Abner Joins David – 2 Samuel 3
- Abner becomes a strong leader of Saul's army. Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, accuses Abner of going in to one of his father's concubines, and Abner becomes angry. He threatens to join David, and then sends a messenger to David to make a pact with him. David agrees, if Abner will bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with him. David then sends a message to Ish-bosheth to send him Michal, since David has bought her with the lives of one hundred Philistines. Ish-bosheth does as instructed.
- Abner consults with the elders of Israel, and the people of Israel and the people of Benjamin agree to support David. They have a feast with David.
Joab Murders Abner
- After David sends Abner away to gain more support for him, Joab returns and asks David why he let Abner go away, since he had been there to spy on David. Joab sends messengers to bring Abner back, and when Abner returns, Joab takes him aside and stabs him in the stomach for killing his brother Asahel.
- David vows he and his kingdom are guiltless in Abner's death and that Joab and his family are the guilty ones.
David Mourns Abner
- David tells all his people to tear their clothes and mourn Abner. All the people mourn his death, understanding that David had nothing to do with it.
Ish-bosheth Murdered – 2 Samuel 4:1–3, 5–12
- When Ish-bosheth learns that Abner is dead, his courage fails and all Israel is dismayed. Two of Saul's captains, Rechab and Baanah, find Ish-bosheth while he is taking his noonday rest and stab him in the stomach and then behead him. They take his head to David.
- David is angry that they have killed a righteous man while he was sleeping, and he has his men kill them, cut off their hands and feet, and hang them beside the pool at Hebron. They then bury the head of Ish-bosheth in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.
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