- ABNER father of light; i.e., “enlightening”, the son of Ner and uncle of
Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul’s army (1 Samuel 14:50; 17:55;
20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over
Goliath (1 Samuel 17:57). After the death of Saul, David was made king
over Judah, and reigned in Hebron. Among the other tribes there was a
feeling of hostility to Judah; and Abner, at the head of Ephraim, fostered
this hostility in the interest of the house of Saul, whose son Ish-bosheth he
caused to be proclaimed king (2 Samuel 2:8). A state of war existed
between these two kings. A battle fatal to Abner, who was the leader of
Ish-boseth’s army, was fought with David’s army under Joab at Gibeon (
Samuel 2:12). Abner, escaping from the field, was overtaken by Asahel,
who was “light of foot as a wild roe,” the brother of Joab and Abishai,
whom he thrust through with a back stroke of his spear (2 Samuel 2:
18-32).
Being rebuked by Ish-bosheth for the impropriety of taking to wife
Rizpah, who had been a concubine of King Saul, he found an excuse for
going over to the side of David, whom he now professed to regard as
anointed by the Lord to reign over all Israel. David received him
favourably, and promised that he would have command of the armies. At
this time Joab was absent from Hebron, but on his return he found what
had happened. Abner had just left the city; but Joab by a stratagem
recalled him, and meeting him at the gate of the city on his return, thrust
him through with his sword (2 Samuel 3:27, 31-39; 4:12. Comp. 1 Kings
2:5, 32). David lamented in pathetic words the death of Abner, “Know ye
not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?” (
Samuel 3:33-38.)
- ABOMINATION This word is used, (1.) To express the idea that the
Egyptians considered themselves as defiled when they ate with strangers
(Genesis 43:32). The Jews subsequently followed the same practice,
holding it unlawful to eat or drink with foreigners (John 18:28; Acts 10:28;
11:3).
(2.) Every shepherd was “an abomination” unto the Egyptians (Genesis
46:34). This aversion to shepherds, such as the Hebrews, arose probably
from the fact that Lower and Middle Egypt had formerly been held in
oppressive subjection by a tribe of nomad shepherds (the Hyksos), who
had only recently been expelled, and partly also perhaps from this other