The Second Book of Samuel, otherwise called the Second Book of the Kings
2 Samuel 2
Chapter II · Vol. II, pp. 677–678
1 David, by God's direction, with his company goeth up to Hebron, where he is made king over Judah. 5 He commendeth the men of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness to Saul. 8 Abner maketh Ishbosheth king of Israel. 12 A mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men. 18 Asahel is slain. 25 At Abner's motion Joab soundeth a retreat. 32 Asahel's burial.
1 And it came to pass after this, that David ainquired of the LORD,1 saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.b
B.C. 1055.
a Nu.27.21. Ju.1.1,2; 20.18,23,27. ch.5.19,23. 1 Sa.23.2,4,9; 30.7,8. Eze.36.37. Ezr.8.21.
1 He inquired by means of the high-priest.—C.
b Ge.23.2. Nu.13.22. Jos.10.3; 14.14,15. Lu.1.39. 1 Sa.30.31.
2 So David went up thither, and chis two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife, the Carmelite.
c 1 Sa.25.42,43; 30.5; 27.3. 2 Ti.2.12. Lu.22.28,29.
3 And dhis men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his 2household: and they dwelt ein the cities of Hebron.
A.M. 2949. B.C. 1055.
d 1 Ch.12.1,&c. 1 Sa.22.4; 27.2; 30.10.
2 A chief of banditti would have had a train unencumbered with families. David was not a bandit, he was the legally anointed successor of Saul, and his army a regular community with their wives and children.—C.
e Jos.21.11,12, i.e. the suburbs or cities around.
4 Andf the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That gthe men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
f Ge.49.8-10. ch.19.11,42. 1 Sa.30.26-31.
g 1 Sa.31.11-13, with 11.1-11. 1 Ch.10.11,12.
5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead,3 and said unto them, hBlessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
3 A town on the east of Jordan, in the half tribe of Manasseh.—C.
h Ru.1.8; 2.20; 3.10. Ge.24.31.
6 And inow the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and kI also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7 Therefore lnow let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant:4 for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
l ch.10.12. 1 Sa.4.9. 1 Co.16.13. Ep.6.10. 2 Ti.2.1.
4 Heb. the sons of valour.
8 But mAbner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,5 took nIsh-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to oMahanaim;6
m 1 Sa.14.50; 17.55; 26.14,15. ch.3.17.
5 Heb. the host which was Saul's.
n Esh-baal, 1 Ch.8.33. ver.15.
o Ge.32.2. Jos.21.38. ch.17.26,27.
6 A city situated on the Jabbok, east of Jordan. It was so called from Jacob's vision of the two angelic hosts, Ge. 32. 2. No trace of its ruins now remains, though it must have been a place of considerable strength, as it was the retreat of David, an accomplished warrior, during the rebellion of Absalom, 2 Sa. xvii. xviii.—C.
9 And he made him king over pGilead, and over the qAshurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over 7all Israel.8
p Nu.21.24,35; xxxii. De.3.12-17. Jos.13.9-21.
7 All except the tribe of Judah.
8 The occasional distinction between Israel and Judah had begun long before this period.—C.
10 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned rtwo years: but the house of Judah followed David.
r Before the war, ver.12.
11 (And sthe time9 that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.)
s ch.5.5. 1 Ki.2.11. 1 Ch.29.27; 3.4.
9 Heb. number of days.
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out1 from Mahanaim to tGibeon.2
13 And uJoab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met xtogether by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and yplay before us.3 And Joab said, Let them arise.
A.M. cir. 2950. B.C. cir. 1054.
y ver.16,17,26. Pr.12.10; 10.23; 26.18.
3 So it ever has been, since sin entered into the world, that the infliction of mutual injury or death has been matter of sport to the spectators. We wonder little at such a circumstance in the rude and unsettled times from which Israel was but emerging: we wonder little at it amongst the gladiators of heathen Rome: but that remnants of it should still linger in Christian lands, is both matter of wonder, sorrow, and deep humiliation. C.——The leaders, no doubt, met with hostile intent, but the men on each side felt they were countrymen, and were reluctant to fight. The two generals, therefore, thought of a device which has often been employed in the East and elsewhere, to excite them to battle, when relationship or other causes made them unwilling to engage. Twelve men were matched to fight against each other, and so well matched, that they all fell by each others' hand, which exasperated the opposing forces into a general action.—I.
15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ish-boshethz the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head,4 and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,5 which is in Gibeon.
4 Doubtless 'by the hair of the head, or the beard.' Plutarch in his Apothegms relates, that all things being ready for a battle, Alexander's generals asked him whether he had any further commands. 'Nothing,' said he, 'unless that the Macedonians shave their beards.' When Parmenio expressed surprise at this order, 'Dost thou not know,' said he, 'that in fight there is no better hold than the beard?'—I.
5 That is, the field of strong men, or rocks.
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was abeaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
18 And there were bthree sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was cas light of foot as a wild 6roe.7
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left dfrom following Abner.
d Heb. from after Abner, Ec.6.10.
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.
21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his earmour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.
e Garment or spoil, Ju.14.19.
22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should If smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?8
8 Asahel was young and brave, and the generous veteran has no wish to slay him. His reference to Joab does not seem the dictate of fear, but of respect for the brotherly feelings of a high-minded enemy. How merciful, that even amidst the horrors of war, there are kindly and noble feelings by which those horrors are often mitigated or counteracted.—C.
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him gunder the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
g ch.3.27; 4.6; 20.10.
24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.h
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.9
9 The dispersed Benjamites were collected and re-formed in order of battle.—C.
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then ere thou bid the people return ifrom following their brethren?
A.M. cir. 2950. B.C. cir. 1054.
i ver.19. Ac.7.26.
27 And Joab said, As God liveth, kunless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning1 the people had2 gone up every one from 3following his brother.4
k ver.14. Pr.17.14; 15.1; 6.18,19.
1 Heb. from the morning.
2 Heb. gone away.
3 That is, from following his brother to death.—Note, Intestine or civil wars are generally the most inveterate. In which respect, the conduct of Joab and Abner affords a valuable lesson in such lamentable circumstances. The one offers, and the other accepts, terms of reconciliation, or at least of truce; then separate in peace.—Lord! when shall swords be beaten into pruning hooks! when shall we learn war no more!—C.
4 The meaning is, 'If thou hadst not spoken, i.e. challenged to single combat at the pool of Gibeon, the people would have gone away in the morning, every one from his brother.' Joab throws the whole blame upon Abner, who was the first to give the challenge, and as that was not successful, the bloody battle followed.—P.
28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night5 through the plain,6 and passed over Jordan, and went through all lBithron, and they came to mMahanaim.
5 Not from any fear of an attack from Joab, but because, in warm climates, the night is the most common and most comfortable time for walking.—C.
6 'Through the Arabah,' i.e. the valley of the Jordan, crossing the river which flows down the centre of it in a deep winding channel.—P.
l Ca.2.17.
30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
Notes
Reflections.—It is proper to commence every important project with solemn prayer to God. Such as wait upon God for direction shall be led in the right way to their kingdom; but ordinarily their advancement is gradual. Such as shared with us in our sufferings should share with us in our honours. If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him. Kindness to our friends, or even injurious predecessors in office, ought to be considered as an obligation conferred on ourselves. It is not enough to praise such as have well deserved; they should, if possible, be recompensed. And to have those for our friends whose fidelity to others have been tried is a valuable acquisition. Through great tribulation saints must arrive at their honours, and especially their heavenly throne! But how inhuman the heart to which murder and bloodshed are a sport! False notions of honour are part of the wiles which Satan uses for the destruction of mankind. And they who are forward to rush on bloodshed and war have ordinarily reason to repent their rashness before it is concluded. The qualifications that render us proud and wilful are commonly the means of our ruin. And often, when we seem ready to grasp the prize of happiness, death stops our career, and lays our big swollen hopes and honour in the dust. But even in war human blood should be spared as much as possible. Life, once lost, can never be recovered.