2 Samuel 3 · Verse 7

2 Samuel 3:7

And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish–bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?
2 Samuel 3:7, King James Version

2 Samuel 3:7 in other translations

BSBMeanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
WEBNow Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
ASVNow Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?
YLTand Saul hath a concubine, and her name is Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-Bosheth saith unto Abner, ‘Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?'
DARBYAnd Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine?
BBENow Saul had among his wives a woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you taken my father's wife?
WebsterAnd Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine?

What does 2 Samuel 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 3:6-11

6-11. 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…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 3:6-11 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 3:7-21
Many, like Abner, are not above committing base crimes, who are too proud to bear reproof, or even the suspicion of being guilty. While men go on in sin, and apparently without concern, they are often conscious that they are fighting against God. Many mean to serve their own purposes; and will betray those who trust them, when they can get any advantage. Yet the Lord serves his own designs, even by those who are thus actuated by revenge, ambition, or lust; but as they intend not to honour him, in the end they will be thrown aside with contempt. There was real generosity both to Michal and to the memory of Saul, in David's receiving the former, remembering probably how once he owed his life to her affection, and knowing that she was separated from him partly by her father's authority. Let no man set his heart on that which he is not entitled to. If any disagreement has separated husband and wife, as they expect the blessing of God, let them be reconciled, and live together in love.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Samuel 3:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּלְשָׁא֣וּלu.le.sha.'Uland [belonged] to SaulH7586
פִּלֶ֔גֶשׁpi.Le.gesha concubineH6370
וּשְׁמָ֖הּu.she.Mahand name herH8034
רִצְפָּ֣הritz.Pah[was] RizpahH7532
בַת\־vat-[the] daughter ofH1323
אַיָּ֑ה'ai.YahAiahH345
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אַבְנֵ֔ר'av.NerAbnerH74
מַדּ֥וּעַma.Du.a'why?H4069
בָּ֖אתָהBa.tahhave you goneH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
פִּילֶ֥גֶשׁpi.Le.gesh[the] concubine ofH6370
אָבִֽי\׃'a.Vifather myH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 3:7

  • 2 Samuel 21:8-11

    But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite: And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

  • 2 Samuel 12:8

    And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

  • 2 Samuel 16:21-22

    And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

  • 1 Kings 2:21-22

    And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

  • 1 Kings 2:17

    And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rizpah.
21:8-11
Wherefore.This action of Abner's seems a most evident proof that he intended to seize on the government; and it was so understood by Ish-bosheth; see Parallel Texts.
gone in.
12:8; 16:21,22; 1Ki 2:17,21,22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Samuel 3:6

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 3:7

    And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish–bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?

  • 2 Samuel 3:8

    Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish–bosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?

Read all of 2 Samuel 3

2 Samuel 3:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y había Saúl tenido una concubina que se llamaba Rispa, hija de Aja. Y dijo Is-boseth á Abner: ¿Por qué has entrado á la concubina de mi padre?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Saül avait une concubine: son nom était Ritspa, fille d’Aïa; et Ish-Bosheth dit à Abner: Pourquoi es-tu entré vers la concubine de mon père?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Saul hatte ein Kebsweib, ihr Name war Rizpa, die Tochter Ajas. Und Isboseth sprach zu Abner: Warum bist du zu dem Kebsweibe meines Vaters eingegangen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Fuerat autem Sauli concubina nomine Respha, filia Aja. Dixitque Isboseth ad Abner: