Why did Ish-bosheth accuse Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine in 2 Samuel 3:7? Scriptural Text “Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?’ ” (2 Samuel 3:7) Historical Setting After Saul’s death, the northern tribes proclaimed his surviving son Ish-bosheth (Esh-baal) king (2 Samuel 2:8-10). David had been anointed at Hebron over Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). Thus Israel was divided: David’s rising house in the south, Saul’s fading dynasty in the north. Abner, Saul’s cousin and longtime commander (1 Samuel 14:50-51), was the real power sustaining Ish-bosheth. Status of Royal Concubines In the Ancient Near East the royal harem symbolized a king’s authority. Nuzi tablets, Mari correspondence, and Hittite laws all attest that taking a deceased or deposed king’s concubine amounted to staking a claim to his throne. Scripture mirrors this: • Reuben and Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). • Absalom and David’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:21-22). • Adonijah and Abishag (1 Kings 2:13-25). Possession of Saul’s concubine Rizpah therefore represented possession of Saul’s patrimony. Political Insecurity of Ish-bosheth Ish-bosheth lacked military prestige, prophetic anointing, and popular support. He depended on Abner. When he heard rumors that Abner had taken Rizpah, he feared a coup rather than moral misconduct. His question “Why have you slept with…?” was an accusation of treason masked as a charge of immorality. Did Abner Actually Do It? The text records Ish-bosheth’s accusation, not the event. Abner’s furious response (2 Samuel 3:8-10) denies wrongdoing yet betrays insult. Whether guilty or not, Abner recognized Ish-bosheth’s distrust as an unforgivable breach and defected to David. The narrative’s silence implies the act was likely rumor or political smear; otherwise the historian would normally confirm the fact as in Absalom’s public act (2 Samuel 16:22). God’s Providential Hand The accusation precipitated Abner’s alignment with David, advancing God’s earlier declaration that “The LORD has sought out a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Human intrigue fulfilled divine decree. The fall of Saul’s house and the rise of David’s foreshadow the Messianic kingdom that will never fail (Luke 1:32-33). Archaeological Corroboration Excavations at Mari and Nuzi (20th-century digs) yielded legal tablets establishing the political symbolism of royal concubines. These extrabiblical parallels illuminate, rather than contradict, 2 Samuel 3:7. Theological and Practical Lessons • Authority derives from God, not mere heredity (Romans 13:1). • False accusations fracture relationships and advance divine purposes despite human sin (Genesis 50:20). • Believers must guard against envy-driven slander within Christian fellowship (James 4:11). Summary Ish-bosheth accused Abner of sleeping with Saul’s concubine because such an act would signal a bid for kingship. The charge exposed Ish-bosheth’s insecurity, provoked Abner’s defection, and accelerated the transfer of power to David—demonstrating God’s sovereign orchestration of history toward the promised Messianic line. |
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