So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD has sworn to David, even so I do to him;
So do God
2 Samuel 3:35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.
2 Samuel 19:13 And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.
Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
as the Lord
1 Samuel 3:17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
1 Samuel 14:44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
1 Samuel 25:22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
as the Lord
1 Samuel 15:28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
1 Samuel 16:1-13 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons…
1 Samuel 28:17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
if I do not do for David
Abner's declaration here marks a pivotal moment in the power dynamics of Israel. Abner, the commander of Saul's army, is shifting his allegiance from the house of Saul to David. This is significant because it represents a major political and military shift in favor of David, who had been anointed by Samuel as the future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Abner's support would have been crucial in consolidating David's rule over all Israel, as Abner had considerable influence and authority.
what the LORD has sworn to him
This phrase acknowledges the divine promise made to David, which is a central theme in the books of Samuel. The LORD's promise to David is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 16:1-13, where David is anointed as king. This promise is further elaborated in 2 Samuel 7:12-16, where God makes a covenant with David, ensuring that his lineage will endure forever. Abner's recognition of this divine promise indicates his acceptance of God's will and the legitimacy of David's kingship. It also highlights the theme of God's sovereignty and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, which is a recurring motif throughout the Bible.
- Abner begins with a solemn oath formula—calling God Himself as witness and judge.
- Similar self-imprecatory oaths appear in Ruth 1:17, “May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me,” underscoring the seriousness of invoking divine judgment.
- By naming himself (“Abner”), he personalizes the curse, acknowledging God’s right to deal with him directly, as seen in 1 Samuel 3:17 where Eli says, “May God punish you and ever so severely if you hide from me anything He told you.”
- This opening reminds us that every word spoken before God is binding (Numbers 30:2).
- The intensifier heightens the weight of the oath. It is not casual speech but an emphatic acknowledgment that God’s discipline can be severe when vows are broken (Deuteronomy 28:15–20).
- Comparable phrases in 1 Kings 2:23 and 2 Kings 6:31 reveal that Israelite leaders understood there were escalating levels of divine discipline, and Abner embraces that fullest extent.
- His words model a healthy fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), illustrating that divine justice is no light matter.
- Abner, once Saul’s commander, switches allegiance. His oath’s conditional clause shows repentance from supporting Ish-bosheth and determination to act on God’s revealed will.
- This mirrors Joshua 24:15, choosing whom he will serve, and echoes the call to “be doers of the word” (James 1:22).
- The statement also teaches that obedience must be concrete: Abner vows action—“do for David”—not mere sentiment.
- Abner acknowledges a prior, irrevocable promise: God swore kingship to David (1 Samuel 16:1, 12–13; Psalm 89:3–4).
- By aligning with that promise, Abner submits to divine sovereignty. Recognition of God’s oath prevents further civil war and paves the way for national unity (2 Samuel 5:1–3).
- The phrase reinforces that God’s word is unbreakable (Numbers 23:19), and wise people align themselves with it rather than resist it (Proverbs 19:21).
Abner’s statement in 2 Samuel 3:9 is a weighty self-curse that binds him to carry out God’s revealed plan for David. Invoking severe divine punishment, he pledges wholehearted obedience to the Lord’s sworn promise of Davidic kingship. The verse highlights the seriousness of vows, the certainty of God’s Word, and the wisdom of aligning our actions with God’s purposes.
(9) So do God to Abner.--The anger of Abner culminates in a solemn oath to transfer the kingdom to David, "as the Lord hath sworn to him." There is no record of a Divine oath to give the kingdom to David, but the prophetic declaration that God's choice of him was unalterable (1Samuel 15:29) may well have been considered to have the force of an oath. Abner does not propose to do this in order to fulfil the Divine will, for his words show that he had been acting hitherto in conscious opposition to that will, but to revenge himself for the insult now offered him. He had doubtless also become satisfied of his master's entire unfitness for the throne, and his power over Israel opened before him the prospect of high preferment from David.Verse 9. - As the Lord hath sworn to David. This not only shows that the prophetic promise of the kingdom to David was generally known (see note on 2 Samuel 1:2), but that Abner regarded it as solemnly ratified. There is no express mention of any such oath, but Abner was a man of strong words, and possibly only meant that Jehovah's purpose was becoming evident by the course of events.