1-4 David, by God's direction, with his company goes up to Hebron where he is made king of Judah 5-7 He commends them of Jabesh-gilead for their king of Israel 8-11 Abner makes Ishbosheth king of Israel 12-17 A mortal skirmish between twelve of Abner's and twelve of Joab's men. 18-24 Asahel is slain 25-31 At Abner's motion, Joab sounds a retreat 32 Asahel's burial

enquired 2Sa 5:19,23 Nu 27:21 Jud 1:1 1Sa 23:2,4,9-12 30:7,8 Ps 25:4,5 27:4 143:8 Pr 3:5,6 Eze 36:37

Hebron 2Sa 2:11 5:1-3 15:7 Ge 32:2 Nu 13:22 Jos 14:14,15 1Sa 30:31 1Ki 2:11 1Ch 29:7

2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

1Sa 25:42,43 30:5 Lu 22:28,29

3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

his men 1Sa 22:2 27:2,3 30:1,9,10 1Ch 12:1

the cities Jos 21:11,12

4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

the men of Judah 2Sa 2:11 19:11,42 Ge 49:8-10

anointed 2Sa 2:7 5:3,5,17 1Sa 16:13 1Ch 11:3

the men of Jabesh-gilead 1Sa 31:11-13

5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

David This was a generous and noble act, highly indicative of the grandeur of David's mind. He respected Saul, though he had been greatly injured by him, as the anointed king of Israel, and once his legitimate sovereign; and he loved Jonathan as his most intimate friend.

Blessed Ru 1:8 2:20 3:10 1Sa 23:21 24:19 25:32,33 Ps 115:15

6 And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

the Lord 2Sa 15:20 Ps 57:3 Pr 14:22 Mt 5:7 2Ti 1:16-18

I also 2Sa 9:3,7 10:2 Mt 5:44 10:16 Phm 1:18,19

7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

let your 2Sa 10:12 Ge 15:1 1Sa 4:9 31:7,12 1Co 16:13 Eph 6:10

valiant [heb] the sons of valour

8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

Abner 1Sa 14:50 17:55 26:14

Saul's host [heb] the host which was Saul's
Ish-bosheth 2Sa 3:7,8 4:5,6 1Ch 8:33 9:39

Esh-baal
Mahanaim 2Sa 17:26,27 Ge 32:2

9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

Gilead Nu 32:1 Jos 13:8-11 Ps 108:8

Ashurites The LXX. read (), {Thasiri}; and the Vulgate {Gessuri}, `Geshurites;' but it is probable that for {ashuri}, `Ashurites,' we should read {ashairri,} `Asherites,' or those of the tribe of Asher. Ge 30:13 Nu 1:40

over Jezreel Jos 19:18

10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

two years Houbigant proposes to read {shesh shanah}, `six years' instead of {shetayim shamim}, `two years' of the text, which he contends in a solecism; for, in pure Hebrew, the words should be {shetayim shanah}; and this is the reading of twenty MSS.; but {two} is acknowledged by all the versions and MSS. yet collated.

11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

time [heb] number of days 2Sa 5:4,5 1Ki 2:11 1Ch 3:4 29:27

12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

A.M. 2951 B.C. 1053 An. Ex. Is. 438
Mahanaim 2Sa 17:14 Ge 32:2

Gibeon Jos 9:3 10:2,4,12 18:25

13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together 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.

Joab 2Sa 2:18 8:16 20:23 1Ki 1:7 2:28-35 1Ch 2:16

together [heb] them together
pool Jer 41:12

14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

play before 2Sa 2:17,26,27 Pr 10:23 17:14 20:18 25:8 26:18,19

15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

by the head Probably by the beard or hair of the head. Plutarch, in his {Apophthegms}, informs us, that all things being ready for a battle, Alexander's captains asked him whether he had any thing else to command them. `Nothing,' he said, `but that the Macedonians shave their beards.' Parmenio wondering what he meant, `Dost thou not know,' said he, `that in fight, there is no better hold than the beard?'

{Helkath-hazzurim}. That is, the field of strong men.

17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

Abner 2Sa 3:1

18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

three 1Ch 2:15,16 11:26

was as light 2Sa 1:23 1Ch 12:8 Ps 147:10,11 Ec 9:11 Am 2:14

foot [heb] his feet
a wild roe. [heb] one of the roes that is in the field Ps 18:33 So 2:17 8:14 Hab 3:19

The word {tzvee}, rather denotes the gazelle or antelope. See note on De. 15:22.

19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

turned 2Sa 2:21 Jos 1:7 23:6 2Ki 22:2 Pr 4:27

following Abner [heb] after Abner

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 armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

and take thee It seems that Asahel wished to get the armour of Abner as a trophy

armour. or, spoil Jud 14:19

22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

wherefore 2Ki 14:10-12 Pr 29:1 Ec 6:10

how then 2Sa 3:27

23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under 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.

the fifth rib 2Sa 3:27 4:6 5:6 20:10

stood still 2Sa 20:12,13

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.

25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

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 from following their brethren?

Shall 2Sa 2:14 Ac 7:26

sword 2Sa 11:25 Isa 1:20 Jer 2:30 12:12 46:10,14 Ho 11:6

it will be 2Sa 2:16 Pr 17:14

how long Job 18:2 19:2 Ps 4:2 Jer 4:21

27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

As God This was spoken in allusion to the proposal of Abner, (ver. 14,) which led to the slaughter of twelve young men of each party, and thus provoked the battle. It is probable, that Joab had orders simply to act on the defensive, and would not have attacked the Israelites that day unless compelled; therefore the blame lay upon Abner and Israel. 1Sa 25:26 Job 27:2

unless 2Sa 2:14 Pr 15:1 17:14 20:18 25:8 Isa 47:7 Lu 14:31,32

in the morning [heb] from the morning
gone up. or, gone away.

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 night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

Bithron. Bithron or Bether is probably the same as {Betarus} which is placed in the Antonine Itinerary between Caesarea of Palestine and Diospolis of Lydda, 18 miles from the former, and 22 from the latter. The Jerusalem Itinerary mentions a place called {Bethar}, 16 miles from Caesarea, and 20 from Diospolis, which is probably the same. The Talmudists say that it was four miles distant from the sea. So 2:17

Bether
Mahanaim 2Sa 2:12

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.

31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

three hundred. The slain of Israel, though greatly exceeding those of Judah, were not great. This might be owing to the directions given by David, to be as lenient as possible; but the death of Asahel seems to have stopped the pursuers, and greatly favoured the escape of the vanquished. 2Sa 3:1 1Ki 20:11

32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

buried 1Sa 17:58 1Ch 2:13-16 2Ch 16:14 21:1

went 2Sa 5:1 Pr 22:29