719 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abner the son of Ner,.... Who was before captain of Saul's host, and now of Ishbosheth's: and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul; who seem to be not only his domestic servants, that waited upon him, or his courtiers, but his whole army by what follows: went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon; came from the city on the other side Jordan, where...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Joab the son of Zeruiah,.... A sister of David, and this her son was general of David's army: and the servants of David, went out; that is, his army went out from Hebron to Gibeon, which was twenty four miles (d) to meet that under Abner; for though he had but one tribe with him, and Ishbosheth had all the rest, yet Judah was a numerous,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abner said to Joab,.... Perceiving he made no motion towards an engagement with him, his orders from David being only to act on the defensive, and avoid as much as possible the effusion of blood: let the young men now arise, and play before us; with their swords after the manner of gladiators or duellers; that it might appear who were best...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin,.... Whom Abner had picked out of that tribe, being his own, and whom he knew to be stout and courageous men, and closely attached to him. It seems by this as if Abner's men, [which pertained to] Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, passed over the pool of Gibeon unto Joab's men; so forward were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they caught everyone his fellow by the head,.... By the hair of his head with his hand: and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side; which he had in the other; so they fell down together; the twelve on each side, all the twenty four; some think only the twelve on Abner's side fell; but to me it seems that they all fell dead as one man, since...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there was a very sore battle that day,.... When the twenty four men fell together, and no decision could be made thereby, or any triumph on either side, both armies drew up in battle array, and fought very furiously: and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David; the army under him had the worst of it, and were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there were three sons of Zeruiah there,.... In the battle, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; Joab was the general of the array, Abishai was he who went into Saul's host at night, and took away his spear and cruse of water at his head, 1 Samuel 26:6; and it is for the sake of the third, Asahel, that the account is given, the story of his death...
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...