2 Samuel 3:5

_AND THE SIXTH, ITHREAM, BY EGLAH DAVID'S WIFE. THESE WERE BORN TO DAVID IN HEBRON._ Eglah, David's wife. This addition has led many to think that Eglah was another name for Michal, the first and proper wife, who, though she had no family after her insolent ridicule of David (2 Samuel 6:23), might have had a child before. [The Septuagint calls her Aigal.]...

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....

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 THE SIXTH, ITHREAM, BY EGLAH DAVID'S WIFE,.... Who also is not spoken of in any other place; only, in a like chronological account as the former, it is remarked that the mother of this only is called David's wife; the reason of which is supposed to be, either because she was a person of no note, and had nothing else to distinguish her; but the same may be said of the two foregoing; or because she was his beloved wife, his heifer, as her name signifies; hence the Jews y take her to be Michal his first wife, whom he greatly loved, and who, though she had no children after her contempt of David for playing before the ark, unto the day of her death, yet might have before: but it should be observed, that as yet she was not returned to David in Hebron; and when she was returned, did not seem to continue there long enough to have a son there; and besides, being his first wife, would not be...

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....

DAVID'S WIFE. Probably added, parenthetically, to indicate his _first_ wife...

_Eglah David's wife_ A Jewish tradition as old as the time of Jerome (_Quaest. Hebr. in libros Regum_) makes Eglah (_heifer_, cp. Judges 14:18) another name for _Michal_, who is supposed to be particularly distinguished both here and in 1 Chronicles 3:3 as _David's wife_, because she was his first and best-loved. If so, her position last in the list may be accounted for because she was separated from David for a time, and only returned to him towards the close of his residence in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:13), so that Ithream was the youngest of his sons born there. Polygamy was tolerated by the Mosaic legislation as an existing custom, but discouraged as contrary to the original institution and tru

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?...

ABNER IS TREACHEROUSLY MURDERED BY JOAB 3. Chileab] We read nothing more of him and he probably died as a child. In 1 Chronicles 3:1 he is called Daniel. GESHUR] a kingdom on the border of Bashan, where Absalom afterwards took refuge (2 Samuel 13:37) It must not be confused with the Geshur of 1 Samuel 27:8....