2 Samuel 3:19 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 3:19 mean?

2 Samuel 3:19 describes Abner seeking support from Benjamin and then reporting to David in Hebron what Israel and Benjamin favored. Abner acts as a go-between, carrying word of their willingness to accept David as king.

The phrase “in the ears of” pictures direct speech to the people addressed. After speaking with Israel’s elders in verse 17, Abner approaches Benjamin separately. That attention matters because Saul’s family, whose rule David was replacing, belonged to Benjamin.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 3:19

• “ears” — אֹזֶן (ʾozen): The word means “ear.” In the phrase “spake in the ears of,” it forms a Hebrew way of saying that Abner spoke directly to his listeners.
• “seemed” — עַיִן (ʿayin): This word can mean “eye.” Here the wording translated “seemed good” presents the matter as good in the people’s eyes: it describes what they considered favorable.

Why 2 Samuel 3:19 matters

• Benjamin receives special attention, even though it was part of Israel. The verse names “the whole house of Benjamin” alongside Israel, highlighting the support of Saul’s own tribe.
• Abner’s report concerns what the people favored, not merely his own wishes. The verse says he went to David with “all that seemed good to Israel” and to Benjamin.
• Abner’s words to David prepare for a further meeting. In verse 20, Abner comes to David at Hebron with twenty men, and David gives them a feast.