34 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Asahel pursued after Abner,.... Ambitious of the glory of taking or slaying the general of the army of Israel; trusting to his swiftness, not considering that the race is not always to the swift, and that he had to do with a veteran soldier, and he a raw young man, though valiant: and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Abner looked behind him,.... Perceiving one at his heels, and making haste up to him. And said, [art] thou Asahel? for it seems he knew him personally, being well acquainted with his family: and he answered, I [am]; so that they were very near to each other, as to discourse together, and be heard and understood by each other.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abner said unto him,.... Having a respect for him, and consulting his good, and however fearing his brother Joab should he slay him: turn thee aside to thy right or to thy left; he does not advise him to go back, which would have been to his disgrace, having engaged in the pursuit, but to turn to the right or left, as if pursuing some other...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abner said again to Asahel,.... Being loath to dispatch him: turn thee aside from following me, wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? which was giving him fair warning, and letting him know what he must expect, if he did not desist from his pursuit: how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? the general of David's army, a...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Howbeit, he refused to turn aside,.... Determined on making him his captive if possible. Wherefore Abner, with the hinder end of the spear; he had in his hand, which seems to have had a pike at both ends; so that with the hinder end of it, next to Asahel, he thrust it at him, without turning to him: and smote him under the fifth [rib]; the place...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner,.... Or rather but Joab, c. (n). They stood not still as the rest, but, filled with indignation and resentment, pursued after Abner, to be avenged on him: and the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah a hill by the side of which was a pool of water, as Kimchi thinks, and from thence so called:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner,.... Either those that were with him before, who upon the battle were dispersed, but now got together again; or others of that tribe, who, hearing of the defeat of Abner, went out of the several cities after him, to strengthen his hands, and renew the fight with Joab: and became...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Abner called to Joab,.... For having now a troop of men with him, he could stop with the greater safety; and being on an hill, and perhaps Joab on one opposite to him, could call to him, so as to be heard: and said, shall the sword devour for ever? slay men, and devour their blood. See Jeremiah 46:10. That he was not thoughtful of, nor...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab said, as God liveth,.... Which was the form of an oath, swearing by the living God: unless thou hadst spoken; that is, these words in 2 Samuel 2:14; "let the young men arise and play", that he had not given the challenge to fight: surely then in the morning the people had gone up everyone from following his brother; they would have gone...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So Joab blew a trumpet,.... Or caused one to be blown as a signal of a retreat: and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more; as soon as they heard the trumpet sound, the meaning of which they understood, they stepped at once, and left off their pursuit: neither fought they any more; that day, and perhaps no pitched battle...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain,.... The plain of Jordan. He marched with his men all night, lest Joab should return, and pursue him, and take vengeance on him for the death of his brother: and passed over Jordan; at one of the fords of it: and went through all Bithron; the name of a province or country, as Jarchi,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab returned from following Abner,.... It being in his commission from David to shed as little blood as he could: and when he had gathered all the people together; who had been pursuing the Israelites, some one way and some another: there lacked of David's servants nineteen men, and Asahel; who is particularly mentioned, because a very...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and Abner's men,.... Of those of the tribe of Benjamin that joined him, and of those that he brought with him from Mahanaim; so many of them were smitten, as appeared by their bodies lying on the field of battle, [so that] three hundred and threescore men died; the number of the slain on each side...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they took up Asahel,.... From the place where he fell; that is, Joab and Abishai, his brethren, as Josephus (w) relates; after they had buried the dead in the field of battle, they took up him: and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which [was in] Bethlehem: not in the city of Bethlehem, but without it, on the south side of it; so says...