2:1Although David knew he would become king (1 Samuel 16:13; 23:17; 24:20), and although the time seemed right now that Saul was dead, David still asked God if he should move back to Judah, the home territory of his tribe. Before moving ahead with what seems obvious, first bring the matter to God, who alone knows the best timing.
Life Application Study Bible2 SamuelChapter 2
2 Samuel 2
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 464, 465, 466
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22 Samuel 2
1“To Hebron,” the LORD answered. 2David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came to David and crowned him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, 5he sent them this message: 6May the LORD bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving hima decent burial. May the LORD be loyal to you in retum and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done. 7Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.” ishbosheth Crowned King of Israel 8But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.* 9There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and ail the rest of Israel. 10Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David. 1 David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years. War between Israel and Judah 12One day Abner led Ishbosheth’s troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David’s troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool. 14Then Abner suggested to Joab, “Let’s have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us.” “Allright,” Joab agreed. *5So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side—twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David. 16Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other's side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.* 17A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David.
The Death of Asahel
1818Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David's forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle, "and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything. 20When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, itis,” he replied. 21“Go fight someone else!” Abner warned. “Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner. 22Again Abner shouted to him, “Get away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?” 23But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there. 24when Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25Abner’s troops from the tribe of Benjamin regrouped there at the top of the hill to take a stand. 26Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?” 27Then Joab said, “God only knows what would have happened if you hadn't spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.” 28So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel. 29Al that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley.* They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning,* and didn’t stop until they arrived at Mahanaim. 30Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel. *'But 360 of Abner’s men had been Killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin. Joab and his men took Asahel’s body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father’s tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak. That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.
David’s Sons Born in Hebron
2These are the sons who were born to David in Hebron:The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.
and purpose: to settle the land (Genesis 12:7), to drive outthe Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:1-4), and to obey God's laws(Deuteronomy 8:1). instead of uniting to accomplish these goals.they fought each other. When you face conflict, step back fromthe hostilities and consider whether you and your enemy havecommon goals that are bigger than your differences. Appeal tothose interests as you work for a settlement.3:2-5 David suffered much heartache because of his manywives. Polygamy was a socially acceptable practice for kings atthis time, although God specifically warned against it (Deuteron-omy 17:14-17). Sadly, the numerous sons born to David's wivescaused him great trouble. Rape (13:14), murder (13:28), rebellion(15:13), and greed (1 Kings 1:5, 6) all resulted from the jealousrivalries among the half brothers. Solomon, one of David's sonsand his successor to the throne, also took many wives who even-tually turned him away from God (1 Kings 11:3, 4).
Textual footnotes
- 2:16 Hebrew Helkath-hazzurim.
- 2:29a Hebrew the Arabah.
- 2:29b Or continued on through the Bithron. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Life Application Notes 8 notes
2:1God told David to return to Hebron, where he would soon be crowned king of Judah. David made Hebron his capital because (1) it was the largest city in Judah at that time; (2) it was secure against attack; (3) it was located near the center of Judah's territory, an ideal location for a capital city; (4) many key trade routes converged at Hebron, making it difficult for supply lines to be cut off in wartime.
2:4The men of Judah publicly anointed David as their king. David had been anointed king by Samuel years earlier (1 Samuel 16:13), but that ceremony had taken place in private. This one was like inaugurating a public official who has already been elected to office. The rest of Israel, however, didn’t accept David's kingship for seven and a half years (2:10, 11).
2:4-7David sent a message thanking the men of Jabesh-gilead who had risked their lives to bury Saul’s body (1 Samuel 31:11- 13). Saul had rescued Jabesh-gilead from certain defeat when Nahash the Ammonite had surrounded the city (1 Samuel 11), so these citizens showed their gratitude and kindness. In his message, he also suggested that they follow Judah’s lead and acknowledge him as their king. Jabesh-gilead was to the north in the land of Gilead, and David was seeking to gain support among the 10 remaining tribes who had not yet recognized him as king.
2:10,11David ruled over Judah for seven and a half years, while Ishbosheth reigned in Israel for only two years. The fiveyear gap may be due to Ishbosheth’s not assuming the throne immediately after Saul’s death. Because of constant danger from the Phitistines in the northern part of Israel, five years may have passed before Ishbosheth coutd begin his reign. During that time, Abner, commander of his army, probably played a principal role in driving out the Philistines and leading the northern confederacy. Regardless of when Ishbosheth began to rule, his control was weak and limited. The Philistines still dominated the area, and Ishbosheth was intimidated by Abner (3:11).
2:12ffWith Israel divided, there was constant tension between north and south. David's true rival in the north, however, was not Ishbosheth but Abner.!n this incident, Abner suggested hand-to-hand combat between the champions of his army and the champions of David's army, led by Joab. The fact that this confrontation occurred at the pool of Gibeon (located in Saul’s
2:21-23Abner repeatedly warned Asahel to turn back or risk losing his life, but Asahel refused to turn from his self-imposed duty. Persistence is a good trait if it is for a worthy cause. But if the goal is only personal honor or gain, persistence may be no more than stubbornness. Asahel’s stubbornness not only cost him his life, but it also spurred unfortunate disunity in David’s army for years to come (3:26, 27; 1 Kings 2:28-35). Before you decide to pursue a goal, make sure it is worthy of your devotion.
2:28This battle ended with a victory for Joab’s troops (2:17), but war in the divided nation continued until David was finally crowned king over all Israel (5:1-5).
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Personality profile · page 465
Profile: Abner
The honest compliments of an opponent are often the best measure of someone's greatness. Although Abner and David frequently saw each other across battle lines, the Bible gives a glimpse of the respect they had for each other. As a young man, David had served under Abner. But later, Saul’s campaign to kilt David was carried out by Abner. After Saul’s death, Abner temporarily upheld the power of the king’s family. But the struggle between Abner and Saul’s heir, Ishbosheth, brought about Abner’s decision to support David’s claim to the throne. It was during his efforts to unite the kingdom that Abner was murdered by Joab. Several years earlier, in a battle between Ishbosheth’s army under Abner and David’s forces under Joab, Abner fled and was pursued by Joab’s brother, Asahel. Abner told Asahel twice to stop following him. But the eager young soldier refused, so Abner killed him. Joab was determined to avenge his brother. Abner realized Saul’s family was doomed to defeat and that David would be the next king, so he decided to change sides. He hoped that in exchange for his delivering Saul’s kingdom, David would make him commander in chief of his army. David's willingness to accept this proposal was probably another reason for Joab’s action. Abner lived by his wits and his will. To him, God was someone with whom he would cooperate if it suited his plans. Otherwise he did what seemed best for him at the time. We can identify with Abner’s tendency to give God conditional cooperation. Obedience is easy when the instructions in God’s Word fit in with our plans. But our allegiance to God is tested when his plans are contrary to ours. What action should you take today in obedience to God’s Word?
• Commander in chief of Saul’s army and a capable military leader
• Held Israel together for several years under the weak king Ishbosheth
• Recognized and accepted Gad’s plan to make David king over both Israel and Judah
Strengths and accomplishments
• He had selfish motives in his effort to reunite Judah and Israel rather than godly conviction
• He slept with one of the royal concubines after Saul’s death
Weaknesses and mistakes
• God requires more than conditional, halfhearted cooperation
Lesson from his life
• Where: Territory of Benjamin
• Occupation: Commander of the armies under Saul and Ishbosheth
• Relatives: Father: Ner. Cousin: Saul. Son: Jaasiel
• Contemporaries: David, Asahel, Joab, Abishai
Vital statistics
“Then King David said to his officials, ‘Don’t you realize that a great commander has fallen today in Israel?’” (2 Samuel 3:38).
Key verse
Abner’s story is told in 1 Samuel 14:50—2 Samuel 4:12. He is also mentioned in 1 Kings 2:5, 32; 1 Chronicles 26:28; 27:16-22.
home territory of Benjamin} suggests that Joab’s men were pushing northward, gaining more territory. Abner may have suggested this confrontation in hopes of stopping Joab’s advance. Twelve men from each side were supposed to fight each other, and the side with the most survivors would be declared the winner. The confrontation between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) was a similar battle strategy—a way to avoid terrible bloodshed from an all-out war. In this case, however, all 24 champions were killed before either side could claim victory. Nothing was accomplished, and the civil war continued.
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Study feature · page 466
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