אֲבִינֵר H0074
Abner -- 'my father is Ner (a lamp)'; Saul's cousin and commander of his army
Abner (also spelled Aviner in its longer form at 1 Sam 14:50) is a proper masculine name meaning 'my father is Ner' or possibly 'my father is a lamp,' recalling the epithet 'lamp of Israel' applied to David (2 Sam 21:17). He was Saul's cousin and the commander of the Israelite army, playing a pivotal role in the transition from Saul's house to David's kingship. After Saul's death, Abner installed Ish-bosheth as rival king (2 Sam 2:8-10), then defected to David before being treacherously murdered by Joab (2 Sam 3:27). His 63 occurrences are concentrated in 1-2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Every target language preserves the name: Spanish Abner, French Abner, German Abner.
Senses
1. Abner (personal name) — The proper name of Saul's cousin and army commander, son of Ner (1 Sam 14:50-51). Abner is a key figure in the contested succession after Saul's death: he champions Ish-bosheth's claim (2 Sam 2:8), later negotiates defection to David (2 Sam 3:12), and is killed by Joab in blood revenge (2 Sam 3:27). The name appears in both shorter (Abner) and longer (Abiner) spellings without semantic difference. Spanish Abner, French Abner, and German Abner all preserve it identically, confirming a single proper-noun sense across 63 occurrences. 63×
AR["أبنيرَ", "أبنيرُ", "أَبْنَير", "أَبْنِير", "أَبْنِيرَ", "أَبْنِيرُ", "يا-أبنيرُ"]·ben["অবনের", "অবনেরের", "অব্নের", "অব্নেরের"]·DE["Abner"]·EN["Abner", "Avner"]·FR["Abner"]·heb["אבנר"]·HI["अबनेर", "अबनेर-ने", "अबनेर-से", "अबनेरने", "अब्नेर", "अब्नेर-के", "अब्नेर-ने"]·ID["Abner"]·IT["Abner"]·jav["Abnèr", "Abnér"]·KO["아브넬", "아브넬이", "아브니르", "아브니르가"]·PT["'Avner", "Avner"]·RU["Авенир", "Авениру", "Авнер", "Авнера", "Авнером", "Авнеру"]·ES["Abner", "Avner"]·SW["Abneri"]·TR["Avner", "Avner'e", "Avner-e"]·urd["ابنیر", "ابنیر-نے", "ابنیر-کے"]
1 Sam 17:55, 1 Sam 17:55, 1 Sam 17:55, 1 Sam 17:57, 1 Sam 20:25, 1 Sam 26:5, 1 Sam 26:7, 1 Sam 26:14, 1 Sam 26:14, 1 Sam 26:14, 1 Sam 26:15, 2 Sam 2:12 (+38 more)
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אֲבִינֵר n.pr.m. (my father is Nêr, or is a lamp cf. 2 S 21:17; according to LagBN 75 = אֲבֶן (= בֶּן) + נֵר = son of Ner; cf. 𝔊 Ἀβεννηρ)—so only 1 S 14:50, elsewhere אַבְנֵר—cousin of Saul, and captain of his host 1 S 14:50, 51; 17:55(×3) + 52 times 1 & 2 S + 1 K 2:5, 32 1 Ch 26:28; 27:21.