New American Standard Bible 1995

2 Samuel 2:1-19

1Then it came about afterwards that 1David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “2To Hebron.” 2So David went up there, and 3his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the 4widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 3And 5David brought up his men who were with him, each with his household; and they lived in the cities of Hebron. 4Then the men of Judah came and there 6anointed David king over the house of Judah.

And they told David, saying, “It was 7the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, “8May you be blessed of the Lord because you have 9shown this kindness to Saul your lord, and have buried him. 6Now 10may the Lord 11show lovingkindness and truth to you; and I also will 12show this goodness to you, because you have done this thing. 7Now therefore, let your hands be strong and be 13valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

8But 14Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken 15Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to 16Mahanaim. 9He made him king over 17Gilead, over the 18Ashurites, over 19Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. 10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 20The 21time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12Now Abner the son of Ner, went out from Mahanaim to 22Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul. 13And 23Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met 24them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, 25one on the one side of the pool and 26the other on the other side of the pool. 14Then Abner said to Joab, “Now let the young men arise and 27 28hold a contest before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15So they arose and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16Each one of them seized his 29opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his 30opponent’s side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called 31Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 17That day the battle was very severe, and 32Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18Now 33the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was 34as 35swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field. 19Asahel pursued Abner and did not 36turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.

Read all of 2 Samuel 2

Notes

1. 2 Samuel 2:1 1 Sam 23:2, 4, 9-12 ↩
2. 2 Samuel 2:1 Josh 14:13; 1 Sam 30:31 ↩
3. 2 Samuel 2:2 1 Sam 25:42, 43 ↩
4. 2 Samuel 2:2 Lit wife ↩
5. 2 Samuel 2:3 1 Sam 30:9; 1 Chr 12:1 ↩
6. 2 Samuel 2:4 1 Sam 16:13; 2 Sam 5:3, 5 ↩
7. 2 Samuel 2:4 1 Sam 31:11-13 ↩
8. 2 Samuel 2:5 1 Sam 23:21; Ps 115:15 ↩
9. 2 Samuel 2:5 Lit done ↩
10. 2 Samuel 2:6 Ex 34:6; 2 Tim 1:16 ↩
11. 2 Samuel 2:6 Lit do ↩
12. 2 Samuel 2:6 Lit do ↩
13. 2 Samuel 2:7 Lit sons of valor ↩
14. 2 Samuel 2:8 1 Sam 14:50 ↩
15. 2 Samuel 2:8 I.e. man of shame; cf 1 Chr 8:33, Eshbaal ↩
16. 2 Samuel 2:8 Gen 32:2; 2 Sam 17:24 ↩
17. 2 Samuel 2:9 Josh 22:9 ↩
18. 2 Samuel 2:9 Judg 1:32 ↩
19. 2 Samuel 2:9 1 Sam 29:1 ↩
20. 2 Samuel 2:11 2 Sam 5:5 ↩
21. 2 Samuel 2:11 Lit number of days ↩
22. 2 Samuel 2:12 Josh 10:12; 18:25 ↩
23. 2 Samuel 2:13 2 Sam 8:16; 1 Chr 2:16; 11:6 ↩
24. 2 Samuel 2:13 Lit them together ↩
25. 2 Samuel 2:13 Lit these ↩
26. 2 Samuel 2:13 Lit these ↩
27. 2 Samuel 2:14 Lit make sport ↩
28. 2 Samuel 2:14 2 Sam 2:16, 17 ↩
29. 2 Samuel 2:16 Lit fellow ↩
30. 2 Samuel 2:16 Lit fellow’s ↩
31. 2 Samuel 2:16 I.e. the field of sword-edges ↩
32. 2 Samuel 2:17 2 Sam 3:1 ↩
33. 2 Samuel 2:18 1 Chr 2:16 ↩
34. 2 Samuel 2:18 1 Chr 12:8; Hab 3:19 ↩
35. 2 Samuel 2:18 Lit light in his feet ↩
36. 2 Samuel 2:19 Lit turn to go to ↩

Notes

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 2