2 Samuel 2
Summary for 2Sam 2:1-32: 2:1-32 a After Saul died, those loyal to David (the tribe of Judah) clashed with those loyal to Saul’s son Ishbosheth (the remaining tribes of Israel). The Philistines, who at this time were essentially overlords of all Palestine west of the Jordan River, likely favored and encouraged this division because it made it easier for them to divide and conquer. 2:1 b David asked the Lord (cp. 5:23-24 c; Judg 1:1-2 d; 20:18 e; 1 Sam 10:22 f) by consulting the Urim and Thummim (see Exod 28:30 g; Lev 8:8 h; Deut 33:8 i; 1 Sam 14:41 j) administered by Abiathar, David’s priest (1 Sam 23:1-12 k; 30:7-8 l). David acted when God directed, not before.• Hebron was nineteen miles southwest of Jerusalem. Abraham had lived in this area for a time and eventually purchased a nearby cave for a family burial plot (Gen 23 m). The people of the area were sympathetic toward David (see 1 Sam 30:26-31 n).
2:2 o Ahinoam: See study note on 1 Sam 25:43. David’s other wife, Saul’s daughter Michal, had been given to another man after David fled from Saul (1 Sam 25:44 p).
• Abigail: See 1 Sam 25 q.
Summary for 2Sam 2:4-7: 2:4b-7 r Once established in Hebron, David made good faith gestures to those still loyal to Saul, such as the men of Jabesh-gilead. However, because they were loyal to ... Saul and his dynasty, they rejected David as king (2:8-11 s). David was also in league with Nahash, king of the Ammonites (see 10:2 t; 17:27-29 u), who had caused havoc in Jabesh-gilead (1 Sam 11:1-15 v).
2:7 w David’s anointing by the people of Judah provided the legal basis of his kingship, just as it had for Saul (1 Sam 11:15 x). He had been anointed by the prophet Samuel years earlier (1 Sam 16:13 y).
2:8 z Abner: See study note on 1 Sam 20:25.
• Mahanaim was located east of the Jordan River, deep in the highlands of Gilead near a plentiful source of fresh water. Saul and his family had close ties to Gilead (1 Sam 11:1-11 aa; 31:11-13 ab). Locating east of the Jordan made Ishbosheth’s regime less susceptible to attack by David’s forces. This same area was later King David’s temporary refuge after Absalom’s coup (2 Sam 17:24 ac, 27 ad).
• Ishbosheth means “man of shame.” His original name, Esh-baal, means “man of Baal.” The name Baal (“lord, master, possessor”) was associated with a pagan Canaanite deity (e.g., see Num 25:3 ae), so it is likely that Ishbosheth’s name was later changed because of that association.
2:9 af Gilead was the easternmost district of the northern kingdom, Jezreel the northernmost, and Benjamin the southernmost, with Ephraim in the middle. It is unclear which area was the land of the Ashurites. All the rest of Israel refers to the tribes that Ishbosheth ruled over rather than to the geographical area of his kingdom.
Summary for 2Sam 2:10-11: 2:10-11 ag Ishbosheth ... ruled from Mahanaim for two years at some point during David’s 7½-year reign from Hebron. Apparently a gap of five years occurred in which the northern tribes were without a king.
Summary for 2Sam 2:12-32: 2:12-32 ah A protracted civil war ensued between Judah (led by David) and the northern tribes (led by Saul’s dynasty). These events set the stage for Abner’s murder (3:22-39 ai). 2:12 aj Gibeon, about five miles northwest of Jerusalem, was a key city in Benjamin.
2:13 ak The pool of Gibeon extends down some 80 feet to the water table. Archaeologists estimate that the original diggers had to remove about 3,000 tons of limestone to create it.
2:14 al a few of our warriors: In the ancient world, enemy armies would sometimes choose individuals or small groups to fight each other as representative gladiators—a custom often referred to as champion warfare (see also 1 Sam 17 am).
• fight hand to hand: The Hebrew term usually includes a component of play. A contest of champions might have been seen as a type of high-stakes game. In this instance, it settled nothing; the fighting expanded into a much wider confrontation with heavier casualties (2 Sam 2:17-32 an).
2:17 ao The casualty count of this fierce battle is noted in 2:30-31 ap.
2:18 aq Zeruiah was David’s sister (1 Chr 2:15-16 ar), so Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were his nephews.
Summary for 2Sam 2:20-22: 2:20-22 as Go fight someone else! ... Get away from here! Abner’s words reflect respect between peers trained for the same career, as well as a sense of fair play. The youthful Asahel would have been no match for the more experienced Abner. Abner also knew that if he killed Asahel, the conflict with David would escalate and David’s forces would seek revenge (see 3:22-39 at).
2:24 au they set out after Abner: See 3:27 av.
• Ammah (“conduit”) and Giah (“gushing”) suggest that there was an aqueduct system connected to the pool at Gibeon (2:12-13 aw).
2:26 ax bitterness is the only result: Realizing that such wars go on generation after generation, Abner wisely negotiated a truce.
2:28 ay The ram’s horn signaled the beginning and end of combat (see also 18:16 az; Josh 6:15-16 ba). For other uses of the ram’s horn, see study note on 2 Sam 6:15.
2:29 bb Abner was wise to put as much distance as possible between his troops and Joab’s forces, recognizing that their desire for blood vengeance could overpower the truce.
2:31 bc The 360 who died were all from the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s tribe, under the leadership of one of Saul’s relatives. This defeat was a direct blow to Saul’s dynasty (cp. 3:1 bd).
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