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Selected Verse: 2 Samuel 2:8 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
2Sa 2:8	Strong Concordance	But Abner [074] the son [01121] of Ner [05369], captain [08269] of Saul's [07586] host [06635], took [03947] Ishbosheth [0378] the son [01121] of Saul [07586], and brought him over [05674] to Mahanaim [04266];
	King James	But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
ABNER MAKES ISH-BOSHETH KING OVER ISRAEL. (Sa2 2:8-17) Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host took Ish-bosheth--Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner. Ish-bosheth--or "Esh-baal" (Ch1 8:33; Ch1 9:39). The Hebrews usually changed names ending with Baal into Bosheth ("shame") (compare Jdg 9:53 with Sa2 11:21). This prince was so called from his imbecility. Abner--was first cousin of Saul, commander of the forces, and held in high respect throughout the country. Loyalty to the house of his late master was mixed up with opposition to David and views of personal ambition in his originating this factious movement. He, too, was alive to the importance of securing the eastern tribes; so, taking Ish-bosheth across the Jordan, he proclaimed him king at Mahanaim, a town on the north bank of the Jabbok, hallowed in patriarchal times by the divine presence (Gen 32:2). There he rallied the tribes around the standard of the unfortunate son of Saul.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

ABNER MAKES ISH-BOSHETH KING OVER ISRAEL. (Sa2 2:8-17)

Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host took Ish-bosheth--Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner.

Ish-bosheth--or "Esh-baal" (Ch1 8:33; Ch1 9:39). The Hebrews usually changed names ending with Baal into Bosheth ("shame") (compare Jdg 9:53 with Sa2 11:21). This prince was so called from his imbecility.

Abner--was first cousin of Saul, commander of the forces, and held in high respect throughout the country. Loyalty to the house of his late master was mixed up with opposition to David and views of personal ambition in his originating this factious movement. He, too, was alive to the importance of securing the eastern tribes; so, taking Ish-bosheth across the Jordan, he proclaimed him king at Mahanaim, a town on the north bank of the Jabbok, hallowed in patriarchal times by the divine presence (Gen 32:2). There he rallied the tribes around the standard of the unfortunate son of Saul.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Mahanaim - See Gen 32:2. From Sa2 2:12 it would seem to have been Ish-bosheth's capital.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
Abner (See Scofield) - (Jdg 8:1).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Promotion of Ishbosheth to be king over Israel. - The account of this is attached to the foregoing in the form of an antithesis: "But Abner, the chief captain of Saul (see at Sa1 14:50), had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and led him over to Mahanaim." Ishbosheth had probably been in the battle at Gilboa, and fled with Abner across the Jordan after the battle had been lost. Ishbosheth (i.e., man of shame) was the fourth son of Saul (according to Ch1 8:33; Ch1 9:39): his proper name was Esh-baal (i.e., fire of Baal, probably equivalent to destroyer of Baal). This name was afterwards changed into Ishbosheth, just as the name of the god Baal was also translated into Bosheth ("shame," Hos 9:10; Jer 3:24, etc.), and Jerubbaal changed into Jerubbosheth (see at Jdg 8:35). Ewald's supposition, that bosheth was originally employed in a good sense as well, like αἰδως and פּחד (Gen 31:53), cannot be sustained. Mahanaim was on the eastern side of the Jordan, not far from the ford of Jabbok, and was an important place for the execution of Abner's plans, partly from its historical associations (Gen 32:2-3), and partly also from its situation. There he made Ishbosheth king "for Gilead," i.e., the whole of the land to the east of the Jordan (as in Num 32:29; Jos 22:9, etc.). "For the Ashurites:" this reading is decidedly faulty, since we can no more suppose it to refer to Assyria (Asshur) than to the Arabian tribe of the Assurim (Gen 25:3); but the true name cannot be discovered. (Note: In the Septuagint we find Θασιρὶ or Θασούρ, an equally mistaken form. The Chaldee has "over the tribe of Asher," which is also unsuitable, unless we include the whole of the northern portion of Canaan, including the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. But there is no proof that the name Asher was ever extended to the territory of the three northern tribes. We should be rather disposed to agree with Bachienne, who supposes it to refer to the city of Asher (Jos 17:7) and its territory, as this city was in the south-east of Jezreel, and Abner may possibly have conquered this district for Ishbosheth with Gilead as a base, before he ventured to dispute the government of Israel with the Philistines, if only we could discover any reason why the inhabitants ("the Ashurites") should be mentioned instead of the city Asher, or if it were at all likely that one city should be introduced in the midst of a number of large districts. The Syriac and Vulgate have Geshuri, and therefore seem to have read or conjectured הגּשׁוּרי; and Thenius decides in favour of this, understanding the name Geshur to refer to the most northerly portion of the land on both sides of the Jordan, from Mount Hermon to the Lake of Gennesareth (as in Deu 3:14; Jos 12:5; Jos 13:13; Ch1 2:23). But no such usage of speech can be deduced from any of these passages, as Geshuri is used there to denote the land of the Geshurites, on the north-east of Bashan, which had a king of its own in the time of David (see at Sa2 3:3), and which Abner would certainly never have thought of conquering.) "And for Jezreel," i.e., not merely the city of that name, but the plain that was named after it (as in Sa1 29:1). "And for Ephraim, and Benjamin, and all (the rest of) Israel," of course not including Judah, where David had already been acknowledged as king.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Abner - Tho' ambition and desire of rule, because he knew that Ishbosheth would have only the name of king, whilst he had the power.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Abner the son of Ner - This man had long been one of the chief captains of Saul's army, and commander-in-chief on several occasions; he was probably envious of David's power, by whom he had often been out-generalled in the field.

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² And when Jacob [03290] saw them [07200], he said [0559], This is God's [0430] host [04264]: and he called [07121] the name [08034] of that place [04725] Mahanaim [04266].

²¹ Who smote [05221] Abimelech [040] the son [01121] of Jerubbesheth [03380]? did not a woman [0802] cast [07993] a piece [06400] of a millstone [07393] upon him from the wall [02346], that he died [04191] in Thebez [08405]? why went ye nigh [05066] the wall [02346]? then say [0559] thou, Thy servant [05650] Uriah [0223] the Hittite [02850] is dead [04191] also.

⁵³ And a certain [0259] woman [0802] cast [07993] a piece [06400] of a millstone [07393] upon Abimelech's [040] head [07218], and all to brake [07533] his skull [01538].

³⁹ And Ner [05369] begat [03205] Kish [07027]; and Kish [07027] begat [03205] Saul [07586]; and Saul [07586] begat [03205] Jonathan [03083], and Malchishua [04444], and Abinadab [041], and Eshbaal [0792].

³³ And Ner [05369] begat [03205] Kish [07027], and Kish [07027] begat [03205] Saul [07586], and Saul [07586] begat [03205] Jonathan [03083], and Malchishua [04444], and Abinadab [041], and Eshbaal [0792].

⁸ But Abner [074] the son [01121] of Ner [05369], captain [08269] of Saul's [07586] host [06635], took [03947] Ishbosheth [0378] the son [01121] of Saul [07586], and brought him over [05674] to Mahanaim [04266];
⁹ And made him king [04427] over Gilead [01568], and over the Ashurites [0805], and over Jezreel [03157], and over Ephraim [0669], and over Benjamin [01144], and over all Israel [03478].
¹⁰ Ishbosheth [0378] Saul's [07586] son [01121] was forty [0705] years [08141] old [01121] when he began to reign [04427] over Israel [03478], and reigned [04427] two [08147] years [08141]. But the house [01004] of Judah [03063] followed [0310] David [01732].
¹¹ And the time [04557] [03117] that David [01732] was king [04428] in Hebron [02275] over the house [01004] of Judah [03063] was seven [07651] years [08141] and six [08337] months [02320].
¹² And Abner [074] the son [01121] of Ner [05369], and the servants [05650] of Ishbosheth [0378] the son [01121] of Saul [07586], went out [03318] from Mahanaim [04266] to Gibeon [01391].
¹³ And Joab [03097] the son [01121] of Zeruiah [06870], and the servants [05650] of David [01732], went out [03318], and met [06298] together [03162] by the pool [01295] of Gibeon [01391]: and they sat down [03427], the one on the one side of the pool [01295], and the other on the other side of the pool [01295].
¹⁴ And Abner [074] said [0559] to Joab [03097], Let the young men [05288] now arise [06965], and play [07832] before [06440] us. And Joab [03097] said [0559], Let them arise [06965].
¹⁵ Then there arose [06965] and went over [05674] by number [04557] twelve [08147] [06240] of Benjamin [01144], which pertained to Ishbosheth [0378] the son [01121] of Saul [07586], and twelve [08147] [06240] of the servants [05650] of David [01732].
¹⁶ And they caught [02388] every one [0376] his fellow [07453] by the head [07218], and thrust his sword [02719] in his fellow's [07453] side [06654]; so they fell down [05307] together [03162]: wherefore that place [04725] was called [07121] Helkathhazzurim [02521], which is in Gibeon [01391].
¹⁷ And there was a very [03966] sore [07186] battle [04421] that day [03117]; and Abner [074] was beaten [05062], and the men [0582] of Israel [03478], before [06440] the servants [05650] of David [01732].

¹² And Abner [074] the son [01121] of Ner [05369], and the servants [05650] of Ishbosheth [0378] the son [01121] of Saul [07586], went out [03318] from Mahanaim [04266] to Gibeon [01391].

² And when Jacob [03290] saw them [07200], he said [0559], This is God's [0430] host [04264]: and he called [07121] the name [08034] of that place [04725] Mahanaim [04266].

¹ And the men [0376] of Ephraim [0669] said [0559] unto him, Why hast thou [04100] served [06213] us thus [01697], that thou calledst [07121] us not, when thou wentest [01980] to fight [03898] with the Midianites [04080]? And they did chide [07378] with him sharply [02394].

¹ Now the Philistines [06430] gathered together [06908] all their armies [04264] to Aphek [0663]: and the Israelites [03478] pitched [02583] by a fountain [05869] which is in Jezreel [03157].

³ And his second [04932], Chileab [03609], of Abigail [026] the wife [0802] of Nabal [05037] the Carmelite [03761]; and the third [07992], Absalom [053] the son [01121] of Maacah [04601] the daughter [01323] of Talmai [08526] king [04428] of Geshur [01650];

²³ And he took [03947] Geshur [01650], and Aram [0758], with the towns [02333] of Jair [02971], from them, with Kenath [07079], and the towns [01323] thereof, even threescore [08346] cities [05892]. All these belonged to the sons [01121] of Machir [04353] the father [01] of Gilead [01568].

¹³ Nevertheless the children [01121] of Israel [03478] expelled [03423] not the Geshurites [01651], nor the Maachathites [04602]: but the Geshurites [01650] and the Maachathites [04601] dwell [03427] among [07130] the Israelites [03478] until this day [03117].

⁵ And reigned [04910] in mount [02022] Hermon [02768], and in Salcah [05548], and in all Bashan [01316], unto the border [01366] of the Geshurites [01651] and the Maachathites [04602], and half [02677] Gilead [01568], the border [01366] of Sihon [05511] king [04428] of Heshbon [02809].

¹⁴ Jair [02971] the son [01121] of Manasseh [04519] took [03947] all the country [02256] of Argob [0709] unto the coasts [01366] of Geshuri [01651] and Maachathi [04602]; and called [07121] them after his own name [08034], Bashanhavothjair [01316] [02334], unto this day [03117].

⁷ And the coast [01366] of Manasseh [04519] was from Asher [0836] to Michmethah [04366], that lieth before [06440] Shechem [07927]; and the border [01366] went along [01980] on the right hand [03225] unto the inhabitants [03427] of Entappuah [05887].

³ And Jokshan [03370] begat [03205] Sheba [07614], and Dedan [01719]. And the sons [01121] of Dedan [01719] were Asshurim [0805], and Letushim [03912], and Leummim [03817].

⁹ And the children [01121] of Reuben [07205] and the children [01121] of Gad [01410] and the half [02677] tribe [07626] of Manasseh [04519] returned [07725], and departed [03212] from the children [01121] of Israel [03478] out of Shiloh [07887], which is in the land [0776] of Canaan [03667], to go [03212] unto the country [0776] of Gilead [01568], to the land [0776] of their possession [0272], whereof they were possessed [0270], according to the word [06310] of the LORD [03068] by the hand [03027] of Moses [04872].

²⁹ And Moses [04872] said [0559] unto them, If the children [01121] of Gad [01410] and the children [01121] of Reuben [07205] will pass with you over [05674] Jordan [03383], every man armed [02502] to battle [04421], before [06440] the LORD [03068], and the land [0776] shall be subdued [03533] before [06440] you; then ye shall give [05414] them the land [0776] of Gilead [01568] for a possession [0272]:

² And when Jacob [03290] saw them [07200], he said [0559], This is God's [0430] host [04264]: and he called [07121] the name [08034] of that place [04725] Mahanaim [04266].
³ And Jacob [03290] sent [07971] messengers [04397] before him [06440] to Esau [06215] his brother [0251] unto the land [0776] of Seir [08165], the country [07704] of Edom [0123].

⁵³ The God [0430] of Abraham [085], and the God [0430] of Nahor [05152], the God [0430] of their father [01], judge [08199] betwixt us. And Jacob [03290] sware [07650] by the fear [06343] of his father [01] Isaac [03327].

³⁵ Neither shewed [06213] they kindness [02617] to the house [01004] of Jerubbaal [03378], namely, Gideon [01439], according to all the goodness [02896] which he had shewed [06213] unto Israel [03478].

²⁴ For shame [01322] hath devoured [0398] the labour [03018] of our fathers [01] from our youth [05271]; their flocks [06629] and their herds [01241], their sons [01121] and their daughters [01323].

¹⁰ I found [04672] Israel [03478] like grapes [06025] in the wilderness [04057]; I saw [07200] your fathers [01] as the firstripe [01063] in the fig tree [08384] at her first time [07225]: but they went [0935] to Baalpeor [01187], and separated [05144] themselves unto that shame [01322]; and their abominations [08251] were according as they loved [0157].

⁵⁰ And the name [08034] of Saul's [07586] wife [0802] was Ahinoam [0293], the daughter [01323] of Ahimaaz [0290]: and the name [08034] of the captain [08269] of his host [06635] was Abner [074], the son [01121] of Ner [05369], Saul's [07586] uncle [01730].