2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2 (Listen)

David Anointed King of Judah

2:1 After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The Battle of Gibeon

12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at 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. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,¹ which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.

29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.

(ESV)

2 Samuel 2 Commentary

In 2 Samuel 2, David inquired of the Lord about going to Judah and was directed to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1). He went with his wives and men and settled in towns around Hebron (2 Samuel 2:2-3). The men of Judah anointed David king over the house of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). David praised the men of Jabesh-gilead for burying Saul and encouraged them (2 Samuel 2:5-7).

Meanwhile, Abner (commander of Saul’s army) made Saul’s son Ish-bosheth king over Israel, ruling from Mahanaim (2 Samuel 2:8-9). Ish-bosheth was forty years old and reigned for two years, but the house of Judah followed David, who ruled in Hebron for 7 years and 6 months (2 Samuel 2:10-11).

Abner and Ish-bosheth’s forces met Joab and David’s forces at the pool of Gibeon (2 Samuel 2:12-13). Twelve men from each side fought and killed each other (2 Samuel 2:14-16). A fierce battle followed, with Abner’s forces defeated (2 Samuel 2:17).

Asahel, Joab’s brother, pursued Abner but was killed when Abner struck him with the butt of his spear (2 Samuel 2:18–23). Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit until sunset (2 Samuel 2:24). The Benjaminites regrouped with Abner on a hill (2 Samuel 2:25). Abner appealed to Joab to stop the fighting, and Joab agreed (2 Samuel 2:26-28).

Abner and his men retreated to Mahanaim (2 Samuel 2:29). Joab counted the losses: 20 of David’s men were dead, including Asahel, while 360 of Abner’s men had fallen (2 Samuel 2:30-31). Asahel was buried in Bethlehem, and Joab’s men returned to Hebron by dawn (2 Samuel 2:32).

Background

Before diving into this dramatic battle for Israel’s crown, we must first understand the dynamics of each relationship. 2 Samuel 2 is more than just political maneuvering and bloodshed; it’s about complicated relationships, family loyalty, ancient prophecy, and God’s perfect timing.

After years of being on the run, David is now free from Saul’s oppression. Although David tried to make peace with Saul and vowed that he would respect his family, a battle over the throne was inevitable. Let’s take a look at the key players in this story…

Abner was Saul’s cousin, military commander, and close friend (1 Sam 20:25, 1 Sam 26:7). After Saul’s death (and after David is declared king by Judah), Abner takes it upon himself to install Ish-bosheth as king over the rest of Israel, creating a divided kingdom.

Ish-bosheth is introduced as Saul’s son, however, his background is unclear. His name is not mentioned in previous texts. This has led scholars to speculate that he may have been an illegitimate son or a son born of a concubine. Being 40 years old when he is anointed king, Ish-bosheth would have been old enough to have fought in the previous battle where Saul and his sons were killed. It has been speculated that he was kept from battle to preserve a direct heir from Saul’s family. He is generally portrayed in the Bible as incompetent.

Joab was the son of Zeruiah, David’s sister (1 Ch 2:16), making him David’s nephew. He had two brothers, Abishai and Asahel. He served as commander of David’s army for most of David’s reign and was a key figure in many of the kingdom’s military victories. However, while Joab was fiercely loyal to David’s throne, his methods were often brutal, and his actions sometimes conflicted with David’s character and intentions.

The Timeline Following Saul’s Death

1. Saul and his sons die at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31).

• Ish-bosheth did not die with them – possibly held back to preserve Saul’s royal line.
• The Philistines overran much of Israel, leaving the kingdom in chaos.

2. David becomes king over Judah only (2 Sam 2:4).

• David inquires of the Lord and goes to Hebron.
• The tribe of Judah anoints David as king.
• He reigns in Hebron for 7 years and 6 months.
• During this time, he rules only over Judah (not all of Israel).

3. A power vacuum in the north – no king for several years.

• While David reigned in Judah, the northern tribes (Israel) possibly had no formal king for 5+ years.
• This may be due to Philistine domination, as they had just won a major victory.
• Abner, Saul’s cousin and army commander, likely acted as de facto ruler, keeping Israel stable until it was safe to restore the monarchy.

4. Ish-bosheth becomes king over Israel (2 Sam 2:8-10).

• Abner installs Ish-bosheth, a son of Saul, as king after the 5+ year drought.
• Ish-bosheth reigned only 2 years over the northern tribes: Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin (2 Sam 2:9).
• His reign does not include Judah (2 Sam 2:10).
• These 2 years likely correspond to the last 2 years of David’s time in Hebron.

The House Of David v. The House Of Saul

The chapter ends in bloodshed. Joab, David’s commander and nephew, plays a key role. He learned of Abner’s whereabouts and brought his troops to the pool of Gibeon to confront him. Initially, there was a standoff until it was suggested that 12 men from each side battle in hand-to-hand combat. This was rare in Israel.

This battle escalates into a brutal fight where David’s forces eventually defeat Abner’s men. The key event in this chapter is when Joab’s brother Asahel is killed by Abner during the pursuit. This tragic event sows seeds of a personal vendetta that will haunt both houses for years.

Abner eventually calls for a ceasefire, and Joab agrees. However, 360 men of Benjamin and Abner’s forces are killed, compared to only 20 of David’s. Asahel is buried in Bethlehem, but this loss sets Joab on a path of revenge that will impact later chapters.

This moment in history marks the start of a civil war, with fractured loyalties, lingering bitterness, and a king still waiting on God. Israel had lost sight of God’s vision and purpose.

“Of course, Abner had personal interest in the household of Saul since he was Saul’s cousin (1Sa 14:50). It was to his advantage to see Ishbosheth reign, but he was deliberately rebelling against God’s Word when he crowned him. God had made it very clear that David alone was to rule Israel. Perhaps Christians today are like the Jews of that day: we permit our King to reign over only a part of our lives, and the result is conflict and sorrow. Abner’s murder of Asahel was the prelude to the “long war” between the two kings (2Sa 3:1). As we shall see, the two remaining brothers avenged this death, much to David’s grief.”

Warren Wiersbe