Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog’s head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?
Then Abner became furious at Ishbosheth's words and said, 'Am I just a worthless dog that you can treat this way? I've been loyal to Judah and shown kindness to your father Saul's family, his relatives, and his friends. I haven't handed you over to David, yet today you're accusing me of doing wrong with this woman?'
Abner is angrily defending himself against Ishbosheth's accusation, reminding him of all his loyalty and asking why he's being treated so poorly after everything he's done.
📚 Historical Context
After King Saul's death, his general Abner had made Saul's son Ishbosheth king over Israel while David ruled Judah. Ishbosheth had just accused Abner of sleeping with one of Saul's concubines, which was considered a serious political offense that could be seen as a claim to the throne. This confrontation would lead to Abner switching sides and supporting David instead.
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