2 Samuel 3:25

25 You know Aviner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.

2 Samuel 3:25 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 3:25

Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner
Thou canst not be ignorant what a cunning deceitful man he is, nor of his designs; or dost thou not know? art thou ignorant? so read the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, with an interrogation:

that he came to deceive thee:
with false hopes, or to lead into wrong measures with an intention to involve and ruin him:

and to know thy going out, and coming in;
the affairs of his court, the secrets of his government, to observe his conduct and behaviour, and all his actions, and improve them against him:

and to know all that thou doest;
he suggests that he came not as a friend, but as a spy, and therefore ought to have been taken up, and detained, and not dismissed. This Joab said to set David against him, fearing, if he should be received into favour, he would be a rival of his; and besides his breast was full of revenge against him for the death of his brother.

2 Samuel 3:25 In-Context

23 When Yo'av and all the host who was with him had come, they told Yo'av, saying, Aviner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in shalom.

24 Then Yo'av came to the king, and said, What have you done? behold, Aviner came to you; why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?

25 You know Aviner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.

26 When Yo'av was come out from David, he sent messengers after Aviner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but David didn't know it.

27 When Aviner was returned to Hevron, Yo'av took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of `Asa'el his brother.