2 Samuel 3 7

2 Samuel 3:7 kjv

And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

2 Samuel 3:7 nkjv

And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

2 Samuel 3:7 niv

Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?"

2 Samuel 3:7 esv

Now 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?"

2 Samuel 3:7 nlt

One day Ishbosheth, Saul's son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father's concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.

2 Samuel 3 verses

2 Samuel 3 7 Meaning

2 Samuel 3:7 details a critical exchange that catalyzed a major shift in the political landscape of ancient Israel. Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul and nominal king over part of Israel, publicly accused Abner, Saul's former commander and the true power behind Ish-bosheth, of having sexual relations with Rizpah, a concubine of King Saul. This accusation was not merely about immorality but was a profound political statement, implying that Abner was making a bid for the throne by claiming a possession of the former king, a customary act of royal succession or usurpation in the Ancient Near East. Ish-bosheth's ill-judged accusation profoundly insulted Abner and alienated him, directly leading to Abner's decision to defect to David.

2 Samuel 3 7 Context

This verse is situated during a period of civil war in Israel following the death of King Saul. While David has been anointed king by Judah in Hebron, Saul's general, Abner, has made Ish-bosheth, Saul's surviving son, king over the rest of Israel. This establishes two competing kingdoms. Abner is the actual military and political power behind Ish-bosheth, who is largely a figurehead. The ongoing war (2 Sam 3:1) is costly and favors David's growing influence. Ish-bosheth's accusation against Abner in 2 Samuel 3:7 serves as the dramatic turning point. It infuriates Abner, who then initiates overtures to David to bring all Israel under David's rule, accelerating the long-foretold unity of the kingdom under the divinely chosen king. Culturally, taking a former king's concubines or wives was widely understood in the Ancient Near East as a public declaration of one's claim to the throne, signifying transfer of power and ownership.

2 Samuel 3 7 Word analysis

• Now Saul had a concubine (פִּילֶגֶשׁ, pîlegeš):

  • "Saul": The deceased former king of Israel, whose legacy and house (dynasty) are still contested.
  • "had": Denotes possession; a concubine was part of a king's estate and household.
  • "concubine" (פִּילֶגֶשׁ, pîlegeš): A woman, distinct from a full wife, typically with recognized status but fewer legal rights, often without a formal dowry. Her relationship to a man could produce heirs, but these would usually be of lesser status than children of a principal wife. More importantly here, a king's concubine was part of his royal possessions and thus a symbol of his authority, power, and dynasty. To "go in" to a deceased king's concubine was a direct act of usurpation of his power and throne.

• whose name was Rizpah the daughter of Aiah:

  • "Rizpah": A specific individual, significant for her later display of loyalty and grief for Saul's executed sons (2 Sam 21). Her identification highlights her familial connection to Saul and her unique place in the story.
  • "daughter of Aiah": Provides her paternal lineage, typical in biblical genealogies.

• and Ish-bosheth said to Abner:

  • "Ish-bosheth": Saul's son, set up as king by Abner. He is weak and easily manipulated, ultimately subservient to Abner's will.
  • "said to Abner": Signifies Ish-bosheth making a direct public accusation, a perilous challenge to his general's authority. This verbal challenge marks the tipping point in their precarious relationship.

• "Why have you gone in (בָּא, bā’) to my father's concubine?":

  • "Why have you gone in (בָּא, bā’)": "Gone in" (Hebrew: bā’) is a common biblical euphemism for engaging in sexual relations. The rhetorical "Why" signals a direct, accusing question.
  • "to my father's concubine?": This phrase underscores the gravity of the accusation. "My father's concubine" specifically means King Saul's concubine. This was not merely an act of infidelity, but a highly political move in the ancient world, widely recognized as a symbolic assertion of one's claim to the deceased king's throne or an attempt to absorb his royal authority. By accusing Abner of this act, Ish-bosheth, perhaps unintentionally, signaled a deep political challenge, not just a moral complaint. This challenged Abner's loyalty and by extension, his position of power as protector of Saul's lineage.

2 Samuel 3 7 Bonus section

The underlying symbolism of the accusation extends beyond mere sexual transgression. In ancient royal households, especially in the Near East, a king's harem represented an extension of his power and control, encompassing his wealth, legacy, and even the future of his dynasty. Control over a former king's concubines signified control over his very inheritance. Therefore, Ish-bosheth's accusation implied that Abner was literally stepping into the late King Saul's shoes and usurping the rights of the heir. This act underscores the fragility of the political power structure in Saul's declining house and the prevailing societal understanding that royal women were inextricably linked to royal authority. Ish-bosheth, lacking foresight and understanding of Abner's temperament and strategic thinking, inadvertently triggered the downfall of his own provisional reign by insulting the man who was his kingdom's sole pillar of support.

2 Samuel 3 7 Commentary

2 Samuel 3:7 serves as the dramatic pivot point in the struggle for kingship between the house of Saul and David. Ish-bosheth's accusation against Abner regarding Rizpah was a severe miscalculation by a weak, titular king against his powerful and pragmatic general. While Abner's relationship with Rizpah could have been genuinely transgressive, the accusation's significance lies in its political implication. In Ancient Near Eastern cultures, taking a deceased king's concubine was tantamount to claiming his throne (e.g., Absalom with David's concubines in 2 Sam 16; Adonijah with Abishag in 1 Kgs 2). By bringing this accusation, Ish-bosheth implied Abner was making a direct play for the crown or challenging Ish-bosheth's authority.

Abner, a ruthless pragmatist with immense power, reacted with profound fury not only at the accusation itself but at the disrespect shown to him by someone he effectively propped up as king. This verbal assault exposed the hollowness of Ish-bosheth's authority and provided Abner the perfect justification to shift his allegiance, openly committing to unifying Israel under David, citing God's prophetic purpose (2 Sam 3:8-10). Thus, what seemed like a personal slight became the catalyst for Abner to actively bring about the divine plan of establishing David's unified kingdom, inadvertently facilitated by Ish-bosheth's shortsighted and ill-conceived challenge.