# 2 Samuel 02 đź“–: David Anointed King Over Judah
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### David is Anointed King
[[#Verse 01.]] Afterward David inquired of the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” The Lord told him, “Go up.” David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord replied, “To Hebron.”Â
[[#Verse 02.]]Â So David went up, along with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, formerly the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] David also brought along the men who were with him, each with his family. They settled in the cities of Hebron.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] The men of Judah came and there they anointed David as king over the people of Judah. David was told, “The people of Jabesh Gilead are the ones who buried Saul.”
[[#Verse 05.]] So David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh Gilead and told them, “May you be blessed by the Lord because you have shown this kindness to your lord Saul by burying him.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] Now may the Lord show you true kindness! I also will reward you, because you have done this deed.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] Now be courageous and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them.”
### David’s Army Clashes with the Army of Saul
[[#Verse 08.]] Now Abner son of Ner, the general in command of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish Bosheth and had brought him to Mahanaim.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] He appointed him king over Gilead, the Geshurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.Â
[[#Verse 10.]] Ish Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled two years. However, the people of Judah followed David.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah for seven-and-a-half years.
[[#Verse 12.]]Â Then Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish Bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David also went out and confronted them at the pool of Gibeon. One group stationed themselves on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side of the pool.
[[#Verse 14.]] Abner said to Joab, “Let the soldiers get up and fight before us.” Joab said, “So be it!”
[[#Verse 15.]]Â So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] As they grappled with one another, each one stabbed his opponent with his sword and they fell dead together. So that place is called the Field of Flints; it is in Gibeon.
[[#Verse 17.]] Now the battle was very severe that day; Abner and the men of Israel were overcome by David’s soldiers.Â
[[#Verse 18.]] The three sons of Zeruiah were there—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)Â
[[#Verse 19.]]Â Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.
[[#Verse 20.]] Then Abner turned and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” He replied, “Yes it is!”Â
[[#Verse 21.]] Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] So Abner spoke again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother?”Â
[[#Verse 23.]] But Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who came to the place where Asahel fell dead paused in respect.
[[#Verse 24.]]Â So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] The Benjaminites formed their ranks behind Abner and were like a single army, standing at the top of a certain hill.
[[#Verse 26.]] Then Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour forever? Don’t you realize that this will turn bitter in the end? When will you tell the people to turn aside from pursuing their brothers?”
[[#Verse 27.]] Joab replied, “As surely as God lives, if you had not said this, it would have been morning before the people would have abandoned pursuit of their brothers.”
[[#Verse 28.]] Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting.Â
[[#Verse 29.]] Abner and his men went through the rift valley all that night. They crossed the Jordan River and went through the whole region of Bitron and came to Mahanaim.
[[#Verse 30.]] Now Joab returned from chasing Abner and assembled all the people. Nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, in addition to Asahel.Â
[[#Verse 31.]] But David’s soldiers had slaughtered the Benjaminites and Abner’s men—in all, 360 men had died!Â
[[#Verse 32.]] They took Asahel’s body and buried him in his father’s tomb at Bethlehem. Joab and his men then traveled all that night and reached Hebron by dawn.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
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###### Verse 26.
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###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Hebron was near the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob were buried (Genesis 23:19; 50:13).
2. David reigned in Hebron for seven years and six months (2:11).
3. Ish-bosheth means "man of shame." He is called Eshbaal in 1 Chronicles 8:33, and scribes likely replaced "baal" with "bosheth" (shame).
4. Abner was the commander of Saul's army and Saul's cousin (1 Samuel 14:50).
5. Mahanaim (2:8) was east of the Jordan, away from Philistine power. David later fled there from Absalom (17:24).
6. Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king, and he reigned two years (2:10).
7. The contest at the pool of Gibeon involved twelve men from each side, and all of them died together (2:14-16).
8. Archaeologists excavated a large pool cut into the rock at el-Jib, the site identified as ancient Gibeon.
9. Asahel was known for being as fast as a gazelle (2:18).
10. Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were sons of Zeruiah, David's sister (1 Chronicles 2:16).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the King who perfectly sought His Father's will. David asked the Lord before he moved (2:1), but Jesus did nothing on His own and always did what pleased the Father (John 5:19; 8:29).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. David asked the Lord before he moved to Hebron (2:1). What decisions are you making without asking God first?
2. David blessed the men of Jabesh Gilead for their loyalty to Saul (2:5-6). Why would kindness toward a rival's friends matter for a new king?
3. Abner finally called for the fighting between brothers to stop (2:26). What does it take to end cycles of conflict among people who should be family?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 1: David asks the Lord whether to go up and where to go.
- đź“– verse 4: The men of Judah anoint David king over the house of Judah.
- đź“– verse 26: Abner calls on Joab to stop the bloodshed between brothers.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[1 Samuel 31#Verse 11.|1 Samuel 31:11-13]] - The men of Jabesh Gilead bury Saul.
- đź”— [[1 Samuel 16#Verse 13.|1 Samuel 16:13]] - Samuel anoints David.
- đź”— [[Proverbs 03#Verse 05.|Proverbs 3:5-6]] - Trust the Lord and He will direct your paths.
- đź”— [[Psalm 133#Verse 01.|Psalm 133:1]] - How good it is when brothers live in unity.
- đź”— [[John 05#Verse 19.|John 5:19]] - The Son does only what He sees the Father doing.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[2 Samuel 02 - SOAP|Ask the Wisest Person in the Room]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes