Study Desk

Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan,

O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.

O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold.

How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!

he sent them this message: "May the Lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.

May the Lord be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.

Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.

David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.

and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything.

Then Joab said, "God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary."

Abner was furious. "Am I some Judean dog to be kicked around like this?" he shouted. "After all I have done for your father, Saul, and his family and friends by not handing you over to David, is this my reward—that you find fault with me about this woman?

David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul's son: "Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines."

Meanwhile, Abner had consulted with the elders of Israel. "For some time now," he told them, "you have wanted to make David your king.

Now is the time! For the Lord has said, ‘I have chosen David to save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and from all their other enemies.'"

When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel.

Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!"

Then David said to Joab and all those who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on burlap. Mourn for Abner." And King David himself walked behind the procession to the grave.

Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: "Should Abner have died as fools die?

Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained. No, you were murdered— the victim of a wicked plot." All the people wept again for Abner.

So everyone in Judah and all Israel understood that David was not responsible for Abner's murder.