Having heard that Abner had slept with his father’s (Saul’s) concubine, Ish-bosheth had to make a difficult choice. If he left the matter and did not speak up, then he would be shamed for not protecting his father’s women and he would implicitly acknowledge that Abner was king.1 He also allowed for the prospect of a child being born who could have a claim to the kingdom. By confronting Abner, he acted in a way that a king ought to behave. However, this was risky because Abner was in control of his military force, and Ish-bosheth did not have any real authority over him.
7 Or Saül avait eu une concubine, nommée Ritspa, fille d'Ajja. Et Isch-Boscheth dit à Abner: Pourquoi es-tu venu vers la concubine de mon père?