Following the death of King Saul in battle, the kingdom stands on the brink of division. While the tribe of Judah throws its support behind David, Saul's cousin and army commander, Abner, takes the initiative to preserve the old royal dynasty. He steps forward to crown Saul's surviving son, Ish-bosheth, over the remaining Israelite tribes [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Ish-bosheth had likely stayed behind during the recent war, allowing him to survive the conflict [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Abner is fully aware that the prophet Samuel has already anointed David as the next king, yet he still makes a great effort to establish the house of Saul [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. His motivation stems from a specific understanding of a past divine promise. When God told Jacob that kings would descend from him, the patriarch's youngest son, Benjamin, had not yet been born. From this, Abner deduces that the tribe of Benjamin is destined to produce at least two kings. Because Saul is the only king to have emerged from Benjamin so far, Abner concludes that there is an absolute obligation to appoint a second king from the same tribe [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל].
To secure this new government, Abner relocates the center of power across the Jordan River to the city of Mahanaim. This move is driven by several strategic reasons. First, the original territory of the tribe of Benjamin is dangerously close to the Philistine front, whereas Mahanaim offers Ish-bosheth a necessary measure of safety [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Second, Mahanaim is a highly suitable location for a coronation [מצודת דוד], sitting at a central point on the border between the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh [רד״ק, אברבנאל].
Furthermore, the residents of the surrounding Gilead region are known for their deep love and loyalty toward Saul [מלבי״ם]. This area also shares historical family ties with the tribe of Benjamin, dating back to the events of the concubine at Gibeah [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. From this protected and supportive base, Abner begins a gradual coronation process. He first crowns Ish-bosheth over the region of Gilead and then slowly expands his authority from place to place, eventually establishing his rule over the rest of Israel [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].