In the Bible, Abner is a significant military commander and cousin of Saul, the first king of Israel. His name means “father of light,” and he plays a crucial role in the battles and political struggles during the reign of Saul and the rise of David.
Scripture
50 And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
Meaning of Abner in the Bible
Abner’s role in the biblical narrative extends beyond mere military command; it embodies themes of loyalty, conflict, and the complexities of leadership during a time of national division. As a cousin to Saul, Abner is deeply entrenched in the dynamics of Saul’s kingship and the struggle for power following Saul’s death. His name, which translates to “father of light,” can be seen as symbolically rich, reflecting the potential for guidance and enlightenment in a tumultuous period. This duality is evident in 2 Samuel 2:8-10, where Abner, initially loyal to Saul’s house, leads a faction against David, thus illustrating his central role in the lingering conflict between the houses of Saul and David.
Furthermore, Abner’s eventual shift towards David, as depicted in 2 Samuel 3:9-10, shows his recognition of the inevitable ascendancy of David to the throne, portraying him as a figure capable of seeking peace rather than perpetuating conflict. His tragic end in 2 Samuel 3:27, at the hands of Joab, juxtaposes his quest for unity against the reality of violent rivalries in the kingdom. Ultimately, Abner’s story serves as a microcosm of the broader themes of loyalty and betrayal, the pursuit of power, and the moral complexities faced by leaders—reminding readers of the importance of wisdom and discernment in times of political strife. Through Abner, the biblical narrative explores the tension between personal loyalty to established authority and the recognition of divine purpose as expressed through David’s anointing as king.
Abner’s involvement in the biblical narrative offers a profound insight into the themes of reconciliation and the human condition amidst the turbulence of leadership transitions. His loyalty to Saul, despite the impending shift in power, underscores the dilemma faced by those caught in eras of change. Abner’s fidelity to Saul can be seen not only as a reflection of familial bonds but also as an embodiment of the struggles many have when grappling with their identity amidst the loyalties to kings and kingdoms that are waning. As tensions rise following Saul’s death, Abner symbolizes the turbulence of human attachment to legacy, and his subsequent decisions reveal the internal conflicts that arise when faced with the divine appointment of a successor like David.
Additionally, Abner’s complex character garners attention regarding the ethical dilemmas in political maneuvers. When he eventually advocates for David, it illustrates a transformative realization; he becomes an agent of unity in a fragmented landscape. His negotiation with David signifies not just a shift in allegiance, but a pivotal moment that reflects the potential for redemption and collaboration even after periods of fierce loyalty to an opposing side. This transition emphasizes the theme of divine providence permeating the narrative, suggesting that true leadership is not merely a result of one’s birthright or past affiliations, but also a willingness to embrace the overarching plans of God. Thus, Abner’s life becomes a study of the interplay between personal ambition, ethical responsibility, and divine orchestration in fulfilling a covenantal destiny, showcasing the broader dynamics within the history of Israel during one of its most tumultuous times.
The Role of Loyalty and Betrayal
Abner, as a key figure in the narrative of the early monarchy in Israel, embodies the complexities of loyalty and betrayal. His allegiance to Saul and subsequent actions during the power struggle between David and Saul’s house highlight the tensions that arise in political and personal relationships. Abner’s eventual shift in loyalty to David signifies the potential for redemption and the challenges of navigating loyalty in a tumultuous environment.
The Dynamics of Power and Leadership
Abner’s character also reflects the dynamics of power and leadership within the context of ancient Israel. As the commander of Saul’s army, he represents the military might and strategic acumen necessary for leadership. His decisions and actions illustrate the intricate balance between authority, ambition, and the consequences of power struggles, ultimately leading to significant shifts in the political landscape of Israel.
The Complexity of Human Relationships
Abner’s interactions with other key figures, including David and Joab, reveal the complexities of human relationships in times of conflict. His relationships are marked by both camaraderie and rivalry, showcasing how personal connections can be influenced by broader political agendas. This complexity serves as a reminder of the multifaceted nature of human interactions, especially in the context of leadership and conflict.
How to Strengthen Your Faith and Walk with God
Strengthening your faith and deepening your walk with God is a beautiful journey that requires intentionality and openness. Start by immersing yourself in Scripture; the Bible is not just a book, but a living guide that speaks to our hearts and circumstances. Set aside time each day for prayer, not just as a ritual, but as a heartfelt conversation with God—share your joys, fears, and questions. Surround yourself with a community of believers who can encourage and challenge you; fellowship is vital in our walk of faith. Remember, faith is not about perfection but about progress; embrace the small steps and celebrate the growth. Lastly, be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life, allowing Him to shape your thoughts and actions. As you cultivate these practices, you’ll find that your relationship with God deepens, and your faith becomes a source of strength and joy in every aspect of your life.
Bible References to Abner’s Meaning:
1 Samuel 17:55-58: 55 As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
56 The king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.”
57 And as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
1 Samuel 26:5-16: 5 Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.”
9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?”
10 And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.
12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them.
14 And David called out to the army and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?”
15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king.
16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.”
2 Samuel 2:8-32: 8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
9 And he made him king over Gilead, and the Ashurites, and Jezreel, and Ephraim, and Benjamin, and all Israel.
10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”
15 So they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, which is at Gibeon.
17 And there was a very fierce battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
20 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
21 And Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”
23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of the spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 The sons of Benjamin also rallied to Abner and became one band with him.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.”
28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
29 Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim.
30 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men.
32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.
2 Samuel 3:6-21: 6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman.
9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him,
10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.”
13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”
14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned.
17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you.
18 Now then bring it about, for the Lord has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’”
19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do.
20 So Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men along with him. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21 And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
2 Samuel 3:22-39: 22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23 When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.”
24 Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone?”
25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”
26 When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it.
27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 When David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!”
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier.
32 And they buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him.
35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down.”
36 Then all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”
1 Kings 2:5-6: 5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.”
6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
1 Chronicles 26:28: 28 Also all that Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Kish and Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated—all dedicated things were in the care of Shelomoth and his brothers.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.