In his answer to Ish-bosheth, Abner made it clear that his loyalty to Saul and his house was not to be questioned. Any claims that he was treasonous are unfounded and offensive to him.1 He also trivialized his actions with regards to Rizpah when he referred to her as a woman
as if she had no agency or value.2
8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman.