2 Samuel 2

King James Version

Full text for 2 Samuel Chapter 2

1¶ And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

3And his men that [were] with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, [That] the men of Jabeshgilead [were they] that buried Saul.

5And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed [be] ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, [even] unto Saul, and have buried him.

6And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

7Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

8¶ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

9And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ishbosheth Saul's son [was] forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together 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.

14And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

15Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which [pertained] to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and [thrust] his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon.

17And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

18¶ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe.

19And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20Then Abner looked behind him, and said, [Art] thou Asahel? And he answered, I [am].

21And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

22And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

23Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth [rib], that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, [that] as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that [lieth] before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25¶ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

26Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

27And Joab said, [As] God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

28So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

29And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

30And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

31But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, [so that] three hundred and threescore men died.

32And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which [was in] Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

After Saul's death, David enquired of the LORD and was directed to Hebron, where the men of Judah anointed him king over their house. Simultaneously, Abner, Saul's captain, made Ishbosheth, Saul's son, king over the rest of Israel, establishing a divided kingdom. This division led to an initial confrontation at the pool of Gibeon, escalating into a fierce battle where David's men prevailed, but resulted in the death of Asahel, Joab's brother, at Abner's hand.

Medium Summary

Following Saul's demise, David sought divine counsel and was instructed to go to Hebron, where the men of Judah anointed him king over their tribe. David then sent a message of blessing and commendation to the men of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness in burying Saul. Meanwhile, Abner, Saul's military commander, took Ishbosheth, Saul's son, to Mahanaim and established him as king over Gilead, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel, creating a rival monarchy. The two factions, led by Joab for David and Abner for Ishbosheth, met at the pool of Gibeon. An initial challenge to 'play' resulted in twelve men from each side killing one another, leading to a full-scale and severe battle. Abner's forces were defeated, and during the pursuit, Abner reluctantly slew Asahel, Joab's swift-footed brother, after repeated warnings. The pursuit ceased when Abner appealed to Joab to end the conflict between brethren, and Joab blew a trumpet to halt his men.

Long Summary

Subsequent to Saul's death, David sought the LORD's guidance concerning his next move and was directed to Hebron. Upon arriving with his wives and household, the men of Judah came and anointed David king over their house, a reign that would last seven years and six months. David, hearing that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, sent messengers to them, blessing them for their kindness and promising to requite their loyalty. Concurrently, Abner, Saul's captain, took Ishbosheth, Saul's son, to Mahanaim and established him as king over the northern territories, including Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, effectively creating a divided kingdom, though Ishbosheth's reign is noted to have been two years. The forces of David, led by Joab, and the forces of Ishbosheth, led by Abner, eventually met by the pool of Gibeon. Abner proposed a contest where twelve young men from each side would 'play' before them, which tragically resulted in all twenty-four men killing each other simultaneously. This deadly encounter escalated into a full-scale and very sore battle, in which Abner and the men of Israel were decisively beaten by David's servants. During the subsequent pursuit, Asahel, Joab's exceptionally swift brother, relentlessly pursued Abner. Despite Abner's repeated warnings and pleas for Asahel to turn aside and choose another opponent, Asahel refused. Consequently, Abner, in self-defense, smote Asahel with the hinder end of his spear, killing him instantly. Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit until Abner called out to Joab, questioning whether the sword should devour forever and appealing for an end to the conflict between brethren. Joab, acknowledging Abner's words, blew a trumpet, halting his men's pursuit. Abner and his men retreated through the night to Mahanaim, while Joab and his men returned to Hebron. The casualties were counted: David's servants lost nineteen men plus Asahel, while Abner's men and the Benjamites suffered three hundred and threescore dead. Asahel was buried in his father's sepulchre in Bethlehem.

Core Concepts

  • David's Anointing in HebronAfter Saul's death, David sought divine direction and was led to Hebron, where the men of Judah formally anointed him king over their tribe. This marked the beginning of his reign over Judah.
  • Divided MonarchyFollowing Saul's death, the kingdom was split, with Judah acknowledging David as king, while Abner established Ishbosheth, Saul's son, as king over the rest of Israel. This set the stage for conflict between the two houses.
  • Abner's LeadershipAbner, Saul's captain, played a pivotal role in establishing Ishbosheth's reign and leading his forces against David's men. He was a key figure in the initial resistance to David's kingship over all Israel.
  • The Pool of Gibeon ConfrontationThis location became the site of the first direct military engagement between David's and Ishbosheth's forces. It began with a deadly 'play' between twelve champions from each side, escalating into a full battle.
  • Asahel's DeathAsahel, Joab's swift-footed brother, pursued Abner relentlessly during the battle. Despite Abner's warnings, Asahel refused to turn aside and was ultimately killed by Abner in self-defense, setting up future vengeance.
  • Cessation of HostilitiesAbner appealed to Joab to end the fratricidal conflict, questioning the ongoing bloodshed. Joab agreed, blowing a trumpet to signal the end of the pursuit and battle for the day.