דברי הימים א, פרק ח׳, פסוק ל״ג

Tracing the family tree of King Saul offers a window into the political and familial networks that shaped his reign. By mapping his ancestors and descendants, a clearer picture emerges of the loyalties that defined his court. For instance, this lineage explains the deep, special bond between Saul and his army commander, Abner son of Ner, revealing that the two men were close relatives [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Looking at Saul's ancestry, a historical puzzle arises regarding his grandfather. The record notes that Ner fathered Kish, Saul's father, yet the Book of Samuel lists Kish's father as Abiel. The primary approach among commentators is that Ner and Abiel are actually the same person, who was also known as the father of Gibeon or Jeiel [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. According to ancient tradition, his original name was Abiel, but he earned the nickname Ner, meaning lamp, because of his dedication to public service. He would regularly light lamps to brighten dark alleyways for the people. It was the merit of this quiet act of kindness that eventually won the royal crown for his grandson, Saul, even though the right to kingship naturally belonged to the tribe of Judah [רד״ק, חומת אנך]. Other perspectives exist to resolve the differing names. Some suggest that Ner and Kish were actually brothers, and Ner simply named his own son Kish after his brother. Another possibility is that Abiel named his son Ner after himself. In this view, this younger Ner became the father of Abner, whose very name hints at the phrase "my father, his name is Ner" [רד״ק].

Moving to the next generation, Saul's sons played pivotal roles in the history of Israel. Leading them is Jonathan, a central and famous figure from the era of his father's rule [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The second son, Abinadab, is widely identified with the son named Ishvi in the Book of Samuel, though he is remembered as Abinadab in the historical accounts of his death in battle [רד״ק]. The final son listed is Eshbaal. Commentators agree that this is the same man known as Ish-bosheth, who briefly ruled over Israel after Saul died. The difference in his name reflects a broader biblical practice of refusing to speak the name of the idol Baal. To avoid giving honor to the idol, the word Baal was deliberately replaced with Bosheth, a term denoting shame. This pattern appears with other leaders as well, such as Gideon, who was called both Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, and Jonathan's son, known as both Merib-baal and Mephibosheth [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While the main approach equates the aforementioned Ishvi with Abinadab, an alternative opinion suggests that Ishvi was actually just another name for Eshbaal [מצודת דוד].