1 Samuel 14:50

1Sa 14:50 And the name of Saul’s wife [was] Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host [was] Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

Ver. 50. And the name of Saul’s wife.] We read but of this one wife that Saul had: and this some: {a} do number among his virtues, that he multiplied not wives, according to Deu 17:17. Howbeit, he had a concubine, Rizpah, and children by her, which for their father’s fault were hanged in David’s days.

{a} Pellican.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:50 Ahinoam is mentioned only here in Saul’s story. In 25:43, David marries a woman also called Ahinoam (who might or might not have been the same person; cp. 2 Sam 12:8).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Whom Joab the captain of David slew, 2 Sam. 3:27.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(50) Saul’s wife.—In accordance with a usual practice, the name of the most prominent of the family and royal household of the king are given. We know nothing of Saul’s queen besides her name. It has been surmised that she was of the family of Eli, the high priest, owing to the Ah (brother) entering into her name and that of her father, Ahimaaz, as this compound was apparently the favourite prefix to names in this great and renowned house. The simplicity and modesty of the king’s domestic habits is evident. Ewald thinks from this circumstance that he had only this one wife and one concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, afterwards so famous for her sad misfortunes and for her devoted love to her ill-fated children. (See 2Sa_21:8-12.)

The captain of his host was Abner.—This “cousin”—or, as some have understood the sentence, the uncle—of King Saul was evidently a man of rare powers and ability. The brilliant campaigns of this reign were, no doubt, in no small measure owing to the military skill of this great commander. After the terrible disaster on Mount Gilboa, Abner was the mainstay of the house of the dead King Saul, and when he died the generous David followed the bier, and lamented over him with a lamentation which has come down to us in words ever memorable: “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel.” His son Jaasiel was subsequently allowed the first place in the tribe of Benjamin. (See 1Ch_27:21.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

50. Abner the son of Ner Saul’s uncle] Grammatically, “Saul’s uncle” might refer either to Abner or to Ner, but it is almost certain that it must refer to the latter, so that Saul and Abner were first cousins. 1Sa_14:51 should be read, according to Josephus, “And Kish the father of Saul and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel.” It is true that the genealogies in 1Ch_8:33; 1Ch_9:39 make Ner the grandfather of Saul and consequently Abner Saul’s uncle: but (a) Ner is not mentioned among Saul’s ancestors in ch. 1Sa_9:1, and (b) it is difficult to suppose that Abner who was in full vigour for seven years after Saul’s death (2 Samuel 2, 3) could have belonged to the generation above him. There is probably some confusion of the names in Chronicles.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz,.... Who very probably was the mother of all the above children, and therefore taken notice of; and Abarbinel conjectures that Ishbosheth was not a son of her's, but the son of Saul by another wife, and which he takes to be another reason why he is not mentioned here; but though Saul had a concubine, we nowhere read of his having another wife:

and the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle; not Abner, but Ner, was Saul's uncle; for Kish the father of Saul, and Ner, were brothers, as Josephus (p) says, and as appears from the next verse; and Abner was first cousin to Saul, whom he raised and advanced to be captain of his army, and a very valiant man he was: we hear of him again in this history, and in the beginning of David's reign.

(p) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 6. c. 6. sect. 5.)

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The only other “Ahimaaz” mentioned in Scripture was the son of Zadok the priest. The word “Ahi” (brother) is frequently found in composition in names in the High Priest’s family, e. g. in Ahijah, Ahimelech. It is not improbable that Ahimaaz may have been of this family, as marriages between the reval and priestly houses were not unusual 2Ki 11:2; 2Ch 22:11, and perhaps it may have been owing to such a connection that Ahijah was brought into prominence by Saul. If there be any truth in the above supposition, it would be an indication that Saul was not married until after his election to the throne.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Achinoam. After he came to the throne, he had Respha, 2 Kings iii. 7. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Saul"s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. We have noticed on ver. 3 the fondness of the family of Eli for names beginning with Ah, "brother." It does not justify us in concluding that Ahinoam was a descendant of Eli, but she may possibly have been so. Abner, whose name is here given in its strictly proper form, Abiner, was Saul"s first cousin, both Kish and Ner being sons of Abiel. (comp. 1Sa_9:1)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Avineir the son of Neir. Neir was Shaul's uncle, the brother of Kish, and both were the sons of Avieil. Aviei was also known as Neir, in Divrei Hayomim, because he would light candles for the public in the dark streets.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.