2 Samuel 3:16

_AND HE SAID, WELL; I WILL MAKE A LEAGUE WITH THEE: BUT ONE THING I REQUIRE OF THEE, THAT IS, THOU SHALT NOT SEE MY FACE, EXCEPT THOU FIRST BRING MICHAL SAUL'S DAUGHTER, WHEN THOU COMEST TO SEE MY FACE._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

7-21 Many, like Abner, are not above committing base crimes, who are too proud to bear reproof, or even the suspicion of being guilty. While men go on in sin, and apparently without concern, they are often conscious that they are fighting against God. Many mean to serve their own purposes; and will betray those who trust them, when they can get any advantage. Yet the Lord serves his own designs, even by those who are thus actuated by revenge, ambition, or lust; but as they intend not to honour him, in the end they will be thrown aside with contempt. There was real generosity both to Michal and to the memory of Saul, in David's receiving the former, remembering probably how once he owed his life to her affection, and knowing that she was separated from him partly by her father's authority. Let no man set his heart on that which he is not entitled to. If any disagreement has separated hus...

Verse 2 Samuel 3:16. _WEEPING BEHIND HER_] If genuine affection did not still subsist between David and Michal, it was a pity to have taken her from Phaltiel, who had her to wife from the conjoint authority of her _father_ and her _king_. Nevertheless David had a legal right to her, as she had never been divorced, for she was taken from him by the hand of violence....

BAHURIM - Best known as the residence of Shimei, and as the place where Jonathan and Ahimaaz were concealed in a well on the occasion of David’s flight from Absalom 2 Samuel 16:5; 2 Samuel 17:18. It seems to have been situated in the southern border of the tribe of Benjamin, and on the route from Jerusalem to the Jordan fords, since Phaltiel came from Mahanaim 2 Samuel 2:8....

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

AND HER HUSBAND WENT WITH HER ALONG WEEPING BEHIND HER,.... Because of his great affection to her, unwilling to part with her, but forced to it at the command of the king her brother: TO BAHURIM; a city in the tribe of Benjamin, 2 Samuel 19:16; perhaps the same with Almon, Joshua 21:18; these two words being of the same signification; and the Targum has it hero Almuth; so Alemeth in 1 Chronicles 6:60. It seems to be the same Josephus c calls Bachures, and says it was not far from Jerusalem. Bunting d says it was something more than a mile towards the northeast, and at this time is a fair castle strongly fortified, standing in a high place, and in the valley near it, at the stone Bohan,...

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)...

Abner offers to bring all Israel under the authority of David. As a preliminary Michal is restored to David. Having sounded the elders of the various tribes, Abner visited David to arrange matters....

ALONG WEEPING. weeping as he went....

Abner's negotiations with David 12. _on his behalf_ The Sept. rendering _immediately_is adopted by some commentators, but is unsupported by the use of the word elsewhere. _Whose is the land_ The meaning may be either (_a_) "Is not the land thine by virtue of God's promise?" or (_b_) "Is not the land in my power so that I can make whom I please king?" But the latter agrees best with the words which follow: "Make thy covenant _with me_," and with Abner's character and evident desire to lay stress on his own power, in order to secure favourable terms for himself. There is however some doubt about the text, which was corrupt in the copy from which the Sept. version was made, and possibly the words _Whose is the land? saying also_should be struck out. The Targum has a curious paraphrase, "I swear by Him Who made the earth....