ABNER or father of gett ; Sept.
' the cousin of Saul (being the son of his uncle Ner), and the commander-in-chief of his army. He does not come much before us until after the death of Saul, B.C. to56. Then, the experience which he had acquired, and the character for ability and decision which he had established in Israel, enabled him to uphold the falling house of Saul for seven years; and he might probably have done so longer if it had suited his views. It was generally known that David had been divinely nominated to succeed Saul on the throne : when, therefore, that monarch was slain in the battle of Gilboa, David was made king over his own tribe of Judah, and reigned in Hebron. In the other tribes an influence adverse to Judah existed, and was controlled chiefly by the tribe of Ephraim. Abner, with great decision availed himself of his state of feeling, and turned it to the advantage of the house to which he belonged, of which he was now the most important surviving member. He did not, however, venture to propose himself as king; but took Ishbosheth, a surviving son of Saul, whose known imbecility had excused his absence from the fatal fight in which his father and brothers perished, and made him king over the tribes, and ruled in his name. Ishbosheth reigned in Mahanaim, beyond Jordan, and David in Hebron. A sort of desultory warfare arose between them, in which the advantage appears to have been always on the side of David. The only one of the engage ments of which we have a particular account is that which ensued when Joab, David's general, and Abner, met and fought at Gibeon. Abner was beaten and fled for his life ; but was pursued by Asahel, the brother of Joab and Abishai, who was `swift of foot as a wild roe.' Abner, dreading a blood-feud with Joab, for whom he seems to have entertained a sincere respect, entreated Asahel to desist from the pursuit ; but finding that he was still followed, and that his life was in danger, he at length ran his pursuer through the body by a back thrust with the pointed heel of his spear (a Sam. ii. 8-32). This put a strife of blood between the two foremost men in all Israel (after David); for the law of honour which had from times before the law pre vailed among the Hebrews, and which still prevails in Arabia, rendered it the conventional duty of Joab to avenge the blood of his brother upon the person by whom he had been slain [BLOOD-REVENGE.] As time went on, Abner had occasion to feel more strongly that he was himself not only the chief, but the only remaining prop of the house of Saul: and this conviction, acting upon a proud and arrogant spirit, led him to more presumptuous con duct than even the mildness of the feeble Ishbosheth could suffer to pass without question. He took to
his own harem a woman who had been a concubine wife of Saul. This act, from the ideas connected with the harem of a deceased king, was not only a great impropriety, but was open to the suspicion of a political design, which Abner may very possibly have entertained. A mild rebuke from the nominal king, however, enraged him greatly; and he plainly declared that he would henceforth abandon his cause and devote himself to the interests of David. To excuse this desertion to his own mind, he then and on other occasions avowed his knowledge that the son of Jesse had been appointed by the Lord to reign over all Israel; but he appears to have been unconscious that this avowal exposed his previous conduct to more censure than it offered excuse for his present. He, however, kept his word with Ishbosheth. After a tour, during which he ex plained his present views to the elders of the tribes which still adhered to the house of Saul, he repaired to Hebron with authority to make certain overtures to David on their behalf. He was received with great attention and respect; and David even thought it prudent to promise that he should still have the chief command of the armies, when the desh ed union of the two kingdoms took place. The politic cal expediency of this engagement is very clear, and to that expediency the interests and claims of Joab were sacrificed. That distinguished personage happened to be absent from Hebron on service at the time, but he returned just as Abner had left the city. He speedily understood what had passed; and his dread of the superior influence which such a man as Abner might establish with David, quick ened his remembrance of the vengeance which his brother's blood required. His purpose was promptly formed. Unknown to the king, but apparently in his name, he sent a message after Abner to call him back; and as he returned, Joab met him at the gate, and, leading him aside, as if to confer peaceably and privately with him, suddenly thrust his sword into his body (n. c. Io48). The lamentations of David, the public mourning which he ordered, and the funeral honours which were paid to the remains of Abner, the king himself following the bier as chief mourner, exonerated him in public opinion from having been privy to this assassination. As for Joab, his privilege as a blood avenger must to a great extent have justified his treacherous act in the opinion of the people ; and that, together with his influence with the army, screened him from punishment (2 Sam. a 6-39).