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2 Samuel
Chapter Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 2
This
chapter relates that David, upon inquiring of the Lord, was directed to go up
to Hebron, and did, where he was anointed king of Judah, 2 Samuel 2:1. And
that being told of the kindness of the men of Jabeshgilead in burying Saul, he
sent them thanks, and promised to remember it, and took the opportunity to let
them know he was anointed king over Judah, 2 Samuel 2:5. It
also relates that Abner set up Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, to be king over
Israel, 2 Samuel 2:8; and
that there was an encounter between twelve of Abner's men and twelve of
David's, which brought on a sore battle between them, in which Abner was
beaten, 2 Samuel 2:12; and
Asahel, who was of David's party, was slain in the pursuit by Abner, 2 Samuel 2:18; when
a retreat was sounded by Joab, at the influence of Abner, who, with his wen,
betook themselves to Mahanaim, where he had left Ishbosheth, 2 Samuel 2:26. And
the chapter closes with an account of the slain on both sides, the burial of
Asahel, and the return of Joab with David's men to Hebron, 2 Samuel 2:30.
2 Samuel 2:1 It
happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying,
“Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him,
“Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.”
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
afterwards, that David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `Do I go up into one of the
cities of Judah?' and Jehovah saith unto him, `Go up.' And David saith,
`Whither do I go up?' and He saith, `To Hebron.'
And it came to pass after this,.... After David had heard
of the death of Saul and Jonathan, and made a lamentation over them, perhaps
the next day; since David and his men are only said to mourn, and weep, and
fast till even, 2 Samuel 1:10,
that David inquired of the Lord; of the Word of the Lord,
as the Targum, by Abiathar the priest, and through the Urim and Thummim, in the
ephod he had put on on this occasion:
saying, shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? though the
Lord had promised him the kingdom, and he had been anointed by Samuel by his
appointment, yet he was not hasty to take it into his hands, but was desirous
of acting according to the will of God, and by his direction, and wait his time
when and where he should go and take possession of it; he mentions Judah
because it was his own tribe, and where he had the most friends:
and the Lord said unto him, go up; from Ziklag into the
tribe of Judah, but did not mention any particular place whither he should go;
hence another question was put:
and David said, whither shall I go up? To what town
or city in the tribe of Judah? whether Jerusalem or any other?
And he said, unto Hebron; a city of the priests, a
city of refuge, Joshua 21:13,
twenty miles from Jerusalem, or more, which is not directed to, because it was
then chiefly in the hands of the Jebusites, and because, as Procopius Gazaeus
says, Hebron was now the metropolis of Judah.
2 Samuel 2:2 2 So David went up there,
and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of
Nabal the Carmelite.
YLT
2And David goeth up thither,
and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the
Carmelite;
So David went up thither,.... From Ziklag to
Hebron, which was sixteen miles according to BuntingF25Ut supra,
(Travels &c.) p. 137. .
and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail,
Nabal's wife, the Carmelite; who were beloved by him, and who had shared
with him in his troubles, and which he took with him to partake of his honour
and grandeur, wealth and riches; in which he was now a type of Christ. See Romans 8:17.
2 Samuel 2:3 3 And David brought up the
men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in
the cities of Hebron.
YLT
3and his men who [are] with
him hath David brought up -- a man and his household -- and they dwell in the
cities of Hebron.
And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with
his household,.... They and their families, and no doubt provided well for them
when he was settled on the throne, who had shown themselves to be his faithful
friends, closely attached to his interest, and had run the risk of their all on
his account. See Matthew 19:28.
And they dwelt in the cities of Hebron; in the towns
and villages about it; for that itself being a city of refuge, and inhabited by
priests, there was not room enough for all David's men, who were now
increasing, persons from various tribes flocking to him. See 1 Chronicles 12:1.
2 Samuel 2:4 4 Then the men of Judah
came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told
David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.”
YLT
4And the men of Judah come,
and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to
David, saying, `The men of Jabesh-Gilead [are] they who buried Saul.'
And the men of Judah came,.... The inhabitants of
the tribe of Judah came from the several parts of it to Hebron, that is, the
principal of them, the elders of each city:
and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah; they did not
take upon them to make him king over all Israel, but left the rest of the
tribes to act for themselves; and no doubt in this they had the mind of David,
who was not willing to force himself upon the people at once, but by degrees
get the whole government into his hands, as Providence should make his way;
these men knew the kingdom was promised to their tribe, from Genesis 49:10; and
were quite clear in what they did, and, without question, knew that David had
been anointed by Samuel: but as that anointing was only a declaration of the
Lord's choice of him, and of his will that he should be king after Saul's
death, he is again anointed by the people, as an inauguration into his office:
and they told David, saying, that the men of Jabeshgilead were
they that buried Saul. It is highly probable, that as soon as
David was anointed king, the first thing he thought of was to inquire after the
body of the late king, and give it an honourable interment, and upon inquiry
was told that the men of Jabeshgilead had buried him already. See 1 Samuel 31:11.
2 Samuel 2:5 5 So David sent messengers
to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have
shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.
YLT
5And David sendeth
messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and saith unto them, `Blessed [are]
ye of Jehovah, in that ye have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul,
that ye bury him.
And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead,.... To return
them thanks for their courage and boldness in rescuing the bodies of Saul and
his sons out of the hands of the Philistines, and for their civility in the
burial of them:
and said unto them, blessed be ye of the Lord; which may be
considered either as a wish, the Lord bless you for it, or as a prediction, the
Lord will bless you:
that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto
Saul,
and have buried him. To bury the dead, with
the Jews, was always reckoned an instance of humanity and kindness, and indeed
of piety; an act done in imitation of GodF26T. Bab. Bava Metzia,
fol. 32. 2. and Sotah, fol. 14. 1. , who buried Moses, and so it might be
expected the divine blessing would attend it.
2 Samuel 2:6 6 And now may the Lord show kindness
and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done
this thing.
YLT
6`And, now, Jehovah doth
with you kindness and truth, and also, I do with you this good because ye have
done this thing;
And now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you,.... Or true
kindness; confer real favours, bestow upon you good and substantial blessings,
blessings indeed!
and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done
this thing. He not only prayed to God to bless them and reward them for it,
but would remember them himself, and at a proper opportunity would show favour
to them for this act of kindness to Saul. De Dieu proposes to consideration
whether it may not be as well interpreted to this sense, "and I also do
you this kindness" because of it; that is, have done you this honour by
sending messengers to you, to thank you for it, and by wishing a blessing upon
you on account of it, and by praising and commending you for it; but the former
sense seems best.
2 Samuel 2:7 7 Now therefore, let your
hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also
the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
YLT
7and now, are your hands
strong, and be ye for sons of valour, for your lord Saul. [is] dead, and also
-- me have the house of Judah anointed for king over them.'
Now therefore let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant,.... And not
be afraid of the Philistines, who might resent their conduct in taking away
from them the bodies of Saul and his sons, whom they had hung up in triumph;
and these men might fear they would bring their armies against them, and destroy
them; but David bids them be of good heart and courage, and not be afraid of
them:
for your master Saul is dead; or rather
"though"F1כי "licet
enim", V. L. "quamvis", Piscator. So Pool and Patrick. he is
dead; for that he was dead they knew full well, having buried him, and needed
no information of it; but being dead, they might be discouraged, as having none
to protect and defend them, or come to their relief as he did, should they be
attacked:
and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them; or "for
even", or "notwithstanding"F2וגם
"tamen", V. L. "nam similiter", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator. ; and this therefore being the case, he would take their parts, and
help and assist them; and which he suggests to them, to invite them to own him
as their king also, and put themselves under his protection.
2 Samuel 2:8 8 But Abner the son of Ner,
commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth[a] the son of
Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim;
YLT
8And Abner, son of Ner, head
of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth
him to pass over to Mahanaim,
But Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host,.... This
man's father, Ner, was Saul's uncle, 1 Samuel 14:50, and
he was his own cousin, and being general of his army, a post he was willing to
keep, might be the reasons for doing what he did, as follows:
took Ishbosheth the son of Saul; and who seems to be his
only son left, except what he had by his concubine. This man's name is Eshbaal
in 1 Chronicles 8:33.
Baal is the name of a shameful idol, and which was therefore sometimes called
Bosheth, "shame". See Hosea 9:10;
wherefore such names of men, which had Baal in them, were changed for Besheth
or Bosheth, as the names of Jerubbaal and Meribbaal, who were called
Jerubbesheth and Mephibosheth. See Judges 8:35;
compared with 2 Samuel 11:21, and
2 Samuel 4:4 with 1 Chronicles 8:34.
The latter of these, a son of Jonathan, bid fairest for the crown by lineal
succession, but he being but five years of age, and lame, this man Abner judged
fittest for his purpose; and though he knew it was the will of God, and he had
sworn that David should be king, yet so blind and obstinate was his ambition,
that he set up another against him:
and brought him over to Mahanaim; a city on the other side
Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, on the border of the half tribe of Manasseh; see Joshua 13:26; and
hither Abner had Ishbosheth, partly to keep the men of Jabeshgilead in awe, to
whom David had sent messengers, acquainting them with his being king of Judah,
and prevent their joining with him; and partly that he might be at a proper
distance both from the Philistines and from David, till he could form his
measures, and gradually carry his point, as he did.
2 Samuel 2:9 9 and he made him king over
Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over
all Israel.
YLT
9and causeth him to reign
over Gilead, and over the Ashurite, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and
over Benjamin, and over Israel -- all of it.
And he made him king over Gilead,.... Which lay beyond
Jordan, and included the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of
Manasseh; these he prevailed upon to acknowledge Ishbosheth, their king, and
proclaimed him king over them:
and over the Ashurites: that is, those of the
house or tribe of Asher, as the Targum, and indeed none else can well be
thought of; some indeed read the Geshurites, as the Vulgate Latin version; but
these were never expelled by the Israelites, and had at this time a king over
them, 2 Samuel 3:3; see Joshua 13:13,
and over Jezreel; the great plain which went along the
borders of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and included these tribes:
and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin: the tribes of Ephraim
and Benjamin:
and over all Israel, excepting the tribe of
Judah; that is, he prevailed first on one of these, then on another, until he
got all the tribes of Israel to own him for their king; David all this time
being still and quiet, and not opposing him, waiting God's own time to open the
way for his possession of the kingdom over all Israel, and having a strict
regard to his oath to Saul, 1 Samuel 24:21.
2 Samuel 2:10 10 Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was
forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years.
Only the house of Judah followed David.
YLT
10A son of forty years, [is]
Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, in his reigning over Israel, and two years he hath
reigned, only the house of Judah have been after David.
Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began
to reign over Israel,.... Being born the same year his father began to reign. See Gill
on 1 Samuel 31:6,
and reigned two years; which some understand of
these, and no more; and whereas David reigned seven years and a half over
Judah, before he reigned over all Israel, it is thought by the Jewish
chronologerF3Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 37. that there was a
vacancy in the throne of Israel for the space of five years, and so says
Kimchi; which vacancy was either before the reign of Ishbosheth, it being a
matter in dispute whether he or Mephibosheth should be set up, or after his
death; the tribes of Israel being so long before they acknowledged David their
king; or Ishbosheth's reign of two years must be in the middle of David's reign
over Judah; but there is no need to suppose either of these, for the text says
not that Ishbosheth reigned only two years; but the meaning is, as Ben Gersom
observes, that he had reigned two years when the following things happened, and
a war began, and not by him but by Abner, and carried on by him; and he being
an inactive prince, the rest of his reign was reckoned as no reign, whereas he
lived and reigned the same length of time David did over Judah; see 2 Samuel 3:1,
but the house of Judah followed David; kept close to
him as their king, yielding a cheerful obedience to him.
2 Samuel 2:11 11 And the time that David
was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
YLT
11And the number of the days
that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years
and six months.
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah,.... And over
them only:
was seven years and six months; to which being added
thirty three years he reigned over all Israel in Jerusalem, made forty years
and six months; and which, for the roundness of the number, is usually called
forty years. See 2 Samuel 5:4.
2 Samuel 2:12 12 Now Abner the son of Ner,
and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to
Gibeon.
YLT
12And Abner son of Ner goeth
out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
And Abner the son of Ner,.... Who was before
captain of Saul's host, and now of Ishbosheth's:
and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul; who seem to
be not only his domestic servants, that waited upon him, or his courtiers, but
his whole army by what follows:
went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon; came from the city on
the other side Jordan, where perhaps they had been two years past, concerting
schemes to bring all Israel under the government of Ishbosheth; in which they
had succeeded, only Judah stood out with David; and in order to reduce that
tribe, they passed over Jordan and came to Gibeon, a city in Benjamin. See Joshua 18:25.
2 Samuel 2:13 13 And Joab the son of
Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of
Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the
other side of the pool.
YLT
13And Joab son of Zeruiah,
and servants of David, have gone out, and they meet by the pool of Gibeon
together, and sit down, these by the pool on this [side], and these by the pool
on that.
And Joab the son of Zeruiah,.... A sister of David,
and this her son was general of David's army:
and the servants of David, went out; that is, his army went
out from Hebron to Gibeon, which was twenty four milesF4Bunting's
Travels, p. 146. to meet that under Abner; for though he had but one tribe with
him, and Ishbosheth had all the rest, yet Judah was a numerous, powerful, and
warlike tribe; and besides many out of the other tribes had joined them, and,
above all, God was on their side, and they had his promise to rely upon with
respect to the establishment of the kingdom in the house of David, and his
power and providence to trust in, and therefore went out boldly and cheerfully
to meet the armies of Israel under Abner:
and met together by the pool of Gibeon; the same
perhaps with the great waters in Gibeon, Jeremiah 41:12,
and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the
other on the other side of the pool; facing one another, and
watching each other's motions.
2 Samuel 2:14 14 Then Abner said to Joab,
“Let the young men now arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them
arise.”
YLT
14And Abner saith unto Joab,
`Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith,
`Let them rise.'
And Abner said to Joab,.... Perceiving he made
no motion towards an engagement with him, his orders from David being only to
act on the defensive, and avoid as much as possible the effusion of blood:
let the young men now arise, and play before us; with their
swords after the manner of gladiators or duellers; that it might appear who
were best skilled in the use of the sword, and who were the bravest, stoutest,
and most courageous; and this he proposed in a way of bravado, and in order to
bring on a battle, or to decide the quarrel between them; and this bloody
barbarous exercise Abner calls play, as if it was a diversion and pastime to
see men wounding and killing one another:
and Joab said, let them arise; he accepted the
challenge, not caring to be hectored and bullied by Abner.
2 Samuel 2:15 15 So they arose and went
over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of
Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.
YLT
15And they rise and pass
over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve
of the servants of David.
Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin,.... Whom
Abner had picked out of that tribe, being his own, and whom he knew to be stout
and courageous men, and closely attached to him. It seems by this as if Abner's
men:
which pertained to Ishbosheth,
the son of Saul, passed over the pool of Gibeon unto Joab's men; so forward were
they to engage in this duel, and it makes it still more appear that they were
the aggressors:
and twelve of the servants of David; of his army under Joab,
whom Joab either selected, or they, offered themselves as willing to engage
with the twelve that were come over.
2 Samuel 2:16 16 And each one grasped his
opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so
they fell down together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp
Swords,[b] which is
in Gibeon.
YLT
16And they lay hold, each on
the head of his companion, and his sword [is] in the side of his companion, and
they fall together, and [one] calleth that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which [is]
in Gibeon,
And they caught everyone his fellow by the head,.... By the
hair of his head with his hand:
and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; which he had
in the other:
so they fell down together; the twelve on each side,
all the twenty four; some think only the twelve on Abner's side fell; but to me
it seems that they all fell dead as one man, since they thrust their swords in
each other's sides:
wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is
in Gibeon; the field of rocks, or of mighty men as strong as rocks, who
stood as immovable, and would not give way, but fell and died in the field of
battle; the Targum interprets it, the inheritance of the slain.
2 Samuel 2:17 17 So there was a very fierce
battle that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the
servants of David.
YLT
17and the battle is very hard
on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants
of David.
And there was a very sore battle that day,.... When the
twenty four men fell together, and no decision could be made thereby, or any
triumph on either side, both armies drew up in battle array, and fought very
furiously:
and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants
of David; the army under him had the worst of it, and were routed, and
obliged to flee before the army of David under the command of Joab.
2 Samuel 2:18 18 Now the three sons of
Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet
of foot as a wild gazelle.
YLT
18And there are there three
sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel [is] light on his
feet, as one of the roes which [are] in the field,
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there,.... In the
battle:
Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; Joab was the general of
the array, Abishai was he who went into Saul's host at night, and took away his
spear and cruse of water at his head, 1 Samuel 26:6; and
it is for the sake of the third, Asahel, that the account is given, the story
of his death being about to be told.
And Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe: swiftness of
foot, as well as courage, for which this man was famous, 1 Chronicles 11:26;
was a very great qualification for a warriorF5Cornel. Nepos,
Epaminond. l. 2. . So Achilles, in HomerF6
ποδας ωκυς, Iliad. 1. lin. 15. , is often said to be swift of
foot, and others of his heroes are commended for their swiftness. Harold son of
King Canutus, was from his swiftnessF7Rapin's History of England,
vol. 1. p. 128. called Harefoot; as here this man for the same reason is
compared to a wild roe, which is a very swift creature, or to one of the roes
that were in the field as in the original text. See Song of Solomon 2:7;
one sort of which, called "kemas", is said to run as swift as a
tempestF8Aelian. Hist. de Animal, l. 14. c. 14. .
2 Samuel 2:19 19 So Asahel pursued Abner,
and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following
Abner.
YLT
19And Asahel pursueth after
Abner, and hath not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after
Abner.
And Asahel pursued after Abner,.... Ambitious of the
glory of taking or slaying the general of the army of Israel; trusting to his
swiftness, not considering that the race is not always to the swift, and that
he had to do with a veteran soldier, and he a raw young man, though valiant:
and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left in
following Abner; he kept his eye upon him, and pursued him closely, disregarding
persons on the right or left he could have made prisoners; but those he
neglected, being bent on taking Abner if possible.
2 Samuel 2:20 20 Then Abner looked behind
him and said, “Are you Asahel?” He answered, “I am.”
YLT
20And Abner looketh behind
him, and saith, `Art thou he -- Asahel?' and he saith, `I [am].'
Then Abner looked behind him,.... Perceiving one at
his heels, and making haste up to him.
And said, art thou Asahel? for it seems he knew him
personally, being well acquainted with his family:
and he answered, I am; so that they were very
near to each other, as to discourse together, and be heard and understood by
each other.
2 Samuel 2:21 21 And Abner said to him,
“Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the
young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside
from following him.
YLT
21And Abner saith to him,
`Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of
the youths, and take to thee his armour;' and Asahel hath not been willing to
turn aside from after him.
And Abner said unto him,.... Having a respect for
him, and consulting his good, and however fearing his brother Joab should he
slay him:
turn thee aside to thy right or to thy left; he does not
advise him to go back, which would have been to his disgrace, having engaged in
the pursuit, but to turn to the right or left, as if pursuing some other person
and not Abner:
and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his
armour; one of the common soldiers, or an attendant on Abner, a young
man like himself, whom he might be able to cope with, and take him a prisoner
and disarm him, when he was not a match for such an old experienced officer as
he was; and this Abner seems to speak as a friend, consulting the young man's
safety and his honour too.
But, Asahel would not turn aside from following him; fired with
the ambition of taking him, and not content with any prey short of him; and
perhaps was the more animated by what he said, as supposing it arose from fear
of him.
2 Samuel 2:22 22 So Abner said again to
Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground?
How then could I face your brother Joab?”
YLT
22And Abner addeth again,
saying unto Asahel, `Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the
earth? and how do I lift up my face unto Joab thy brother?'
And Abner said again to Asahel,.... Being loath to
dispatch him:
turn thee aside from following me, wherefore should I smite thee
to the ground? which was giving him fair warning, and letting him know what he
must expect, if he did not desist from his pursuit:
how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? the general
of David's army, a stout valiant commander, a man of spirit and resentment,
whom Abner knew full well, and that should he slay his brother, he would never
be friendly with him, or look pleasantly on him; he would never forgive him,
but seek ways and means to avenge his blood on him and by this it seems as if
Abner was conscious to himself that he was in a wrong cause, that the kingdom
was of right David's, and would be his, and he must be obliged to make peace
with him; when he should stand in need of Joab as his friend, which he could
not expect, if he slew his brother, nor to live in favour and friendship with
him hereafter.
2 Samuel 2:23 23 However, he refused to
turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the
spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died
on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel
fell down and died, stood still.
YLT
23And he refuseth to turn
aside, and Abner smiteth him with the hinder part of the spear unto the fifth
[rib], and the spear cometh out from behind him, and he falleth there, and
dieth under it; and it cometh to pass, every one who hath come unto the place
where Asahel hath fallen and dieth -- they stand still.
Howbeit, he refused to turn aside,.... Determined on making
him his captive if possible.
Wherefore Abner, with the hinder end of the spear; he had in his
hand, which seems to have had a pike at both ends; so that with the hinder end
of it, next to Asahel, he thrust it at him, without turning to him: and
smote him under the fifth rib; the place
where hang the gall and liver, as the Jewish commentators from their TalmudF9T.
Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 49. 1. observe. There are twelve ribs, seven of which are
called true ones, and five spurious; if this was the fifth of the seven, the
spear must pierce the breastF11"Transadigit costas, et crates
pectoris ensom". Virgil. Aeneod. l. 12. ver. 506. , and strike the seat of
life, the heart and lungs; if the fifth from the eighth and first of the
spurious ones, then wounding the hypochondria, it must pass to the vital bowels
of the abdomen, which seems to be the case hereF12Vid. Scheuchzer.
Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 501. : according to someF13Weemse's
Portrait of Man, p. 24. this is meant of the inferior ribs, which we call the
short ribs, and any of these five are called the fifth rib; and Abner must
strike him in the right side, because he was behind him, and which stroke must
be deadly, because he struck him through the liver:
that the spear came out behind him: the thrust was so
violent that the spear went through him, and came out at his back:
and he fell down and died in the same place; he fell at
once, and died on the spot immediately:
and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place
where Asahel fell down and died stood still; that is, such of David's
men who were in the pursuit after the Israelites, when they came to the spot,
and saw Asahel dead, they had no power to proceed in the pursuit, being so
troubled and grieved at the death of him.
2 Samuel 2:24 24 Joab and Abishai also
pursued Abner. And the sun was going down when they came to the hill of Ammah,
which is before Giah by the road to the Wilderness of Gibeon.
YLT
24And Joab and Abishai pursue
after Abner, and the sun hath gone in, and they have come in unto the height of
Ammah, which [is] on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner,.... Or rather
but Joab, &c.F14"Autem", V. L. Tiguriue version;
"sed", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Kimchi. . They stood not
still as the rest, but, filled with indignation and resentment, pursued after
Abner, to be avenged on him:
and the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah; a hill by the
side of which was a pool of water, as Kimchi thinks, and from thence so called:
that lieth before Giah; a place near Gibeon, but
nowhere after mentioned:
by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon; very likely
not far from the city from which it had its name.
2 Samuel 2:25 25 Now the children of Benjamin
gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top
of a hill.
YLT
25And the sons of Benjamin
gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the
top of a certain height,
And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after
Abner,.... Either those that were with him before, who upon the battle
were dispersed, but now got together again; or others of that tribe, who,
hearing of the defeat of Abner, went out of the several cities after him, to
strengthen his hands, and renew the fight with Joab:
and became one troop; were united together in
a body, and became a regular troop:
and stood on the top of an hill; which was some advantage
to them, and from whence they could take a view of Joab's army, and observe its
motions.
2 Samuel 2:26 26 Then Abner called to Joab
and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be
bitter in the latter end? How long will it be then until you tell the people to
return from pursuing their brethren?”
YLT
26and Abner calleth unto
Joab, and saith, `For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it
is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people
to turn back from after their brethren?'
Then Abner called to Joab,.... For having now a
troop of men with him, he could stop with the greater safety; and being on an
hill, and perhaps Joab on one opposite to him, could call to him, so as to be
heard:
and said, shall the sword devour for ever? slay men, and
devour their blood. See Jeremiah 46:10.
That he was not thoughtful of, nor concerned about, when he set the young men
to fighting before the battle, and called it play to wound and shed the blood
of each other; but now the battle going against him, he complains of the
devouring sword; and though it had been employed but a few hours, it seemed
long to him, a sort of an eternity:
knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? since it
might issue in the death of himself, or of Joab, or of both, as it had in
Asahel, or, however, in the death of a multitude of others; and which at last
would cause bitter reflection in the prosecutors of the war:
how long shall it be then ere thou bid the people return from
following their brethren? he pleads relation, that the men of Israel and the men of Judah
were brethren; so they were by nation and religion, and therefore should not
pursue one another to destruction; but who was the aggressor? It was Abner,
that brought his forces against Judah; the men of David acted only on the
defensive.
2 Samuel 2:27 27 And Joab said, “As
God lives, unless you had spoken, surely then by morning all the people would have
given up pursuing their brethren.”
YLT
27And Joab saith, `God
liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the
people gone up each from after his brother.'
And Joab said, as God liveth,.... Which was the form
of an oath, swearing by the living God:
unless thou hadst spoken; that is, these words in 2 Samuel 2:14;
"let the young men arise and play", that he had not given the challenge
to fight:
surely then in the morning the people had gone up everyone from
following his brother; they would have gone away and never fought at all; they were not
desirous of shedding their blood, and following after them to slay them: thus
he lays the blame upon Abner, and makes him to be the cause and beginner of the
war. Some render the particle by "if", and give the sense, that if he
had spoken what he last did sooner, the people would long before this time have
desisted from pursuing them; for it was not from a thirst after their blood,
and a desire to luke vengeance on them, that they pursued them, but to bring
them to submission, and lay down their arms; for they could not in honour
retreat until they desired it; but the former sense seems best, and is the
general sense of the Jewish commentators.
2 Samuel 2:28 28 So Joab blew a trumpet;
and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they
fight anymore.
YLT
28And Joab bloweth with a
trumpet, and all the people stand still, and pursue no more after Israel, nor
have they added any more to fight.
So Joab blew a trumpet,.... Or caused
one to be blown as a signal of a retreat:
and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more; as soon as
they heard the trumpet sound, the meaning of which they understood, they
stepped at once, and left off their pursuit:
neither fought they any more; that day, and perhaps no
pitched battle afterwards; for none we read of, though the war continued after
this a long time, and there might be often skirmishes, which greatly weakened
Abner's party. See 2 Samuel 3:1.
2 Samuel 2:29 29 Then Abner and his men
went on all that night through the plain, crossed over the Jordan, and went
through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.
YLT
29And Abner and his men have
gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on
[through] all Bithron, and come in to Mahanaim.
And Abner and his men
walked all that night through the plain,.... The plain of Jordan.
He marched with his men all night, lest Joab should return, and pursue him, and
take vengeance on him for the death of his brother:
and passed over Jordan; at one of the fords of
it:
and went through all Bithron; the name of a province
or country, as Jarchi, called so perhaps from its being separated from the rest
of the tribes of Israel by the river Jordan; some think the mountains of Bether
were in this country, Song of Solomon 2:17.
From Gibeon, where the battle was fought, to Bithron, according to BuntingF15Travels,
&c. p. 145, 146. , was twenty eight miles, the which he says was in the
tribe of Gad, twenty eight miles from Jerusalem northeastward, lying between
Dibon and Jordan:
and they came to Mahanaim: from whence they came,
and where they had left Ishbosheth, 2 Samuel 2:8. From
Bithron to this place, according to the same writerF16Ibid. , was
sixteen miles.
2 Samuel 2:30 30 So Joab returned from
pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were
missing of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.
YLT
30And Joab hath turned back
from after Abner, and gathereth all the people, and there are lacking of the
servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel;
And Joab returned from
following Abner,.... It being in his commission from David to shed as little
blood as he could:
and when he had gathered all the people together; who had been
pursuing the Israelites, some one way and some another:
there lacked of David's servants nineteen men, and Asahel; who is
particularly mentioned, because a very honourable man, valiant and courageous,
a relation of David, and brother of Joab the general, and the loss of him was
greater than all the rest. This has made some think that the twelve men of the
servants of David were not killed in the duel, or otherwise there must be but
seven slain in the battle; though that is not more strange than that in the
battle with Midian not one should be slain, and, yet a terrible slaughter was
made of the Midianites, Numbers 31:1. So in
a sharp battle between the Spartans and Arcadians, ten thousand of the latter
were slain, and not one of the formerF17Diodor. Sic. l. 15. p. 383.
. Stilicho killed more than an hundred thousand of the army of Rhadagaisus,
king of the Goths, without losing one of his own men, no, not so much as one
wounded, as Austin affirmsF18De civilate Dei, l. 5. c. 23. . At the
battle of Issus the Persians lost an hundred ten thousand men, and Alexander
not two hundredF19Curtius, l. 3. c. 11. . Julius Caesar killed in
the three camps of Juba, Scipio, and Labienus, ten thousand men, with the loss
of fifty men onlyF20Hirtius de Bello African. c. 86. . After these
instances, not only the case here, but that between the Israelites and
Midianites, cannot be thought incredible, for the sake of which the above are
produced. This account, according to JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 7. c. 1.
sect. 3. , was taken the day following.
2 Samuel 2:31 31 But the servants of David
had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who
died.
YLT
31and the servants of David
have smitten of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty
men -- they died.
But the servants of David
had smitten of Benjamin, and Abner's men,.... Of those of the
tribe of Benjamin that joined him, and of those that he brought with him from
Mahanaim; so many of them were smitten, as appeared by their bodies lying on the
field of battle:
so that three hundred
and threescore men died; the number of the slain on each side was very unequal.
2 Samuel 2:32 32 Then they took up Asahel
and buried him in his father’s tomb, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab
and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at daybreak.
YLT
32And they lift up Asahel,
and bury him in the burying-place of his father, which [is] in Beth-Lehem, and
they go all the night -- Joab and his men -- and it is light to them in Hebron.
And they took up Asahel,.... From the
place where he fell; that is, Joab and Abishai, his brethren, as JosephusF23Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 1. sect. 3. relates; after they had buried the dead in the field of
battle, they took up him:
and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in
Bethlehem: not in the city of Bethlehem, but without it, on the south side
of it; so says FullerF24Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, B. 2. c. 14.
sect. 21. p. 301. ,"southward, i.e. of Bethlehem, we find Asahel's
sepulchre, who was buried in the grave of his father.'What was his father's
name is not known, only his mother's name, Zeruiah, is mentioned in Scripture,
a sister of David, and daughter of Jesse the Bethlehemite. Bethlehem was
sixteen miles from Gibeon, according to BuntingF25Travels, ut supra.
(p. 145,146.) .
And Joab and his men went all night; not the night following
the battle, but the night following the next day, after he had been to
Bethlehem, and buried his brother there; wherefore, lest David should think it
long before he came, he travelled all night:
and they came to Hebron at break of day; where David
was, which, according to the same writerF26Travels, ut supra. (p.
145,146.) , was twenty miles from Bethlehem.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)