John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 2:8
But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host ,.... This man's father, Ner, was Saul's uncle, 1 Samuel 14:50 , and he was his own cousin, and being general of his army, a post he was willing to keep, might be the reasons for doing what he did, as follows: took Ishbosheth the son of Saul ; and who seems to be his only son left, except what he had by his concubine. This man's name is Eshbaal in 1 Chronicles 8:33 . Baal is the name of a shameful idol, and which was therefore... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 2:8-17
Here is, I. A rivalship between two kings?David, whom God made king, and Ishbosheth, whom Abner made king. One would have thought, when Saul was slain, and all his sons that had sense and spirit enough to take the field with him, David would come to the throne without any opposition, since all Israel knew, not only how he had signalized himself, but how manifestly God had designated him to it; but such a spirit of contradiction is there, in the devices of men, to the counsels of God, that such... read more