Abissei (Hastings' Dictionary)

One of the ancestors ol Ezra (2 Es 1'-'), called in 1 Ch 6' Abishua, and in 1 Es 8^ Abisub. ABISUE (LXX, B 'K^aaal, A 'A^iirovat) 1 Es 8', AY Abisum, is identical with Abishua. ABITAL (Sd-jk ' father is dew '), wife of David, to whom, during his residence in Hebron, she bore Shephatiah, 2 S 3*= 1 Ch 3^ ABITUB (3!d-;n), 1 Ch 8", and ABIUD ('Apio^), Mt 1". See Gknealoqy. ABJECT, now only an adj., was formerly also a Bubst. and a verb. As a subst.

, meaning the dregs of the people, abject is found in Ps 35" ' The abjects (n-ji, RVm ' smit«rs ') gathered them- selves together against me.' Cf. T. Bentley (Iu82), ' O Almi":htie God : which raisest up the abjects, and exaltest the miserable from the dunghill,' Monu. Matr. iii. 328 ; G. Herbert, ' Servants and abjects flout me,' Temple : Sacrifice, 30. J. Hastings. ABNER, i;3t< (ij-^k 1 S 14*), 'my father ii Ner,' or 'is a lamp.'

Saul's first cousin, accord- ing to 1 S 14'"- "' (the more probable account), ABXER ABOMINATION n Lut uncle according to 1 Ch S^-^a^-^. J03. follows Chronicles in Ant. VI. iv. 3, but Samuel in VI. vi. 6. The lan;,'uage used of liini by David, 'Art not thou a valiant man, and who is like to thee in Israel?' (1 S 26"); 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel ?

' (- S 3*), is not inconsistent with the re- corded facts of Abner's life, although the one speech was uttered in a tone of banter, and the other possibly dictated by motives of policy. As captain of the host (1 S 14"^ 17"), Abner sat ne.\t Saul at the banquet (I S 20°), and lay near him in the camp (26°-'). A Jewish tradition (Jerome, Qu. lleb. in loc.) states that the witch of Endor was Abner's mother.

On Saul's death Abner secured for Ishbosheth the allegiance of all the tribes except Judah (2 S 2«-"'). He placed the feeble king at Mahanaim, while he himself conducted the war with David west of Jordan. One of the battles — tliat of the pool of Gibeon — is detailed on account of its fatal results. Here we have evidence of Abner's comparative mildness of character.

It is possible that the preliminary encounter of the champions of the two armies was suggested by him in order to decide the claims of the rival houses without unnecessary bloodshed. Then we have his reiterated reluctance to slay Asahel, and, finally, his protest against the unnaturalness of the war : ' Shall the sword devour for ever ? . How long shall it be ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren ?

' As the war proceeded in David's favour ' Abner made liimself strong in the house of Saul ' (2 S 3°). This rendering lends some plausibility to Ishbosh- eth's insinuation that he was aiming at the crown by a liaison with the late king's concubine (cf. 2 S 12^ le^i, 1 K 2"»). The indignation, however, with which Abner repelled the charge, and the absence of self-seeking in his subsequent conduct, support the paraphrase of AV and KVm, 'showed himself strong for (^) the house of Saul.'

Bo that as it may, the accusation alienated Abner, who forthwith declared that he would accomplisli J"'s will by making David king over all Israel. Ho entered at once into ne^otia- tions both with David and the elders of Israel and Benjamin. David, on liLs part, astutely demanded as a preliminary the restitution of Alichal, who would be at once a link with the house of Saul and a living memorial of David's early prowess.

Ishbosheth's shadowy authority wa-s made use of to carry out this con<lition. Abner was now hospitably entertained by David at Hebron, and haa scarcely departed to fulfil his engagements to David when Joab returned from a foray. Asahel's death was still unavenged ; here was a i)lausible pretext for ridding himself of a dangerous rival ; so Joab secretly recalled Abner, and with the connivance of Abi.shai treacherously murdered liim in the gate of Hebron, a city of refuge.

The enormity of this crime called n)rth from David a bitter curse (2 S 3^) on the periietrator, and was never forgotten by him (1 k 2^-"). Abner was buried in Hebron, amidst the lamentations of the nation. The king himself acted as chief mourner, and honoured the dead warrior with an elegy which pithily expre.sses the strange irony of fate by which the princely Abner died a deatli suitable to a pro- fane and worthless man. {Heb. ' was A. to die [i.e. ought he to have died] as Nabal dictli ?')

The dismay caused by Abner's (Icath (2 S 4') seems to prove that neither Ishboslieth nor his subjects in general had realised Abner's defection. The inevitable crisis was hastened, and by a curious chance the liead of the murdered Ishbosheth was buried in Abner's grave (2 S 4"). We learn from the Chronicler that Abner dedicated certain spoil for the repairs of the tabernacle (1 Ch 20'"), and tliat his son Jaasiel was captain of Benjamin in David's reign (1 Ch 27'"). N. J. D. White.