_DAVID IS ANOINTED KING IN HEBRON BY THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. ABNER MAKES ISH-BOSHETH KING OF ISRAEL. THE TWO ARMIES BEING PREPARED FOR BATTLE, TWELVE YOUNG MEN OF EACH PARTY COME FORTH TO SINGLE COMBAT, AND ALL PERISH. ASAHEL IS KILLED BY ABNER._ _Before Christ 1055._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, UNTO HEBRON— Though God had appointed David to the kingdom, he would not pretend to take upon him the administration of affairs without immediately applying himself to him, by Abiathar the high-priest, to know when and by what means he should best be put into possession of it. He was di... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MEN OF JUDAH CAME, AND THERE THEY ANOINTED DAVID KING— David had no other title to the succession than the appointment of God by Samuel; and this claim, on which he founded his pretensions, was universally known to the people of Israel, and the avowed reason why they advanced him to the thro... [ Continue Reading ]
ABNER, THE SON OF NER— Abner was Saul's general, and near kinsman. Interest and ambition, therefore, and it may be envy too, strongly swayed him against his duty; for it appears sufficiently from the sequel of his history, that he was well acquainted with David's divine designation to the throne. Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
ISH-BOSHETH—WAS FORTY YEARS OLD,—AND REIGNED TWO YEARS— Ish-bosheth was born in the year that Saul was made king, for Saul reigned forty years, Acts 13:21. _Ish-bosheth reigned two years,_ says the sacred writer. Now, by referring to the next verse, and the first of the next chapter, we shall see th... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE YOUNG MEN NOW ARISE, AND PLAY BEFORE US— The word rendered _play_ signifies to _conflict,_ or _contend_ together. See Parkhurst on שׂחק _sachak._ It seems most probable, that Joab was ordered to act only upon the defensive, David having sworn not to destroy the family of Saul. 1 Samuel 24:22... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CAUGHT EVERY ONE HIS FELLOW BY THE HEAD— i.e. By the hair of the head, or beard. See 2 Samuel 20:9. Plutarch tells us, in his Apophthegms, that all things being prepared for a battle, Alexander's captains asked him, whether he had any thing else to command them? "Nothing," said he, "but that th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ASAHEL WAS AS LIGHT OF FOOT AS A WILD ROE— Asahel was a gallant man, and one of David's twelve captains, remarkably valiant, but more remarkably swift; _light of foot as a roe in the field._ See 1 Chronicles 12:8. Hasselquist's Travels, p. 190 and Shaw's Travels, part 2: p. 414.... [ Continue Reading ]
TURN THEE ASIDE TO THY RIGHT HAND, &C.— The conduct of Abner appears heroic and amiable. He was very desirous of sparing Asahel, advising him not to engage with an old and experienced officer like himself, but to turn against one of the _young men,_ who would be an easy conquest, and whose armour he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOAB SAID, AS GOD LIVETH, &C.— _"Unless thou hadst spoken,_ probably means, _unless thou had said, let the young men,_ &c. 2 Samuel 2:14 i.e. unless thou hadst provoked me to battle; _surely all the people had ceased from following their brethren even from the morning:_ unless thou hadst drawn o... [ Continue Reading ]