ח וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ שְׁלִישִׁי שֶׁהוּא הוֹרֵג שְׁלֹשָׁה הָאוֹמְרוֹ וְהַמְקַבְּלוֹ וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָלָיו. וּבִימֵי שָׁאוּל נֶהֶרְגּוּ אַרְבָּעָה דּוֹאֵג שֶׁאָמְרוֹ שָׁאוּל שֶׁקִּיבְּלוֹ אֲחִימֵלֵךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָלָיו וְאַבְנֵר. אַבְנֵר לָמָּה נֶהֱרַג. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ וְרַבָּנִין. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר עַל שֶׁעָשָׂה דָמָן שֶׁל נְעָרִים שְׂחוֹק שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וְיִשְׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר יָקוּמוּ. וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ עַל שֶׁהִקְדִּים שְׁמוֹ לִשְׁמוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד הַהוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּשְׁלַח אַבְנֵר מַלְאָכִים אֶל דָּוִד תַּחְתָּיו לֵאמֹר לְמִי הָאָרֶץ. כָּתַב מִן אַבְנֵר לְדָוִד. וְרַבָּנִין אָמְרִין עַל שֶׁלֹּא הִנִּיחַ לְשָׁאוּל לְהִתְפַּיֵיס מִן דָּוִד. הַהוּא דִּכְתִיב וְאָבִי רְאֵה גַּם רְאֵה אֶת כְּנַף מְעִילְךָ בְיָדִי. אֵמַר לֵיהּ מַה אַתְּ בְּעִי מִן גוּלְגְלוֹי דְּהַדֵּין בְּסִירָה הוּעֲרָת. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ לְמַעֲגַל אָמַר לֵיהּ הֲלֹא תַעֲנֶה אַבְנֵר. גַּבֵּי כָּנָף אָמְרָת בְּסִירָה הוּעֲרָת חֲנִית וְצַפַּחַת בְּסִירָה הוּעֲרוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה סִפֵּיקָה בְיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת בְּנוֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים וְלֹא מִיחֶה.
8 Why is it called “triple?” Because it kills three: The one who says it, the one who accepts it, and the one calumniated. And in the days of Saul, four were killed: Doeg who said it, Saul who accepted it, Aḥimelekh who was calumniated, and Abner. Why was Abner killed? Rebbi Joshua ben Levi, Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish, and the rabbis. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, because he made fun of the lives of his squires as it is said (<i>2Sam.</i> 2:14): “Let the squires get up and play before us, and Joab said, let them get up.” R. Simeon ben Laqish, because he prefaced his name before that of David; that is what is written (<i>2Sam.</i> 3:12) “Abner sent messengers to David the underling, saying: Whose is the land?” He wrote: From Abner to David. The rabbis say, because he did not let Shaul make peace with David. That is what is written (<i>1Sam.</i> 24:5): “My father, see, but see the corner of your coat in my hand!” He said to him, what do you want from the prattling of this one, it was torn off by thorns. But when they came to the circle, he said to him (<i>1Sam.</i> 26:14): “Can you answer, Abner?” About the corner, you said it was torn off by a thorn; were spear and pitcher cut off by a thorn? But some say, because he had it in his power to intervene for Nob, the city of priests, and he did not intervene.