2 Samuel 3:6

2 Samuel 3:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.
• New International Version (NIV)During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.
• English Standard Version (ESV)While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul.

Context of 2 Samuel 3:6

4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron. It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman.

2 Samuel 3:6 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י בִּֽהְיוֹת֙ הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה בֵּ֚ין בֵּ֣ית שָׁא֔וּל וּבֵ֖ין בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֑ד וְאַבְנֵ֛ר הָיָ֥ה מִתְחַזֵּ֖ק בְּבֵ֥ית שָׁאֽוּל׃Read the interlinear

• It cameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• about while there was warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• Abnerאֲבִינֵר'abnêr 'ăbîynêr · AbnerH74
• was makingחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: strengthenH2388

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 3:6

• 2 Samuel 2:8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
• 2 Kings 10:23Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.”
• 2 Chronicles 25:8But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down.”
• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the Lord.
• Isaiah 8:9“Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered.
• Joel 3:9Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!
• Matthew 12:30He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Abner made himself strong - This strengthening of himself, and going in to the late king's concubine, were most evident proofs that he wished to seize upon the government. See 1 Kings 2:21, 1 Kings 2:22; 1 Kings 12:8; 1 Kings 16:21.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Render, “And it came to pass, while the war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted, that Abner assisted the house of Saul.”Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-39The house of David (David’s family line and those loyal to his rule) grew stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker. A key turning point came when Abner, who held the real political power among Saul’s followers, changed his loyalty to David. When Abner did this, many of his relatives from the northern tribes followed him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-116-11. Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul--In the East, the wives and concubines of a king are the property of his successor to this extent, that for a private person to aspire to marry one of them would be considered a virtual advance of pretensions to the crown (see 1Ki 2:17). It is not clear whether the accusation against Abner was well or ill founded. But he resented the charge as an indignity, and, impelled by revenge, determined to…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 3:6

• Abner
• Ish-Bosheth
• Treason

In the dictionaries

• Abner
• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• house of David
• house, household, house of Israel, house of David
• Communication
• Ishbosheth
• Sackcloth
• Translate

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings