Bible Strands
2 Samuel 3:28
Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David speaks publicly after hearing that Joab murdered Abner in Hebron. He addresses his court and the nation at the moment he learns of the assassination.
The words — נָקִי (na.Ki) translates to "innocent" or "guiltless," and אָנֹכִי (a.no.Khi) means "I." David uses these terms to declare his personal and royal innocence regarding Abner’s death.
The thread — The theme of blood guilt runs through Genesis 4:10, where a brother’s blood cries out from the ground, and Genesis 9:6, which mandates that shed blood be requited by man. Numbers 35:33 further warns that bloodshed pollutes the land and demands atonement.
Why it lands — The text forces readers to distinguish between personal responsibility and the actions of subordinates, showing that authority does not automatically transfer guilt. It requires acknowledging that political necessity does not erase moral accountability, even when justice is delayed.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
Cross-references
- Numbers 35:33 Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
- Genesis 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
- Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
- Exodus 21:12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- Deuteronomy 21:1 If one is found slain, lying in a field in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,
- Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”