ENQUIRED OF THE LORD - Through Abiathar, the high priest. The death of Saul and Jonathan had entirely changed David’s position, and therefore he needed divine guidance how to act under the new circumstances in which he was placed. Compare the marginal references. Hebron was well suited for the temp... [ Continue Reading ]
David had already been anointed by Samuel 1 Samuel 16:13. His first anointing indicated God’s secret purpose, his second the accomplishment of that purpose. (Compare the case of Saul, 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 11:14.) David was anointed again king over Israel 2 Samuel 5:3. The interval between the ano... [ Continue Reading ]
MAHANAIM - See Genesis 32:2. From 2 Samuel 2:12 it would seem to have been Ish-bosheth’s capital.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASHURITES - If the tribe of Asher, the verse indicates the order in which Abner recovered the different districts from the Philistines, and added them to the dominions of Ish-bosheth, beginning with Gilead, and then gradually adding, on the west of Jordan, first the territory of Asher as far as... [ Continue Reading ]
FORTY ... TWO - The numerals are somewhat strange. First, as regards the 40 years. Even assuming that Ish-bosheth’s reign did not commence until five and a half years after Saul’s death, which must have been the case if the two years in the text gives the true length of his reign, it is startling to... [ Continue Reading ]
This expedition to Gibeon may have been for the purpose of shifting his metropolis to his own tribe of Benjamin, and to his family place, “Gibeah of Saul,” close to Gibeon, with the further purpose of attacking the kingdom of David. “To go out” 2 Samuel 2:12 is a technical phrase for going out to wa... [ Continue Reading ]
On the east of the hill (El-jib, the ancient Gibeon) is a copious spring, which issues in a cave excavated in the limestone rock, so as to form a large reservoir. In the trees further down are the remains of a pool or tank of considerable size (120 feet by 110 feet). This is doubtless “the pool of G... [ Continue Reading ]
PLAY - (Compare Judges 16:25; 1 Samuel 18:7). Here, the word is applied to the serious game of war, to be played by twelve combatants on each side, with the two armies for spectators.... [ Continue Reading ]
Compare Livy’s history of the battle between the Horatii and Curiatii. This combat, like that, may have been proposed as a means of avoiding the effusion of blood of two nations united by consanguinity, and having a common powerful enemy in the Philistines. HELKATH-HAZZURIM - i. e. “the part, field... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither side had the advantage in the combat of twelve a side; hence, the quarrel was fought out with great fierceness by the two armies, and the victory was won by David.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS ARMOUR - Rather, as in the margin; i. e. content thyself with the spoil of some inferior soldier for a trophy.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE HINDER END ... - i. e. the wooden end, which was more or less pointed to enable the owner to stick it in the ground 1 Samuel 26:7. THE FIFTH RIB - The word so rendered here (and in marginal references) means the abdomen, and is not etymologically connected with the Hebrew for five, as the... [ Continue Reading ]
AMMAH ... GIAH - Local, and otherwise unknown names.... [ Continue Reading ]
Joab’s speech means either “unless thou hadst spoken (challenged us to fight, 2 Samuel 2:14), the people would have returned from the pursuit of their brethren (many hours ago, even) this morning;” or, “If thou hadst not spoken (asked for peace, 2 Samuel 2:26), surely the people would have returned,... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE PLAIN - See 1 Samuel 23:24. Bithron is unknown. From the expression all (the) Bithron, it seems likely that it is a tract of country, intersected by ravines lying on the east side of Jordan.... [ Continue Reading ]
Joab, having stopped the pursuit, passed the night with his army on the field of battle; the next morning he numbered the missing, and buried the dead; they carried the body of Asahel to Bethlehem and buried him there, and then joined David at Hebron. Hebron would be about 14 miles from Bethlehem, o... [ Continue Reading ]