Fratricidal Wars Between The Two Kingdoms
(1010 1003, Approximate Dates)
The Hebrew people were divided into two kingdoms each under the leadership of a different king. The inevitable consequence was war.
For seven years (1010-1003), from the battle of Gilboa onwards, the two kingdoms were to be in bitter opposition, always at each other's throats and killing each other. Thus during a guerilla engagement Abner, Saul's former general, kept in office by Ishbaal, killed the brother of Joab, David's general, and a vendetta was added to the military rivalry of the leaders of the opposing armies.
This war of attrition was by no means to David's liking; he was far too intelligent not to deplore this state of affairs -though it must be admitted that it was he who had provoked it. After all, it would have been easy enough for him to have offered his sword as commander-in-chief to Ishbaal, the legitimate king. But David was ambitious. The tiny kingdom of Yahudah was not enough for him and he looked towards the northern federation of tribes. And all the more since he realized that his opponent Ishbaal was a puppet in the hands of Abner, his general. David felt called to wear both crowns, and suddenly the opportunity came through two unforeseen circumstances.
Death Of Abner (2 Sam, 3: 12-27)
Abner, Saul's former general and his cousin, was a good tactician and energetic and intelligent; in addition, he was an astute diplomat. His eminent military qualities quickly enabled him to retrieve from the Philistines, who were victorious at Gilboa, a great part of the territory lost by Saul. But he was fully aware that Ishbaal, his king, was not of the same calibre as David, a leader of genius. In short, Abner decided to abandon his own sovereign and to tie up his fortunes with those of the king of Yahudah. It should be added that Abner had fallen out with Ishbaal over a concubine. Abner began secret diplomatic conversations between Mahanaim (the capital of Yisrael) and Hebron (the capital of Yahudah). Abner had succeeded in circumventing some of the influential chieftains of the northern tribes; he put it around that the frightful fratricidal war could not last much longer and that the indispensable solution was to place David at the head of a unified kingdom. The unfortunate Ishbaal's opinion was not asked and he seems to have been kept in ignorance of the whole business.
Before going further in the matter David demanded that his Binyaminite wife, Michal, Saul's daughter, should be returned to him. Saul had given her to him for his wife and then had taken her back after the affair of the teraphim in the bed (1 Schmuel 19: 13-17). To punish both accomplices in the trick played upon him Saul had given Michal in marriage to a somewhat obscure figure, Palti or Paltiel, son of Laish. By thus regaining the daughter of the dead king, David might claim rights over the kingdom of Saul, his former father-in-law. Once more, Ishbaal's authorization was not asked. Abner took it upon himself to restore Michal to her former husband. Paltiel, in tears, followed the procession. At the frontier between Benjamin and Yahudah, Abner said to him 'Go back,' and he went.
Abner pursued the matter briskly. He explained his plan for a union of the two kingdoms, and assured David that Yisrael was ready to throw in its lot with him. All seemed set for success. Accompanied by twenty men, Abner accepted David's invitation to come to Hebron. A banquet was held to celebrate in proper fashion the end of the hostilities and the reunification of the kingdom. All seemed settled for the best. But there was still Joab.
Joab was David's general and also his nephew (by his mother Zeruiah, David's sister), and the brother of Asahel who was killed in battle by Abner. Joab was a first-class military leader and entirely devoted to his uncle. He was a rough, brutal and merciless creature, jealous of his own authority. He regarded the agreement between David and Abner very unfavorably, since he considered the latter as a worthless soldier. If the union of Yisrael and Yahudah were ever to take place Abner's position would be at the head of the Yahwist armies, which Joab himself had counted on occupying. The rivalry between the two men seemed certain to come to a head before very long. Joab, a determined man, quickly found a solution.
Since Abner had killed Joab's brother, Joab had become for this reason his brother's go’el, the avenger of his blood. Among the Hebrews a father's blood had to be avenged by his son, a brother's blood by his brother, or failing these, by the nearest relation. Consequently, Asahel's avenger would be one of his two brothers, Joab or Abishai. Abner needed to be on his guard.
After the banquet given him by David at Hebron Abner took leave of the king and prepared to return to the north to work for the effective reunion of the two kingdoms. Directly after his departure Joab arrived. He was returning from a raid against the nomad tribes and brought back with him rich plunder for the community. Only then did he learn of the visit of his military rival, Abner. Suspecting that Abner had been negotiating for the supreme command of the army, Joab became very angry and made a great scene with his uncle David. 'Do you not know Abner, son of Ner?' he cried. 'He came to trick you, to know your every move, to find out what you are doing.' David knew his nephew's violent temper and let him have his say.
Joab was a realist. He lost no time and, unknown to David, sent a messenger to request Abner to return immediately. Thinking that the king wished to give him further instructions Abner turned back. At the gate of Hebron Joab awaited him; he led him aside, as if to speak to him privately. And there, says the Bible, he struck him in the belly, and so, for the blood of Joab's brother Asahel, he died.
Despite its apparent legality such an execution at this time was very awkward indeed. David might well be suspected of the murder of Abner, since his death would to some extent favour David's plans; he would be in a position to dictate his conditions to the chieftains of Mahanaim since there was now no commander on Ishbaal's side capable of opposing Joab successfully.
Obviously it was important that the king of Yahudah should
not be suspected of murder or even of complicity, so David took particular care
to proclaim his anger, to show his disapproval and to swear that he was
absolutely innocent of this crime. 'May the blood of Abner,' he solemnly
announced, 'fall on the head of Joab and his family!' He ordered the leading
persons of his court (among whom was Joab) to put on sackcloth as a sign of
mourning. In addition, David led the mourning; he walked in the first place
behind the bier and at the moment of burial he wept aloud. Then the king gave
way to the poet and he began to sing this lament:
'Should Abner have died as a fool dies?
Your hands were not tied, your
feet not chained;
you fell as a man falls at the hands of criminals. '3
After the
funeral ceremony David was invited to take some food. David ostentatiously
refused. That day all the people of Yahudah and all Yisrael understood that
the king had no part in the death of Abner son of Ner. The relations of the
dead man, too, were quite convinced that David was innocent. Negotiations
continued normally between them and the king and an agreement was soon reached.
It was true nonetheless that Abner's death was a fortunate occurrence for David. Abner had prepared the way for David to obtain the Yisraelite crown. But if Abner had continued to live it would only have complicated the situation. He was full of ambition and he was artful, cunning and unscrupulous. David could have expected to pay dearly for the great service rendered to him.
3 We probably possess only a fragment of the lament The words are to b understood as follows: Abner was struck down by a sudden death; this usually reserved to the wicked (the punishment of heaven). He was struck down (wrongly. of course) like a criminal (punishment of men). He did not enjoy, unfortunately, the death that he merited, namely, death in battle.
King David and the Foundation of Yerusalem Index King David Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages