Ner

About Ner

Ner was an important figure in the early history of Israel's monarchy, primarily known as the father of Abner, the commander of King Saul's army. He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin and a close relative of Saul, as evidenced by the fact that Saul and Abner are referred to as sons of Ner (1Sa.14.50-51).

Although little is known about Ner's life, his significance lies in his family's connection to the first king of Israel, Saul. As the father of Abner, Ner's lineage played a crucial role in the political and military leadership of Israel during Saul's reign.

Abner, as the commander of Saul's army, is mentioned several times in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of the conflict between Saul and David (1Sa.26.5, 14). After Saul's death, Abner supported Saul's son, Ish-bosheth, as king over Israel, while David was anointed as king over Judah (2Sa.2.8-9).

The tension between Abner and David's forces is evident in the accounts of their military encounters (2Sa.2.12-17). However, Abner eventually defected to David's side after a falling out with Ish-bosheth (2Sa.3.6-21). Tragically, Abner was later killed by Joab, David's commander, in an act of revenge for the death of Joab's brother (2Sa.3.22-30).

David mourned Abner's death and publicly declared his innocence in the matter (2Sa.3.31-39). The incident with Abner is also mentioned in the context of Solomon's reign, as David instructed Solomon to deal with Joab for his role in Abner's murder (1Ki.2.5-6, 32-34).

Ner is also briefly mentioned in genealogical records, such as in 1Ch.9.36, where he is listed among the ancestors of Saul, and in 1Ch.26.28, which notes that some of the dedicated treasures in the temple were from the days of Samuel, Saul, Abner, and Joab.

Although Ner himself is not the primary focus of the biblical narrative, his family's connection to Saul and the early monarchy of Israel makes him a significant figure in the historical context of the Old Testament.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.