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Texts -- 2 Samuel 2:17-32 (NET)

Context
2:17 Now the battle was very severe that day ; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David’s soldiers . 2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there – Joab , Abishai , and Asahel . (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field .) 2:19 Asahel chased Abner , without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner . 2:20 Then Abner turned and asked , “Is that you , Asahel ?” He replied , “Yes it is!” 2:21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left . Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 2:22 So Abner spoke again to Asahel , “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground . How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother ?” 2:23 But Asahel refused to turn aside . So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear . The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect . 2:24 So Joab and Abishai chased Abner . At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon . 2:25 The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army , standing at the top of a certain hill . 2:26 Then Abner called out to Joab , “Must the sword devour forever ? Don’t you realize that this will turn bitter in the end ? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers ?” 2:27 Joab replied , “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this , it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers !” 2:28 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting . 2:29 Abner and his men went through the Arabah all that night . They crossed the Jordan River and went through the whole region of Bitron and came to Mahanaim . 2:30 Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people . Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing , in addition to Asahel . 2:31 But David’s soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner’s men – in all, 360 men had died ! 2:32 They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem . Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn .

Pericope

NET
  • 2Sa 2:8--3:5 -- David's Army Clashes with the Army of Saul

Bible Dictionary

  • Joab

    [ebd] Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David's sister, and "captain of the host" during the whole of David's reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father's name is nowhere mentioned, alth...
    [nave] JOAB 1. Son of David's sister, 1 Chr. 2:16. Commander of David's army, 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:23; 1 Chr. 11:6; 18:15; 27:34. Dedicated spoils of his battles, 1 Chr. 26:28. Defeated the Jebusites, 1 Chr. 11:6. Defeats and slays ...

  • Abner

    [ebd] father of light; i.e., "enlightening", the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul's army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over Goliath (1...
    [nave] ABNER, son of Ner. Cousin of Saul, 1 Sam. 14:50, 51, with 1 Sam. 9:1. Captain of the army, 1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 26:5, 14. Dedicated spoils of war to the tabernacle, 1 Chr. 26:27, 28. Loyalty of, to the house of Saul, 2 Sam...

  • Israel

    [ebd] the name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because "as a prince he had power with God and prevailed." (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob's descendants. The whole peop...
    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • War

    [smith] The most important topic in connection with war is the formation of the army which is destined to carry it on. [ARMY] In (1 Kings 9:22) at a period (Solomon?s reign) when the organization of the army was complete, we have ...
    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Ish-bosheth

    [ebd] man of shame or humiliation, the youngest of Saul's four sons, and the only one who survived him (2 Sam. 2-4). His name was originally Eshbaal (1 Chr. 8:33; 9:39). He was about forty years of age when his father and three br...

  • Saul

    [nave] SAUL 1. Called also Shaul. King of Edom, Gen. 36:37, 38; 1 Chr. 1:48, 49. 2. King of Israel. A Benjamite, son of Kish, 1 Sam. 9:1, 2. Sons of, 1 Chr. 8:33. His personal appearance, 1 Sam. 9:2; 10:23. Made king of Israel,...

  • David

    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • Lamentations, Book of

    [ebd] called in the Hebrew canon 'Ekhah, meaning "How," being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing. It is the first word of the book (see 2 Sam. 1:19-27). The LXX. adopted the name rendered "Lamentations" (Gr. thr...

  • Cord

    [ebd] frequently used in its proper sense, for fastening a tent (Ex. 35:18; 39:40), yoking animals to a cart (Isa. 5:18), binding prisoners (Judg. 15:13; Ps. 2:3; 129:4), and measuring ground (2 Sam. 8;2; Ps. 78:55). Figuratively,...

  • Asahel

    [ebd] made by God, the youngest son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was celebrated for his swiftness of foot. When fighting against Ish-bosheth at Gibeon, in the army of his brother Joab, he was put to death by Abner, whom he pursu...
    [isbe] ASAHEL - as'-a-hel (`asah'el, "God hath made"; Asael): (1) The brother of Joab and Abishai. The three were sons of Zeruiah, one of David's sisters (1 Ch 2:15,16; 2 Sam 2:18, etc.). The three brothers seem to have been from t...
    [smith] (made by God). Nephew of David, being the youngest son of his sister Zeruiah. He was celebrated for his swiftness of foot. When fighting under his brother Joab at Gibeon, he pursued Abner, who was obliged to kill him in self...
    [nave] ASAHEL 1. Nephew of David, and one of his captains, 2 Sam. 2:18-24, 32; 3:27; 23:24; 1 Chr. 2:16; 11:26; 27:7. 2. A Levite, commissioned by Jehoshaphat to teach the law to Judah, 2 Chr. 17:8. 3. A Levite, who had charge of...

  • Homicide

    [nave] HOMICIDE. Accidental Ex. 21:13, 28-32; Num. 35:11-15, 22-28, 32 Deut. 4:41-43; 19:1-10. Josh. 20:1-9 Felonious or Murder: Gen. 4:9-11 v. 12.; Gen. 9:5, 6; Gen. 49:7; Ex. 20:13 Deut. 5:17; Rom. 13:9. Ex. 21:29-32; Num. 35...

  • Truce

    [nave] TRUCE, in battle, 2 Sam. 2:26-31.

  • Abishai

    [ebd] father of (i.e., "desirous of") a gift, the eldest son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was the brother of Joab and Asahel (2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chr. 2:16). Abishai was the only one who accompanied David when he went to the camp of ...
    [isbe] ABISHAI - ab'-i-shi, a-bi'-shi ('abhishai, in Ch 'abhshai; meaning is doubtful, probably "my father is Jesse," BDB): Son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and one of the three famous brothers, of whom Joab and Asahel were the othe...
    [nave] ABISHAI Son of Zeruiah, David's sister, 1 Chr. 2:16. One of David's chief men, 2 Sam. 23:18. Seeks Saul's life, 1 Sam. 26:6-8. Pursues and slays Abner, 2 Sam. 2:24; 3:30. Defeats the Edomites, 1 Chr. 18:12; the Ammonites...

  • Ammah

    [ebd] a cubit, the name of a hill which Joab and Abishai reached as the sun went down, when they were in pursuit of Abner (2 Sam. 2:24). It lay to the east of Gibeon.
    [isbe] AMMAH - am'-a ('ammah, "mother" or "beginning"): A hill in the territory of Benjamin (2 Sam 2:24), where Joab and Abishai halted at nightfall in their pursuit of Abner and his forces after their victory over him in the battl...
    [smith] (head), The hill of, A hill facing Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon, named as the point to which Joab pursued Abner (2 Samuel 2:24)
    [nave] AMMAH, a mountain, 2 Sam. 2:24.

  • Bithron

    [isbe] BITHRON - bith'-ron (ha-bithron; holen ten parateinousan, literally "the entire (land) extending"; 2 Sam 2:29, "the Bithron," i.e. the gorge or groove): Does not seem to be a proper name; rather it indicates the gorge by whi...
    [smith] more accurately the Bithron (a craggy gorge or ravine), a place, doubtless a district, in the Jordan valley on the east side of the river. (2 Samuel 2:29)
    [nave] BITHRON, a district bordering on the Jordan, 2 Sam. 2:29.

  • Zeruiah

    [isbe] ZERUIAH - ze-roo-i'-a, ze-roo'-ya (tseruyah, tseruyah (2 Sam 14:1; 16:10), meaning uncertain; Sarouia): In 2 Sam 2:18; 17:25; 1 Ch 2:16, and elsewhere where the names Joab, Abishai, occur. According to 1 Ch 2:16 a sister of ...
    [nave] ZERUIAH Sister of David, 1 Chr. 2:16. Mother of three of David's great soldiers, 1 Chr. 2:16; 2 Sam. 2:18; 3:39; 16:9-11; 17:25.

  • Giah

    [isbe] GIAH - gi'-a (giach): An unidentified place on the route followed by Abner in his flight, pursued by Joab (2 Sam 2:24). Septuagint renders Gai, corresponding to the Hebrew ge, "valley." The form giach may be due to corruptio...
    [smith] (a waterfall), a place named only in (2 Samuel 2:24) to designate the position of the hill Ammah.
    [nave] GIAH, a place on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon, 2 Sam. 2:24.

  • ARABAH

    [ebd] plain, in the Revised Version of 2 Kings 14:25; Josh. 3:16; 8:14; 2 Sam. 2:29; 4:7 (in all these passages the A.V. has "plain"); Amos 6:14 (A.V. "wilderness"). This word is found in the Authorized Version only in Josh. 18:18...
    [isbe] ARABAH - ar'-a-ba, a-ra'-ba ha-`arabhah, "the Arabah"): This word indicates in general a barren district, but is specifically applied in whole or in part to the depression of the Jordan valley, extending from Mount Hermon to...

  • WAR; WARFARE

    [isbe] WAR; WARFARE - wor, wor'-far (milchamah, 'anshe m., "men of war," "soldiers"; polemos, polemein, strateuesthai, stratia): 1. Religious Significance 2. Preliminaries 3. Operations of War 4. Strategy 5. Important Requisites 6....
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Arts

Questions

  • The Ammonites were so called (Deu. 2:19). They were a cruel, covetous, proud, reproachful, vindictive, superstitious and idolatrous nation (see Amos 1:13; Zep. 2:10; Eze. 25:3,6; Judg. 10:6; Jer. 27:3). Their chief city was R...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The Elah Valley is an S-shaped valley just south of the Sorek Valley. It runs east and west parallel to it. Socoh stood to the east and Azekah to the west. Archaeologists have not yet located Ephes-dammim. Gath was 7 miles to...
  • David's words and actions convicted Saul of his actions (v. 17), and the king wept tears of remorse (v. 16). He referred to David as his "son"(v. 16), as David had earlier called Saul his "father"(v. 11). Saul confessed David...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Samuel)V. David's triumphs chs. 1-8A. The beginning of David's kingdom 1:1-3:51. David's discovery of Saul and Jonathan's deaths ch. 12. David's move to Hebron 2:1-4a3. David's overtures to Jabesh-g...
  • The first 20 chapters of 2 Samuel are divisible into four units each of which ends with a list of names that is four verses long (1:1-3:5; 3:6-5:16; 5:17-8:18; 9:1-20:26).2The first two units conclude with lists of David's so...
  • The present section begins with Yahweh's destruction of Saul's line and ends with a summary of David's fecundity. In the middle we find the record of David's anointing as king over Judah (2:1-7). In 1:1-3:5 we see the Israeli...
  • "Without doubt this portion [of 2 Samuel, i.e., chapters 2-8] forms the crux of the book. Here the fertility motif reaches a peak. The thesis of the author--that Israel is blessed with fertility when the nation (and the epito...
  • "The much later crisis of I Kings 12 suggests that the Davidic hold on the north is never deeply established. In our chapter we are given two episodes of David's attentiveness to the north. One (vv. 4b-7) is a peaceable act o...
  • David's overtures to the Jabesh-gileadites were very important. Saul's commander-in-chief and cousin, Abner, was working to install Saul's youngest son, Ish-bosheth (called Eshbaal in 1 Chron. 9:39), as his father's successor...
  • Travelers can visit the pool of Gibeon today. It lies about three miles northwest of Gibeah."The pool is a cylindrical shaft thirty-seven feet in diameter and thirty-five feet deep. Its five-feet-wide spiral stairway, which w...
  • The first verse in this chapter summarizes 2:8-32. The point of the remaining verses is that during the seven and one-half years that David ruled Judah he grew stronger because God was blessing him.33David resorted to further...
  • The writer also documented God's blessing on David in this record of how David wisely unified the nation of Israel and became the leader of all 12 tribes."The story of how David became king of all Israel follows, in most esse...
  • "Saul the king is dead, Jonathan the heir apparent is dead, Abinadab and Malki-Shua (two of Jonathan's brothers) are dead (1 Sam 31:2), Abner the commander of the army is dead--and no other viable claimants or pretenders cont...
  • "As the story of David's accession to kingship over Judah (1:1-3:5) parallels that of his accession to the throne of Israel (3:6-5:16), each concluding with a list of his sons (3:2-5; 5:13-16), so the account of his powerful ...
  • The promises Yahweh made to David here are an important key to understanding God's program for the future.God rejected David's suggestion that he build a temple for the Lord and gave three reasons. First, there was no pressin...
  • "From the religious heights of chapter 7 we descend again to the everyday world of battles and bloodshed in chapter 8. The military action picks up where the story left off at the end of chapter 5."130Chapter 8 evidently desc...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • While Joab was continuing to subdue the Ammonites the following spring by besieging Rabbah (modern Amman, the capital of Jordan; cf. 10:7), David was residing in Jerusalem (11:1). By mentioning the fact that normally kings le...
  • "With Joab's return to the king in Jerusalem, the grand symphony known as the Court History of David reaches its conclusion for all practical purposes (at least as far as the books of Samuel are concerned . . .). The last fou...
  • Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and ...
  • Perhaps because Solomon had shown Adonijah mercy when he fled to the altar (1:50-52) Joab sought refuge from Solomon for participating in Adonijah's rebellion there too. Joab, however, was a murderer as well as a rebel. Conse...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Building Activities of David and Solomon."Israel Exploration Journal24:1(1974):13-16.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonahl. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.,...
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