But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth. Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner. "Ish-bosheth" - or Esh-baal
(i:e., man of Baal), 1 Chronicles 8:33; 1 Chronicles 9:39. The Hebrews usually changed names ending with Baal into Bosheth (shame): cf. Judges 9:53 with 2 Samuel 11:11. This prince, being not mentioned with the other sons of Saul (1 Samuel 14:40), was probably not born until his father had violated his duty as a theocratic king, and the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him, (1 Samuel 15:1-35.) Esh-baal was the proper name of this young son, while Ish-bosheth (man of shame) was a popular nickname, most probably applied to him, as bosheth, shame, abomination, is uniformly in the sacred writings, with reference to the idol after whom he was called (cf. Judges 6:32 with 2 Samuel 11:21). The name of this son seems to warrant the inference that Saul became in his latter days an unhappy apostate to the worship of Baal (see the note at 1 Chronicles 8:34). "Abner" was first cousin of Saul, commander of the forces, and held in high respect throughout the country. Loyalty to the house of his late master was mixed up with opposition to David, and views of personal ambition in his originating this factious movement. He, too, was alive to the importance of securing the Eastern tribes; so, taking Ish-bosheth across the Jordan, he proclaimed him king at Mahanaim, a town on the north bank of the Jabbok, hallowed in patriarchal times by the divine presence (Genesis 32:2). There he rallied the tribes round the standard of the unfortunate son of Saul; and he judged rightly that the interests of the Sauline dynasty would be strongest in the region east of the Jordan.