Abner
Abner, the son of Ner, was King Saul's cousin and the commander of his army; he later supported Saul's son Ish-bosheth as king before defecting to David.
Abner was the commander of Saul's army and a powerful figure in the transition from Saul's dynasty to David's united monarchy. After Saul's death, he supported Ish-bosheth as king over Israel, fighting a prolonged civil war against David's forces led by Joab (2 Samuel 2–3). When he defected to David's side after a falling-out with Ish-bosheth, David received him warmly and promised to make him a powerful ally in unifying Israel. However, Joab, whose brother Asahel Abner had killed in battle, lured Abner aside privately and stabbed him fatally at the gate of Hebron (2 Samuel 3:27). David mourned publicly and genuinely, composing a lament for Abner and distancing himself from Joab's act, recognizing that Abner's death had complicated the path to national unity.