2 Samuel 2

AND it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD By Urim, as 1 Sam. 23. 6, 9. and 30. 7, 8. Thus David begins at the right end, and lays his Foundation in Gods counsel and assistance, which now he seeks., saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah He asketh not whether he should take the Kingdom; for that was appointed and known before; and he would not offend God, nor dishonour his Ordinances with frivolous and unnecessary enquiries; but only where he should enter upon it; whether in Iudab, as he supposed, because of his relation to that Tribe, and his interest in it; or whether in some other Tribe: for he does not limit God, but resolves exactly to follow his Counsels.: And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron Which was next to Ierusalem (part whereof the Iebusites now possessed) the chief City of that Tribe, and a City of the Priests: Iosh. 21. 10, &c. and in the very center or middle of that Tribe, to which the whole Tribe might speedily resort, when need required..

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabals Wife the Carmelite.

And his men that were with him, did David bring up, every man with his houshold: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron i. e. The Cities or Towns belonging and subject to Hebron, which was the Metropolis, Ios. 21. 11, 12. For in Hebron it self there was not space for them all, because it was filled with Priests, and with David's Court..

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah This they did upon just grounds, because not only the Kingdom was promised to that Tribe, Gen. 49. 10. but David was Designed and Anointed by God, whose will both they and all Israel were obliged to observe and obey. And they Piously resolved not to neglect their Duty, though they saw the other Tribes would. Yet their prudent caution and modesty is observable, That they make him King of Iudah only, and not of all Israel. And therefore there was need of a Third Anointing to the Kingdom over all Israel, which he had chap. 5. 3. But as for that First Anointing 1 Sam. 16. 13. it was only a designation of the Person who should be King, but not an actual Inauguration of him to the Kingdom.: and they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-Gilead were they that buried Saul.

¶ And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness This respect and affection to procure him Burial. For as it is, and ever was esteemed an act of inhumanity to deny Burial to the Dead; so it is an act of mercy and kindness to Bury him. unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him

And now the LORD show kindness and truth i. e. True and real kindness; not in words only, but also in actions, as you have now done to your King the Lords Anointed. unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness So far am I from being offended with you for this kindness to my late Enemy, that I will requite it., because ye have done this thing.

Therefore now let your hands be strengthned, and † be ye valiant Be not afraid lest the Philistines should punish you for this Fact, but take good courage, I will defend you.: for your master Saul is dead Or, though your Master Saul be dead, and so your hearts may faint within you, as if you were now Sheep without a Shepherd., and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

¶ But Abner the son of Ner Partly, out of envy and malice against David; and partly, out of his own ambition and desire of Rule, because he knew that Ishbosheth would have only the name of King, whilst he had the power., captain of Sauls host, took Ishbosheth Called also Eshbaal, 1 Chron. 8. 33. and 9. 39. It being usual with the Hebrews, instead of Baal, the name of false gods, to put Bosheth, which signifies shame, or confusion, or a shameful thing; as appeareth by comparing Iudg. 9. 53. with 2 Sam. 11. 21. and 2 Sam. 4. 4. with 1 Chron. 8. 34. and from Ier. 3. 24. Hos. 9. 10. the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim A place beyond Iordan, whither he carried him; partly, to secure those Brave and Valiant Men of Iabesh-Gilead to himself; and principally because this place was most remote from David, and from the Philistines too; and therefore here he might recruit his Forces with less disturbance than in other places..

And he made him king over Gilead Largely so taken for all the Land of Israel beyond Iordan, as it is Ios. 22. 9. Iudg. 10. 8., and over the Ashurites i. e. The Tribe of Asher, as the Chaldee Paraphrast and others understand it., and over Jezreel A large and rich Valley scituate in the Borders of the Tribes of Zebulun, Issachar and Napthali, and so put Synecdochically for them all., and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel Except Iudah, as it follows..

Ishbosheth Sauls son was fourty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years To wit, before the following War broke forth. Compare 1 Sam. 13. 1. For that he Reigned longer, may appear both from the following Verse, and from ch. 3. 1. and from the following History. Though some think he Reigned only two Years, and that the rest of David's seven Years the Israelites by Abner's instigation stuck to the House of Saul, but were in suspence whether they should confer the Crown upon Mephibosheth the right Heir, but a Child; or upon Ishbosheth a grown man, whom with some difficulty, and after long debates amongst themselves, they preferred.: but the house of Judah followed David.

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

¶ And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants i. e. His Officers, and Commanders, and their Army. of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon In the Countrey of Benjamin, Ios. 18. 25. near Iudah, to Fight with David's Army,... nd to bring back the rest of the Kingdom to Saul's House..

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out To Battel. Qu. How could or durst this one Tribe oppose all the rest? Ans. First, This Tribe was very numberous and valiant of themselves, and they had a King of extraordinary courage, and conduct, and success. Secondly, There were great numbers of the other Tribes which favoured them, as appears from 1 Chron. 12. Thirdly, They had the encouragement of special promises of God, made both to their Tribe, and to David., and met together i. e. Met the opposite Army, and put themselves into a Posture for Battel. by the pool of Gibeon: and they sate down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

And Abner said to Joab Abner trusting to his greater numbers, offers Battel., Let the young men now arise, and play i. e. Show their prowess and dexterity in managing their Weapons, and Fighting together. He speaks like a vainglorious and cruel Man, and a Soldier of fortune, that esteemed it a sport to see Men wounding and killing one another. So this he designed, partly for their Mutual Recreation, and trial of Skill and Valour; and partly, that by this occasion they might be engaged in a Battel. before us: and Joab said, Let them arise.

Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin He selected all his Combatants out of that Tribe, both because that was a Warlike and Valiant Tribe; and that he might give the more honour to his own Tribe., which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

And they caught every one his fellow by the head By the hair of the Head, which after their manner was of a considerable length, and therefore gave their Enemy advantage; which every one of them indeavoured to get, and to improve against the other., and thrust his sword in his fellows side; so they fell down together: Wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim Or, the field of Rocks; i. e. of Men who stood like Rocks unmovable, each one dying upon the spot where he fought., which is in Gibeon.

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

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

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

Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.

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 armour If thou art ambitious to get a Trophy or Mark of thy Valour, desist from me who am an old and experienced Captain, and go to some young and raw Soldier, try thy Skill upon him, and take away his Arms from him.. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following of me: Wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? f He was loth to enrage Ioab too much against him, because his guilty Conscience told him that his Cause was bad, and therefore he presaged ill success, and that he might need such a Friend as Ioab, to make his peace with David.

Howbeit, he refused to turn aside: Wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear Which was sharp pointed after the manner., smote him under the fifth rib The seat of the Liver and Bowels, where wounds are mortal., that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there, and died in the same place Upon the spot, not being able to go one step further.: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

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.

¶ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill Where, being upon the upper ground, they might better defend themselves..

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 It will produce dreadful effects, and many Bloody slaughters, if by a further prosecution thou makest them desperate; which is against all the rules of Policy.? How long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren By Nation and Religion: whom therefore they should not pursue with so fierce a Rage, as if they were pursuing the Philistines.?

And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken Unless thou hadst made the motion that they might Fight, v. 14. It was thou, not I, that gave the first occasion of this Fight. Withal, he intimates, That Almer was the sole cause of this War; and that if he had not given commission and command, the War had never been undertaken, but all things had been ended by an amicable agreement: which might have been made that very morning, if he had so pleased., surely then in the morning, the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more Either, First, At that time. Or rather, Secondly, In any pitcht Battel..

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron Otherwise called, the Mountains of Bether, Cant. 2. 17. which were beyond Iordan. Or, some other Countrey, now not known by that name: which is the case of hundreds of places., and they came to Mahanaim.

And Joab returned from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Davids servants nineteen men, and Asahel.

But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin and of Abners men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

¶ 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.