The Murders of Abner and Ish-Bosheth: 3:6–11  Although Ish-Bosheth was titular head of the northern tribes and Abner seemingly made no attempt to change that, real power centered around Abner. The fate of the country lay in his hands, and verse 6 implies that he took action to ensure that this remained the case. It is not surprising that Ish-Bosheth, who seems to have left all the decision making to his general (3:8–17), felt threatened by Abner (v. 11). Whether or not Abner had a relationship with Saul’s concubine Rizpah, the phrasing of Ish-Bosheth’s accusation is significant. To take over the wife of a previous monarch was tantamount to claiming his throne, and Ish-Bosheth was accusing Abner of disloyalty. Abner, who had been loyal to Saul and his house, saw the accusation as an unaccep…