In the Hebrew Bible, Abner was the cousin of King Saul and the commander-in-chief of his army. His name also appears as אבינר בן נר‎ "Abiner son of Ner", where the longer form Abiner means "my father is Ner".

Saul was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BC, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered tribal society ruled by various judges to organized statehood.