.’ Moreover, King David went after the bier. Moreover, the king raised his voice and wept on Abner’s grave, and all the people wept.”

Shortly after Abner’s death, Ish-bosheth was assassinated as he slept, and David became king of the reunited kingdoms.

Conscious of his extraordinary strength, he exclaimed: “If I could only catch hold of the earth, I could shake it” —a Midrash parallels the famous utterance of Archimedes, “Had I a fulcrum, I could move the world.” The word Midrash, especially capitalized, can refer to a compilation of these rabbinic writings between 400 and 1200 CE. According to Gary Porton and Jacob Neusner, Midrash has three technical meanings:

1. Judaic biblical interpretation;

2. the method used in interpreting;

3. a collection of such interpretations.

According to the Midrash, it would have been easier to move a wall six yards thick than one of the feet of Abner, who could hold the Israelitish army between his knees. Nevertheless, when his time came, Joab smote him. But even in his dying hour, Abner seized his foe like a ball of thread, threatening to crush him. Then the Israelites came and pleaded for Joab’s life, saying: “If thou killest him, we shall be orphaned, and our women and all our belongings will become prey to the Philistines.” Abner answered: “What can I do? He has extinguished my light” (has wounded me fatally). The Israelites replied: “Entrust thy cause to the true judge [God].” Then Abner released his hold upon Joab and fell dead to the ground.