Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, March 26th, 2026
the Fifth Week of Lent
There are 10 days til Easter!
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 2:8

Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and moved him to Mahanaim.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abner;   Armies;   Hebron;   Ish-Bosheth;   Israel;   Judah;   Mahanaim;   Scofield Reference Index - Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ish-Bosheth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;   Benjamin, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Ishbosheth;   Mahanaim;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abner;   David;   Ephraim;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Eshbaal;   Mahanaim;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Gilead;   Ishbosheth;   Jerubbaal;   Jonathan;   Mahanaim;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abner;   Esh-Baal;   Gilead;   Ish-Bosheth;   Lo-Debar;   Mahanaim;   Ner;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abner;   Mahanaim;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Abner ;   Ishbosheth ;   Mahanaim ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Ishbosheth;   Joab;   Mahanaim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hebron;   Ish-bosheth;   Mahanaim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mahana'im,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Eshbaal;   Ishbosheth;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - David;   Ephraim (1);   Gad (1);   God, Names of;   Ish-Bosheth;   Jerubbesheth;   Joab;   Mahanaim;   Ner;   Samuel, Books of;   Saul;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Benjamin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner;   Benjamin;   Gad;   Ish-Bosheth;   Jezreel;   King;   Mahanaim;   Names of God;   Rehoboam;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Now Aviner the son of Ner, captain of Sha'ul's host, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, and brought him over to Machanayim;
King James Version
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Lexham English Bible
But Abner the son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
English Standard Version
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim,
New Century Version
Abner son of Ner was the commander of Saul's army. Abner took Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim
New English Translation
Now Abner son of Ner, the general in command of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth and had brought him to Mahanaim.
Amplified Bible
Now [Saul's cousin] Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
New American Standard Bible
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
Contemporary English Version
Abner the son of Ner had been the general of Saul's army. He took Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan River to Mahanaim
Complete Jewish Bible
Avner the son of Ner, commander of Sha'ul's army, had taken Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul, brought him over to Machanayim,
Darby Translation
And Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Easy-to-Read Version
Abner son of Ner was the captain of Saul's army. Abner took Ish Bosheth son of Saul to Mahanaim
George Lamsa Translation
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Sauls army, took Ashbashul, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Good News Translation
The commander of Saul's army, Abner son of Ner, had fled with Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan to Mahanaim.
Literal Translation
And Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and caused him to cross over to Mahanaim.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Abner the sonne of Ner, which was Sauls chefe captayne, toke Ißboseth the sonne of Saul, and broughte him thorow the hoost,
American Standard Version
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Bible in Basic English
Now Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth over to Mahanaim,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captayne of Sauls hoaste, toke Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
King James Version (1611)
But Abner the sonne of Ner, captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him ouer to Mahanaim.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul’s army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem
English Revised Version
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, had taken Ish–bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Berean Standard Bible
Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, took Saul's son Ish-bosheth, moved him to Mahanaim,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Abner, the sone of Ner, prince of the oost of Saul, took Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and ledde hym aboute bi the castels,
Young's Literal Translation
And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth him to pass over to Mahanaim,
Update Bible Version
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ishbaal the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Webster's Bible Translation
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
World English Bible
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
New King James Version
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 1 Chronicles 9:39">[fn] the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim;
New Living Translation
But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul's son Ishbosheth.
New Life Bible
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim.
New Revised Standard
But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, Abner son of Ner, prince of the host that pertained unto Saul, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul’s army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp,
Revised Standard Version
Now Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bo'sheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahana'im;
THE MESSAGE
In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin—king, as it turns out, over all Israel. Ish-Bosheth Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

Contextual Overview

8Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth and moved him to Mahanaim. 9He made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin—over all Israel. 10Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel; he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11The length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. 12Abner son of Ner and soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13So Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. The two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool. 14Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.” 15So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David’s soldiers. 16Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades. 17The battle that day was extremely fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Abner: 1 Samuel 14:50, 1 Samuel 17:55, 1 Samuel 26:14

Saul's host: Heb. the host which was Saul's

Ishbosheth: 2 Samuel 3:7, 2 Samuel 3:8, 2 Samuel 4:5, 2 Samuel 4:6, 1 Chronicles 8:33, 1 Chronicles 9:39, Esh-baal

Mahanaim: 2 Samuel 17:26, 2 Samuel 17:27, Genesis 32:2

Reciprocal: Joshua 13:26 - Mahanaim 1 Samuel 26:5 - Abner 2 Samuel 3:6 - Abner 2 Samuel 3:38 - a prince 2 Samuel 17:24 - Mahanaim 1 Kings 4:14 - Mahanaim 2 Kings 10:3 - Look even 1 Chronicles 12:29 - the greatest part of them Psalms 60:2 - broken Psalms 60:6 - divide Psalms 108:8 - Gilead

Cross-References

Genesis 2:8
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed.
Genesis 2:9
The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:24
He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 4:16
Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 13:10
Lot looked out and saw that the entire plain of the Jordan as far as Zoar was well watered everywhere like the Lord’s garden and the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
2 Kings 19:12
Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—nations such as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?
Isaiah 51:3
For the Lord will comfort Zion;he will comfort all her waste places,and he will make her wilderness like Eden,and her desert like the garden of the Lord.Joy and gladness will be found in her,thanksgiving and melodious song.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.
Ezekiel 28:13
You were in Eden, the garden of God.Every kind of precious stone covered you:carnelian, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,lapis lazuli, turquoise and emerald.Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold;they were prepared on the day you were created.
Ezekiel 31:16
I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to Sheol to be with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were comforted in the underworld.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,.... This man's father, Ner, was Saul's uncle, 1 Samuel 14:50, and he was his own cousin, and being general of his army, a post he was willing to keep, might be the reasons for doing what he did, as follows:

took Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and who seems to be his only son left, except what he had by his concubine. This man's name is Eshbaal in 1 Chronicles 8:33. Baal is the name of a shameful idol, and which was therefore sometimes called Bosheth, "shame". See Hosea 9:10; wherefore such names of men, which had Baal in them, were changed for Besheth or Bosheth, as the names of Jerubbaal and Meribbaal, who were called Jerubbesheth and Mephibosheth. See Judges 8:35; compared with

2 Samuel 11:21, and 2 Samuel 4:4 with 1 Chronicles 8:34. The latter of these, a son of Jonathan, bid fairest for the crown by lineal succession, but he being but five years of age, and lame, this man Abner judged fittest for his purpose; and though he knew it was the will of God, and he had sworn that David should be king, yet so blind and obstinate was his ambition, that he set up another against him:

and brought him over to Mahanaim; a city on the other side Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, on the border of the half tribe of Manasseh; see

Joshua 13:26; and hither Abner had Ishbosheth, partly to keep the men of Jabeshgilead in awe, to whom David had sent messengers, acquainting them with his being king of Judah, and prevent their joining with him; and partly that he might be at a proper distance both from the Philistines and from David, till he could form his measures, and gradually carry his point, as he did.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Mahanaim - See Genesis 32:2. From 2 Samuel 2:12 it would seem to have been Ish-bosheth’s capital.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 2:8. 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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile