2 Samuel 3:1

_NOW THERE WAS LONG WAR BETWEEN THE HOUSE OF SAUL AND THE HOUSE OF DAVID: BUT DAVID WAXED STRONGER AND STRONGER, AND THE HOUSE OF SAUL WAXED WEAKER AND WEAKER._ There was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. The rival parties had varying success; but David's interest steadily increased-less, however, by the fortunes of war than a growing adherence of the people to him as the divinely-designated king....

1-6 The length of this war tried the faith and patience of David, and made his settlement at last the more welcome. The contest between grace and corruption in the hearts of believers, may fitly be compared to this warfare. There is a long war between them, the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; but as the work of holiness is carried on, corruption, like the house of Saul, grows weaker and weaker; while grace, like the house of David, grows stronger and stronger....

CHAPTER III _Account of the children born to David in Hebron_, 1-5. _Abner being accused by Ish-bosheth of familiarities with_ _Rizpah, Saul's concubine, he is enraged; offers his services_ _to David; goes to Hebron, and makes a league with him_, 6-22. _Joab, through enmity to Abner, pretends to David that he came_ _as a spy, and should not be permitted to return_, 23-25. _He follows Abner, and treacherously slays him_, 26, 27. _David hearing of it is greatly incensed against Joab, and_ _pronounces a curse upon him and upon his family_, 28, 29....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 3:1 THERE WAS LONG WAR. As Ishbosheth reigned only two years, and as "the house of Saul" is the phrase used, it seems probable that after Ishbosheth's murder, during the five years before David's election to the throne of all Israel, the house of Saul had some puppet representative at Mahanaim, and some commander in Abner's place. But after the death of this able man matters would go from bad to worse, and, though David probably remained on the defensive, yet the contrast between the peace and good government of Judah and the misery in Israel made all the tribes wish to put an end to a harassing civil war. It is plain, too, that the Philistines, repelled at first by Abner's skill, had again gained the ascendant, and regarded themselves so completely as the rulers of the country, that they resented immediately with summ

NOW THERE WAS A LONG WAR BETWEEN THE HOUSE OF SAUL AND THE HOUSE OF DAVID,.... The recent battle, though so much in favour of David, did not, put an end to the war between him and Ishbosheth, which lasted five years longer; for it was when Ishbosheth had reigned two years that that battle was fought, and he reigned five years longer; for not till his death, and when David had reigned above seven years in Hebron, was he made king over all Israel; and during this time peace was not made, but the war carried on; though perhaps not in pitched battles, of which we no more read, but in skirmishes: BUT DAVID WAXED STRONGER AND STRONGER; he having the advantage in all such skirmishes, and persons continually coming over to his side from the several tribes: AND THE HOUSE OF SAUL WAXED WEAKER AND WEAKER: being always worsted whenever they skirmished with David's men, and by continual revolts fro...

4. ABNER'S DEEDS AND END CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The long war and its results (2 Samuel 3:1)_ 2. David's family (2 Samuel 3:2) 3. Abner's defiant deed (2 Samuel 3:6) 4. Abner and Ish-bosheth (2 Samuel 3:8) 5. Abner's defection to David (2 Samuel 3:12) 6. David's request (2 Samuel 3:13) 7. Abner with David (2 Samuel 3:17)...

An editorial note, including an account of David's family. It is curious that the last-named wife, Eglah, and she only, is expressly called David's wife. The letters in the Heb. may be a corruption of some description which would have conveyed further information. ICC suggests that the original reading was sister of David. 2 Samuel 13:13 shows that such marriages were legitimate in Israel at the time....

SAUL. Note the Figure of speech _Antimetabole_ (App-6) in this verse, and the Introversion of the subjects of this chapter....

2 Samuel 3:1-5. Progress of David's cause. His family 2. _And unto David_, &c. The list of David's sons born in Hebron is given again in 1 Chronicles 3:1-3, apparently in an independent form, but with only one important variation. It appears to interrupt the course of the narrative here, but it is quite in accordance with the usual practice of O.T. historians to insert information about the family of a king at critical points in the history of his reign, and moreover it is in place here as a practical evidence of the strengthening of David's house. Cp. 1Sa 14:49-51; 2 Samuel 5:13-16. _Amnon_ Infamous for the sin which cost him his life, and indirectly proved the source of

3. A Period of Two Kings in Israel, 2 Samuel 3:1-39. _David's Family._ 2 Samuel 3:1-5 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. 2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. _1._ Who prevailed in the wars between Israel and Judah?...