The Second Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 2 -

After this David asked Yahweh and said, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” Yahweh replied to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which city should I go?” Yahweh replied, “To Hebron.”

So David went up with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel, and Abigail from Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

David brought the men who were with him, who each brought his family, to the cities of Hebron, where they began to live.

Then men from Judah came and anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead have buried Saul.”

So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead and said to them, “You are blessed by Yahweh, since you have showed this loyalty to your master Saul and have buried him.

Now may Yahweh show you covenantal loyalty and faithfulness. I also will show you this goodness because you have done this thing.

Now then, let your hands be strong; be courageous for Saul your master is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

But Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim.

He made Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and over all Israel.

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

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

The Battle of Gibeon

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

Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. There they sat down, one group on one side of the pool and the other on the other side.

Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” Then Joab said, “Let them arise.”

Then the young men got up and gathered together, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

Each man seized his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into the side of his opponent, and they fell down together. Therefore, that place was called in Hebrew, “Helkath Hazzurim,” or “field of Swords,” which is in Gibeon.

The battle was very severe that day and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was swift in his feet like a wild gazelle.

Asahel closely pursued Abner and followed him without turning away in any direction.

Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you Asahel?” He answered, “It is I.”

Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn aside.

So Abner said again to Asahel, “Stop pursuing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I hold up my face to Joab, your brother?”

But Asahel refused to turn aside, and so Abner stabbed him in the body with the blunt end of his spear, so that the spear came out the other side. Asahel fell down and died there. So it came about that anyone who arrived at the place where Asahel fell down and died, he stopped and stood still.

But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is near Giah by the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.

The men of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and stood on the top of the hill.

Then Abner called to Joab and said, “Must the sword devour forever? Do you not know it will be bitter in the end? How long will it be before you tell your men to stop pursuing their brothers?”

Joab replied, “Just as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have pursued their brothers until the morning!”

So Joab blew the trumpet, and all his men stopped and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.

Abner and his men traveled all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, marched all the next morning, and then reached Mahanaim.

Joab returned from pursuing Abner. He assembled all his men, from whom were missing Asahel and nineteen of David’s soldiers.

But the men of David had killed 360 men of Benjamin with Abner.

Then they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men traveled all night, and the day dawned on them at Hebron.

After this, David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” The LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” He said, “To Hebron.”

So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.

The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.”

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by the LORD, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.

Now may the LORD show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.

Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.

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

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

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

The Battle of Gibeon

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

Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s servants went out, and met them 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.

Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”

Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.

They each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.(a)

The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.

Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.

Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”

Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.

Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?”

However, he refused to turn away. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there and died in the same place. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. The sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”

Joab said, “As God(b) lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.”

So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more.

Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.

Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing.

But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died.

They took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.

Footnotes

(a)2:16 “Helkath Hazzurim” means “field of daggers”.

(b)2:27 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).