2 Samuel · WEB-C
2 Samuel
2
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
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.” See also: Proverbs 3:5-61 Samuel 30:31Psalms 143:8So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. See also: 1 Samuel 25:42-431 Samuel 30:5Luke 22:28-29David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron. See also: 1 Samuel 30:11 Chronicles 12:1-71 Samuel 27:2-3The 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.” See also: 2 Samuel 5:51 Samuel 31:11-132 Samuel 5:3David 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. See also: 1 Samuel 23:21Psalms 115:15Ruth 2:20Now may the LORD show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing. See also: Proverbs 14:22Exodus 34:6Matthew 5:44Now 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.” See also: Ephesians 6:102 Samuel 10:12Genesis 15:1Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. See also: 1 Samuel 14:50Genesis 32:21 Chronicles 8:33He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel. See also: Joshua 13:8-11Numbers 1:40Genesis 30:13Ishbosheth, 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. See also: 1 Kings 2:112 Samuel 5:4-51 Chronicles 29:27Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. See also: Joshua 10:4Joshua 18:25Joshua 9:3Joab 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. See also: 2 Samuel 8:161 Chronicles 2:162 Samuel 20:23Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!” See also: 2 Samuel 2:172 Samuel 2:26-27Proverbs 10:23Then 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. The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants. See also: 2 Samuel 3:1The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle. See also: 1 Chronicles 12:8Habakkuk 3:19Song of Songs 8:14Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. See also: Joshua 23:62 Samuel 2:212 Kings 22:2Then 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. See also: Judges 14:19Abner 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?” See also: 2 Samuel 3:27Proverbs 29:12 Kings 14:10-12However, 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. See also: 2 Samuel 3:272 Samuel 4:62 Samuel 5:6But 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?” See also: Jeremiah 46:14Jeremiah 46:10Acts 7:26Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.” See also: 2 Samuel 2:14Proverbs 17:141 Samuel 25:26So 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. See also: 2 Samuel 2:8Song of Songs 2:17Joab 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 and Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died. See also: 2 Samuel 3:11 Kings 20:11They 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. See also: Proverbs 22:291 Chronicles 2:13-161 Samuel 17:58
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Reflections
No reviewed reflections for this passage yet.
Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)21 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
2 Samuel 2:1
Ver. 1. Juda. David thought it was his duty to co-operate with the designs of Providence. He consults the Lord (C.) by means of Abiathar, (Abul.) or by a prophet. Joseph. --- Hebron, ennobled by the patriarchs. M. --- It was also in the centre of Juda, and the strongest place belonging to that tribe. C. --- Part of Jerusalem was still in the hands of the Jebusites. H.
↑ 12 Samuel 2:3
Ver. 3. Towns, villages, and dependencies of Hebron.
↑ 32 Samuel 2:4
Ver. 4. Juda, without the concurrence of the other tribes, (C.) which would be an evil precedent in a commonwealth, unless God had authorized them by the declaration of his will. Grot. ---
Samuel had before anointed David, and given him a right to the crown, (W.) jus ad regnum. But this anointing gives him a right to govern, jus in regno; (C.) or rather it proves, that the tribe submitted voluntarily to his dominion, which he had already (H.) lawfully begun to exercise, when he put the Amalecite to death. Abulensis. T. --- Told, perhaps by some ill-designing men, who wished to irritate David against those who had shewn an attachment to Saul, unless the king had made enquiry, thinking it his duty to bury the deceased. C.
↑ 42 Samuel 2:6
Ver. 6. And truth, or a real kindness. God will reward you for the sincere piety which you have shewn towards the dead. C. --- Will. I do, by these messengers, thank you. Louis de Dieu.
↑ 62 Samuel 2:7
Ver. 7. King. He invites them to concur with the men of Juda, hoping that all Israel would be influenced by their example. But his hopes proved abortive, as Abner caused Isboseth to be proclaimed king in the vicinity at Mahanaim.
↑ 72 Samuel 2:8
Ver. 8. Camp. Heb. Machanayim, which many take for a proper name (C.) of the town, on the river Jabok, where Jacob had encamped. Gen. xxxii. 2. H. ---
Abner was aware that he should not retain his authority under David, and therefore conducted Isboseth to the camps in various places, (M.) but chiefly on the east side of the Jordan, (H. v. 29.) where the people were particularly attached to Saul's family. Isboseth seems to have been a fit tool for his purpose.
↑ 82 Samuel 2:9
Ver. 9. Gessuri. There was one south of Juda: but this country was probably near Hermon, and might be tributary to Israel. David perhaps married this king's daughter, in order to detach him from the party of Isboseth. C. iii. 3. Heb.
reads, "Assuri;" and S. Jerom observes, that many explained it of the tribe of Aser, (Trad. Heb.) with the Chaldee, (D. M.) or of the Assurians. Gen.
xxv. 3. --- Israel, by degrees. In the mean time the Philistines occupied many cities, which might prevent Isboseth from attempting to fix his residence on the west side of the Jordan, v. 19.
↑ 92 Samuel 2:10
Ver. 10. He reigned two years, viz. before he began visibly to decline: but in all he reigned seven years and six months: for so long David reigned in Hebron.
Ch. W. --- The Jews admit of an interregnum in Israel of above five years, which is by no means probable. Two years elapsed before the two houses came to an open war; (Salien) soon after which, the power of Isboseth was greatly weakened by the defeat, and afterwards by the defection, of Abner. H. --- Hence the sacred historian refers to the commencement of hostilities, and not to the end of Isboseth's dominion. E. T. C.
↑ 102 Samuel 2:12
Ver. 12. Servants; guards, army. M. --- Camp; or from Machanayim to Gabaon, in the tribe of Benjamin, about six miles from Jerusalem. C. --- Sept. leave the former word untranslated,
"Manaeim." H.
↑ 122 Samuel 2:14
Ver. 14. Play, like the gladiators with drawn swords, which formed one of the principal diversions at Rome, (C.) while it was pagan. This might be considered as a prelude to the ensuing engagement; or like a detachment of twelve on each side, fighting to shew the prowess of their respective armies; as the three Horatii and Curiatii did afterwards, to spare the effusion of blood.
But there is no mention that Abner and Joab had authority to agree that these champions should decide the fate of the two kingdoms, (H.) whence they are generally accused of ostentation; though the soldiers, not being acquainted with their motives, were obliged to obey. T.
M.
↑ 142 Samuel 2:16
Ver. 16. Together. Some understand this only of Abner's soldiers, as the original may be explained: "And they (David's men) caught every on one his,"
&c. But it is more generally believed that all fell. C. --- Rufin has erroneously translated Josephus in the former sense, and has lead Comestor, Lyran, &c.
into this opinion. T. --- Valiant. Heb. "the portion of the smooth stones, ( hatsurim, 1 K. xvii. 40. or) of the brave." C.
↑ 162 Samuel 2:18
Ver. 18. Woods. Swiftness was one great qualification of a warrior. C. i. 23.
Homer generally styles Achilles, "the swift-footed."
↑ 182 Samuel 2:21
Ver. 21. Spoils. Attack one who may be a more equal match for thee. H.
↑ 212 Samuel 2:22
Ver. 22. Brother. It seems they were great friends, though they had espoused different parties. C.
↑ 222 Samuel 2:23
Ver. 23. Stroke, ( aversâ. ) Heb. "with the hinder end of the spear, under the fifth rib. " Sept. "in the loin."
↑ 232 Samuel 2:24
Ver. 24. Wilderness, or land which was not ploughed, though fruitful.
↑ 242 Samuel 2:26
Ver. 26. Destruction. Sept. "till thou hast gained a complete victory?" Chal. "to separation?"
Must we come to an eternal rupture? --- Despair? Heb. "that it will be bitterness in the end?"
Abner insinuates that they had commenced in a sort of play, but the consequences had already proved too serious; and if Joab continued to pursue, his men would be rendered desperate. C. ---
Despair makes people perform wonders, to revenge themselves. M.
↑ 262 Samuel 2:27
Ver. 27. Sooner. Heb. "If thou hadst not spoken," (D.) by challenging, v. 14.
Josephus, &c. C.
↑ 272 Samuel 2:28
Ver. 28. Trumpet. It was not dishonourable for a general to do this himself. C.
xviii. 16. But among the Hebrews, the priests generally performed this office.
C.
↑ 282 Samuel 2:29
Ver. 29. Beth-horon. Sept. "the extended plain." Heb. Bithrun, (H.) or the country towards the Jordan. C. --- Thus the battle ended in his disgrace; (H.) and many from all Israel began to flock to the standard of David. 1 Par. xii. 22.
T.
↑ 292 Samuel 2:32
Ver. 32. Day, after a march of ten hours. Adric. M.
↑ 32License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses