2 Samuel 3:11 kjv
And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:11 nkjv
And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:11 niv
Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
2 Samuel 3:11 esv
And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
2 Samuel 3:11 nlt
Ishbosheth didn't dare say another word because he was afraid of what Abner might do.
2 Samuel 3 11 Cross References
(h2)| Verse | Text | Reference ||----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Gen 3:10 | "...I was afraid, because I was naked..." | Fear leading to hiding/silence || Num 27:17 | "...the Lord's congregation be not as sheep which have no shepherd." | Ish-bosheth's ineffective leadership, lack of guidance. || 1 Sam 10:24 | "...And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king." | Contrast to Saul's early reception, Ish-bosheth lacks such public support. || 1 Sam 15:23 | "...rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft..." | Abner's rebellion against Ish-bosheth's remaining authority. || 1 Sam 24:20 | "...know certainly that thou shalt surely be king..." | God's sovereign plan for David's kingship, which Abner now acknowledges. || 2 Sam 2:9-10 | "...made him king over Gilead... over all Israel." | Ish-bosheth's manufactured kingship and Abner's role in it. || 2 Sam 3:1 | "Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David..." | David's house growing stronger, Saul's house weaker. || 2 Sam 3:7 | "...Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?" | The accusation that provoked Abner's fury and response. || 2 Sam 3:9-10 | "So do God to Abner... as the LORD hath sworn to David..." | Abner's declaration of intent to transfer the kingdom based on God's decree. || 1 Chr 12:18 | "...for God helpeth thee." | Divine assistance to David, contrasted with Ish-bosheth's lack of support. || Neh 6:13 | "Because he was hired... and I should have been afraid..." | Fear used as a tool to intimidate and weaken. || Ps 2:4 | "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh..." | God's sovereign oversight over the struggles of human rulers. || Ps 75:6-7 | "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west... God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." | God's ultimate authority in establishing and removing kings. || Prov 16:13 | "...And the king's lips are a snare in transgression..." | A leader's words, or lack thereof, can signify much. || Prov 19:12 | "The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion..." | Abner's overwhelming presence intimidates the weak king. || Prov 28:1 | "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." | Ish-bosheth's inherent weakness and fear. || Prov 29:25 | "The fear of man bringeth a snare..." | Ish-bosheth's fear ensnares him and leads to his downfall. || Isa 51:12 | "...who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man..." | Contrast between fearing man and trusting God. || Dan 2:21 | "And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings..." | God's control over human leadership and historical progression. || Mt 10:28 | "And fear not them which kill the body... but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body..." | Superiority of fearing God over fearing man. || Lk 12:4-5 | "...be not afraid of them that kill the body... But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear..." | Similar instruction not to fear man, but God. || Rom 13:1-2 | "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers... Whosoever therefore resisteth the power..." | Though Abner resists Ish-bosheth, God establishes rulers. Ish-bosheth's fear shows he can't exercise true authority. |
2 Samuel 3 verses
2 Samuel 3 11 Meaning
2 Samuel 3:11 depicts Ish-bosheth's complete inability to respond to Abner after Abner's defiant outburst. His silence is not voluntary but imposed by profound fear, signaling Abner's dominant authority over the weak, nominal king. This moment marks a crucial turning point, exposing Ish-bosheth's powerlessness and solidifying Abner's decision to shift allegiance to David, further weakening the house of Saul.
2 Samuel 3 11 Context
(h2)2 Samuel 3 details the escalating conflict between the weakening house of Saul and the rising power of David. Abner, Saul's former commander and now the kingmaker for Ish-bosheth, has been secretly strengthening the house of Saul, but he is provoked by Ish-bosheth's baseless accusation regarding Rizpah, one of Saul's concubines (2 Sam 3:7). Such an act would imply a claim to Saul's throne. Outraged by the perceived insult and ingratitude from the very king he installed, Abner bursts forth with a powerful declaration, vowing to transfer the entire kingdom from Saul's line to David, fulfilling God's promise (2 Sam 3:9-10). Verse 11 captures Ish-bosheth's helpless response to Abner's powerful words, demonstrating Abner's true authority and foreshadowing the inevitable collapse of Saul's lineage as God shifts the kingdom to David.
2 Samuel 3 11 Word analysis
(h2)
- And he: Refers to Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, who was made king over Israel by Abner. He is presented here as lacking personal strength or anointing.
- could not answer: (Hebrew: לֹא יָכֹל, lo yakhol) Literally "was not able." This signifies complete inability, utter powerlessness, or incapacitation, not merely a choice to remain silent. It shows a severe psychological and authoritative defeat.
- Abner: Saul's formidable general, a key military and political figure who orchestrated Ish-bosheth's short-lived reign. His character embodies both loyalty (to Saul's house, initially) and strategic opportunism, driven by honor and power.
- another word: (Hebrew: דָּבָר אֶחָד, davar echad) Lit. "one word." Emphasizes the totality of Ish-bosheth's silence—he could not utter even a single syllable in response, defense, or defiance.
- because he feared him: (Hebrew: כִּי יָרֵא אֹתוֹ, ki yare' oto) This states the direct cause for Ish-bosheth's incapacitation. Yare' often means "to fear" in the sense of terror or dread, not necessarily respect or reverence in this context. Ish-bosheth's fear of Abner highlights Abner's formidable presence and the king's extreme weakness. This fear is a crippling force, rendering him subservient.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And he could not answer Abner another word": This phrase dramatically portrays the complete power shift. Ish-bosheth, despite his royal title, is rendered utterly impotent in the face of Abner's dominant personality and strategic declarations. It signifies the irreversible end of any pretense of his independent authority or ability to challenge Abner's course of action.
- "because he feared him": This clause provides the core reason for the King's impotence. His fear, a stark contrast to the expected courage of a ruler, exposes his fundamental weakness and subservience. This fear acts as the instrument by which Abner assumes control and effectively begins to transfer the kingdom. It is a potent illustration of Proverbs 29:25, "The fear of man bringeth a snare," demonstrating how such fear incapacitates one from asserting righteousness or even one's own God-given authority.
2 Samuel 3 11 Bonus section
(h2)The scene described in 2 Samuel 3:11 serves as a subtle yet potent polemic against leadership established purely by human maneuvering (Abner made Ish-bosheth king) rather than divine appointment, like David's. Ish-bosheth's fear of Abner highlights a fundamental contrast between him and David, who repeatedly trusted God amidst threats. This is not just a personal interaction but a symbolic moment reflecting the spiritual and political realities of Israel's transition: a weak, fear-driven leadership crumbling before a God-ordained kingdom. The concubine accusation was strategically significant in ancient Near Eastern monarchies; claiming a king's concubines was seen as an assertion of a right to the throne, similar to Absalom's later actions (2 Sam 16:21-22), intensifying Abner's fury and justifying his power play. The verse shows how a leader's psychological state can profoundly impact political realities.
2 Samuel 3 11 Commentary
(h2)This verse is a powerful micro-narrative of power dynamics and divine sovereignty. Ish-bosheth, the king, is utterly silenced by his own general, Abner. This silence is born of profound fear, which in turn exposes Ish-bosheth as a king in title only, completely under Abner's control. The narrative starkly contrasts the declining, fear-ridden house of Saul, represented by Ish-bosheth, with the divinely favored, ascendant house of David. Abner's preceding declaration (vv. 9-10) to transfer the kingdom to David, aligning himself with God's sworn purpose, serves to justify his own audacious move and intimidate Ish-bosheth further. The king's terrified inability to utter a single word confirms Abner's decisive authority in matters of the kingdom and illustrates how human weakness and fear, particularly when failing to put trust in God, can contribute to the fulfillment of God's wider, sovereign plans for His anointed. It underlines the spiritual truth that earthly power, when not rooted in God's will, is fragile and easily overthrown.