Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 16 Jan 2022
We begin our scripture passage with two rival kings:
David, originally anointed by the prophet Samuel and now finally anointed by the tribe of Judah to be king in Hebron in the southern part of Israel,
and Ish-bosheth, son of the late King Saul, instated as king over all Israel by Saul’s uncle (and army general) Abner, in Makhanayim, central to Israel but on the East side of the Jordan River.
The theme of this chapter is the rivalry between the armies of these two kings who believe that their king should be king over all of Israel.
Let me read my translation of the passage, starting at chapter 2 verse 10: Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, was 40 years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king two years. However, the households of Judah were behind David, and the number of the days in which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was 7 years and 6 months. Presently Abner, son of Ner, went on a campaign from Makhanayim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul. So Joab, son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David went on a campaign {from Hebron} and met up with them together at the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, these on this [side] of the pool, and those on that [side]. Then Abner said to Joab, “Please let the boys get up and play before us!” And Joab said, “Let them get up.” So they got up and they crossed over by number: twelve belonging to {the descendants of} Benjamin – and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. Then each of them got a firm grip on the head of his neighbor, then his sword was in the side of his neighbor, and then they fell down together. So that place was called “The Flint-Knife Clearing which is in Gibeon.” And the battle was indeed very hard during that day, but Abner was routed along with the men of Israel before the front of the servants of David. And the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was light on his feet, like one of the gazelles which are in the field. So Asahel persued after Abner, and he did not detour from following Abner to go to the right or to the left. Then Abner glanced behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he said, “It is I.” So Abner said to him, “Take a detour for yourself to your right or to your left, and seize for yourself one of the guys, and take for yourself what there is to rob from him!” But Asahel was not willing to turn away from following him. Then Abner tried again once more, saying to Asahel, “For your own [good], take a detour from following me! Why should I strike you to the ground? And how will I lift up my face around Joab your brother?” But he refused to detour. So Abner struck him down with the back of his spear through his abdomen, such that the spear protruded from his back, and he fell down there and died under him. And when every man who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died happened upon it, they just stood there. But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner. And when the sun went [down], they themselves went as far as the hill of Ammah, which is on the level of Giyah, Gibeon’s desert road. Then the descendants of Benjamin rallied themselves behind Abner, and they became as one band, and they stood on the top of one hill. Then Abner called out to Joab and said, “Will it be endlessly that the sword devours? Don’t you know that it will be bitter in the aftermath? And up to what point are you going to not say to the people to turn back from [going] after their brothers?” Then Joab said, “As Yahweh is alive, if indeed you had not spoken, then it wouldn’t have been until the morning before each one of my people would have been brought up short from [going] after his brother.” And Joab blew into his horn, then all his people stood down, and they did not pursue any more after Israel, and they did not continue to fight any more. So Abner and his men walked through the Arabah all that night, then they crossed over the Jordan and then walked the whole Bitron until they came to Machanaim. Meanwhile, Joab returned from [going] after Abner, and he assembled all his people. Only 19 men from among David’s servants (plus Asahel) were on the casualty-list, whereas the servants of David had struck down from the {descendants} of Benjamin {from} the men of Abner 360 who had died. Then they carried Asahel up and buried him in his father’s tomb which was at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night, so it was becoming light when they got to Hebron. Now, the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David actually got stronger as he went along, whereas the house of Saul actually got weaker as it went along.
In verses 12 and 13, the generals of the armies of these two rival kings “go out.” Now, when an army general “goes out,” that means only one thing: he is going out to war. For instance,
1 Samuel 4:1 “... Israel went out to encounter the Philistines for war...”
1 Samuel 7:11 “… the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and they struck them down...”
1 Samuel 8:20 “...our king will preside as judge over us and he will go out before us and fight our battles!"
1 Samuel 17:55 “...Saul watched David go out to encounter [Goliath]”
1 Samuel 18:13 “… Then Saul ... positioned him ... as an officer over a thousand [troops]. So David went out ...”
1 Samuel 18:30 “And the Philistine army-officers would come out, and as often as they came out, David was more prudent in execution...”
1 Samuel 28:1 ...Akish said to David, "Know for sure that that it will be with me that you and your men go out into the {battle}."
So Abner is perhaps hoping to drive out Philistine positions that stand between him in Makhanayim on the East side of the Jordan River and Saul’s previous capitol in Gibeon in the central hill country of Benjamin on the West side of the Jordan River.
It’s also likely that Abner hopes to encounter David’s troops and get David’s kingdom to submit to him and Ishbosheth.
Meanwhile, Joab, David’s nephew (through his sister Zeruiah), was general of David’s army, and Joab probably caught wind of Abner’s movement of troops, so he mobilized his own army to intercept Abner.
David is not mentioned as being with the army at this time, and we are not told why. Perhaps he was thinking along the lines of his oath to Saul at the end of 1 Samuel chapter 24, where he swore “by Yahweh that [he would] not cut off [Saul’s] descendants…” (Willett) so he didn’t want to get directly involved in a war over the throne.
The two armies met up in Gibeon while catching drinks at the watering hole at the end of their respective journeys. And there the two opposing armies sat, facing off against each other across the pool.
It was a tense moment. What will they do?
There had been similar face-offs between the tribes of Israel in the book of Judges. Would the tribe of Judah be decimated like the tribe of Benjamin had been before?
Would the older, more-experienced Abner from Saul’s army outsmart the young and inexperienced Joab from David’s army?
Abner breaks the silence with the wry suggestion that Joab let the “boys play.” (Although he obviously came with soldiers for a battle, he used the Hebrew word for “boys” and the Hebrew word for “play.”)
Representative battles between just a few contestants (like David and Goliath) instead of starting with full-scale war was apparently within the range of local custom, so Joab agrees to a 12 on 12 fight, although he should not have endangered the lives of his men in doing so.
The result was horrifying. Verse 16 is like a stop-action camera shot with three dreadful images in rapid succession:
each man grabbing the nearest person’s head,
then a sword suddenly stuck in the side of each man,
then each pair of fighters falling to the ground.
There are lots of opinions on how to translate the name that they subsequently gave the place:
The King James, NAS, NIV, and ESV simply transcribed the Hebrew letters as Helkath-hazzurim, but they gave it this name because the Hebrew words meant something related to what had happened there.
Strong’s Lexicon gives us the literal root-meanings of the two words as = “The smoothness of the Rocks,” but that doesn’t evoke what happened there, so we have to look for more figurative meanings for the words
Around 200 BC, the Greek Septuagint translated it “The portion of the treacherous ones,”
and around 400 AD the Latin Vulgate translated it “The field of the valiant1,”
Most of the occurences of the first word in the O.T. refer to a parcel of land that is flat and can grow crops, so I think “field” or “clearing” makes sense.
The second word is used in the Bible to describe large rock formations, but twice in the book of Joshua, it is used to describe a stone dagger made of flint, and that seems to fit our account in 2 Samuel best. (Remember that the Israelites had been prevented by the Philistines from making metal swords, so it stands to reason that they may have created swords instead out of flint-rock.)
Thus the BDB Lexicon translated it “The Field of the Swords,”
NKJV translated it “Field of Sharp Swords2,”
The NET Bible translated it “Field of Flints3,”
and the CEV, “Field of Daggers.”
Watching their buddies get slaughtered senselessly was a sure-fire way to get the blood boiling in the rest of the ranks to want to fight, and fight they did, and the account says it was “very hard/severe/sore/fierce.”
I have to wonder if the idea of an initial contest was intended by Abner to get a full-scale war going between the two armies4, but if it was his idea, it sure backfired on him! Joab and the warriors from David’s army, hardened by years of living as refugees and fighting for their lives, quickly bested Abner’s Israelite army.
So Abner decides to run away from the battle to save his skin, but Joab’s little brother, Asahel sees him go and takes off after him. And Asahel is a really good runner (Josephus, in the first century A.D. passed on the tradition that Asahel could even beat a horse in a race), so Abner knows Asahel is going to catch up to him eventually.
In v.21, as Abner tries to stay ahead of Asahel, he tries to get Asahel to quit chasing him by appealing to Asahel’s greed with three repetitions of the phrase “for yourself”
“Take a detour for yourself,”
“Grab [an easier target] for yourself,”
“and see what you can strip off of him for yourself!”
What
kind of army general offers for the enemy to kill and rob one
of his privates in exchange for escaping
himself? That is sick!
Matthew
Henry commented, “[H]e is unworthy the name of a man that
can be thus prodigal of human blood.”
But Asahel knows that stopping Abner is the key to winning this war and to making David king over the whole nation, so he isn’t tempted by Abner’s encouragement to grab spoils for himself. Perhaps Asahel is focused on God’s will and on what is best for his nation.5
In v.22, Abner shifts strategy to try to get Asahel off his back by getting Asahel to think about what would happen if he were to engage in a fight with Abner and lose. “You and I both know you can’t win a fight against me. Why should I have to kill you? Knock off this chase and escape with your life! Besides, it will be bad for our whole nation if I kill you in combat, because that means your brother Joab will bear a grudge against me for the rest of his life. Don’t you understand that I want what is best for the nation; I want to show favor on Joab and win him over as an ally and unite the whole nation under King Ishbosheth, and if you continue your foolish quest to fight with me, you will just die in the attempt, and it will be all your fault that the nation tears apart, so knock it off, already!”
Do you see the implied premise in Abner’s question, “How will I be able to lift my face to Joab?” Abner expects to stay in power and win Joab over to his side while continuing to deny kingship to David. Do you see why faith in God’s anointing of David kept Asahel chasing Abner? Letting Abner get away with his plans would mean denying God’s promise of David reigning over all Israel.
It is questionable, however, whether Asahel was the right person to take on Abner, as it seems that his youth and inexperience made him no match for the fight, resulting in him being killed handily by Abner. Perhaps Asahel could have allowed his brothers to catch up with him and team up against Abner rather than trying to get all the glory for himself by going solo against Abner.
Here is a lesson for us not to take on things which God has not called and gifted us to do, and especially to beware of pride that leads us toward choosing things that are too grand in order to show off our strength and be impressive, when other, less-impressive things that God has clearly called and gifted us for should be prioritized6.
Once Abner realizes he can’t talk Asahel out of a duel, he quickly stabs him with the back end7 of his spear and leaves him there (probably because Asahel was leading others from David’s army and Abner didn’t want to stick around and get sacked by the others).
Some commentators (such as M. Henry and John Gill8) read positive character traits of mercy and self-defence and even support of David’s kingship into what Abner said, but I have a hard time believing that Abner’s appeals to such baseness constituted thoughts of mercy toward Abishai, and I have a hard time believing that a warrior who could so quickly and brutally kill Asahel was really acting in self-defense (when he could have just knocked Asahel temporarily unconscious with a konk on the head instead), and I have a hard time believing that Abner supported David’s kingship when he was leading an army to kill David’s supporters.
God, in His justice, saw to it later that Abner would be assasinated in much the same way by a stabbing, as would his king, Ish-bosheth, as we’ll see in the next two chapters.
Most of David’s soldiers just stopped and stared when they came across Asahel’s mutilated body on the road, but Asahel’s two brothers, Joab and Abishai, continued the chase, although there wasn’t much more daylight in which to continue it. As best I can tell, Abner, with David’s soldiers hot on his tail, had only gotten a couple of miles south of Saul’s capitol of Gibeon by sunset, although nobody seems to know where “Ammah” and “Giah” actually were.
There is a turn to the battle at sunset when the Benjamite troops fleeing the battle found each other and re-formed ranks under Joab on one of the many hills there, and Joab, now controlling high ground and backed by an army and thus no longer on the run, parleys with Joab in condescending tones. He asks Joab three emotionally-manipulative questions in v.26:
“Will it be endlessly that the sword devours?” - He speaks as though Joab has been killing Israelites for ages and ages, and as though this would be an unwinnable war which will last forever. I suspect the implication is that Joab and David had better give up now and surrender to Abner and submit to King Ishbosheth, otherwise more and more of their people would die needlessly.
But it is hypocritical of Abner to chide Joab for not calling off his soldiers when Abner himself had not called off his soldiers, rather he had been the one to start this conflict9.
Furthermore, it was not a foregone conclusion that this was an unwinnable war. Those with faith in God’s word had every right to believe that it was Abner and Ishboseth who should surrender and submit to King David, not the other way around.
The second question Abner lobs at Joab is, “Don’t you know that it will be bitter in the aftermath?” Think about all the losses you will face in this battle. Better not to fight and not to experience all those casualties. Why not just surrender now without any more of a fight and save everyone a lot of pain?
The third question Abner yells at Joab is particularly subversive: Literally, “up to what point are you going to not say to the people to turn back from [going] after their brothers?”
He’s saying, “We’re your brothers; we’re not your enemy! Just surrender to us and forget about David being king, and we can all dwell in unity and peace!”
Furthermore he is calling into question Joab’s competence as an army general in front of all of Joab’s soldiers! “Joab, I bet you haven’t even thought about how many more losses you can absorb before you have to call it all off and surrender. How long are you going to delay the inevitable? Just admit defeat and let Ishboseth be king.” This might have gotten Joab’s soldiers beginning to wonder if they should keep supporting Joab or if they should quit before Joab did something that would risk their lives too much.
Joab’s response in v.27 is exemplary. He refuses to accept the role of victim and instead expresses faith in God with an oath in His name and proceeds as though he is the victorious mighty man of the rightfully-anointed king that he is.
It is very reminiscent of David’s response to Abigail when he said, “As Yahweh the God of Israel lives, Who withheld me from causing evil to you, if indeed you had not hurried and come to me to call me off, then by the light of the morning, there would not have been left to Nabal one who pees against the wall." (1 Samuel 25:34, NAW)
Here Joab says10, “Get real, Abner! You just lost this battle, and, even though it is sunset right now, my men could continue giving chase to your retreating soldiers all night long until morning, if we wanted to, and leave even fewer of you alive, but, since you ask for us to let off, we will have mercy on you and call off the chase right now at sunset. You have my oath before God that you may retreat to Machanaiym in peace.”
Joab then blows his shophar-horn to signal to all his troops that it’s time to head back home.
“Joab, knowing it was David’s mind rather to obtain the kingdom by peaceable means, than by cruelty and bloodshed, was content to give ouer the battle upon this occasion.” ~Willett
V.29 traces Abner’s march home from the battlefield outside of Gibeon, across the barren plain of the Arabah toward the Jordan River, across the river, then on East up the Bithron canyon through which the Jabbock River flows into the Jordan, and following that up to Machanayim, arriving home by morning.
Then the scene switches to Joab’s army in v.30.
First they take account of their numbers and find that their kill counts totaled 360, while their death toll is only 20. They killed 18 times as many enemies as the enemy killed of them! God had blessed their campaign to defend David’s kingship.
Then they bury their dead. Bethlehem, where David and his sister Zeruiah were from, was on the way back to Hebron, and that’s11 where they buried Asahel, in Zeruiah’s husband’s family crypt.12
Then David’s army arrives back in Hebron at the dawn of the next morning.
The first verse of chapter 3 tells us that this was only the first in a long series of battles between the house of Saul and the house of David, perhaps for five years, but that David got stronger as he went along, whereas the house of Saul got weaker as it went along.
This conflict typifies the conflict between the true anointed one, the Christ and deriviatively those of us who follow Christ and those who are in rebellion against Jesus and therefore in opposition against us. That tension is always going to exist until the final judgment, so we need to be on guard and ready to counter the enemy’s attacks.
There is a radical difference in thinking between people who think they are in a war zone and people who think they are not in a war zone. Those who think they’re not will be focused on preserving peace for themselves and they will get angry at anyone who disturbs the peace, and they will not be on their guard against threats. Those who know they are in a war zone will remain on the lookout for danger, they won’t be surprised when the enemy strikes, and they will fight the enemy to defend their community.
You, brothers and sisters, are in a spiritual war zone. Don’t get lulled into thinking that peace is something you’re entitled to. Stay on the lookout, because God’s word tells us that our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil are lurking close by and looking for opportunities to take out your faith in Jesus. You need to be ready to fight the enemy when he strikes and defend the kingdom of Jesus Christ rather than becoming indignant that someone has disturbed your peace.
In closing, I want to focus in on the three things that Abner said to Joab in v.26, and how they are typical of Satan’s deceptions of us. Be alert to these ideas when they pop up in your own head so that you can fight them effectively.
The first question was: “Will it be endlessly that the sword devours?”
Satan often tries the same strategy on us, trying to get us thinking in terms of assuming that we will lose the battle against sin or against the world. Once he can get us assuming that the battle is unwinnable, then he can get us to stop trusting God and he can get us to surrender to him without actually fighting. Don’t be deceived!
No, this war is not going to last forever. No, this war is not unwinnable. I will not be better off surrendering to the world or to my flesh. No, I am going to overcome, and Jesus is going to get the victory and the glory forever, and I need to live like that is true!
Abner’s second question was, “Don’t you know that it will be bitter in the aftermath?”
Satan did that to Jesus also in the third temptation in the wilderness. “Just bow to me and I will give you all these nations! Just think about how bitter the cross will be; just think about how bitter the persecutions against your followers will be! Jesus, if you’ll just surrender to me now before the battle, you can avoid all that pain.”
It reminds me of a story my wife likes to tell of one of her friends who was trying to have a drug-free birth. Nurses at the hospital kept encouraging her to get narcotics during labor, and they were telling her, “Don’t be such a martyr!” Well, that got her kind-of worked up, so she reportedly yelled, “I’m having a baby; it’s supposed to hurt!”
Now, whether or not you agree with our friend’s sentiments about the management of birth, do you have that kind of attitude when it comes to Satan’s whispers that you focus on all that you will lose by continuing in the Christian race? It’s not worth the effort to be so different from the world. Spiritualized pie-in-the-sky promises from God are not worth giving up so many enjoyable things in the here-and-now. Why not give it up before it gets any harder and you really regret living like a Christian. “Shut up, Satan, I’m a Christian; it’s supposed to be hard to take up your cross. But I am freely giving up what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose! I will never regret any sacrifice I make for the sake of Christ!”
And Abner’s third question was: “up to what point are you going to not say to the people to turn back from [going] after their brothers?” Satan uses the same kind of strategies on us.
If he can get you thinking along the lines of, “How much more sacrifice can I handle? At what point should I give up on trusting God?” If he can get you thinking that a line actually exists across which you might have to give up on trusting Jesus, he has made a strategic win.
If he can get you thinking that this is even a judgement call that is in your power to make, he has subverted you from trusting Jesus as your master. This isn’t your call to decide when you would turn back from following Christ. “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”
The Ethiopian Christians, when they were persecuted by the Communists who took over their country, were pressured to stop following Jesus, many even through torture, but they kept singing, “Ye gaetai mungud echuttellalo… wata walla al muddelesin” (“I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”) There’s no turning back.
We
are in a spiritual war, but this
war isn’t going to last forever. My King Jesus will be the
decisive victor.
I will not have any regrets from forsaking
the
things
of this world in order to follow Christ because He is a much better
reward.
And I’m not going to make contingency plans:
I’m all-in as a follower of Jesus, and He will never let
anyone pluck me out of his hand, so there’s no looking back!
LXX |
Brenton |
DRB |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
10 τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν Ιεβοσθε υἱὸς Σαουλ, ὅτε ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ, καὶ δύο ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν πλὴν τοῦ οἴκου Ιουδα, [οἳ] ἦσαν ὀπίσω Δαυιδ· |
10 Jebosthe, Saul's son was forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not [over] the house of Juda, [who] followed David. |
10 Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years; and only the house of Juda followed David. |
10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. |
10 Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, was 40 years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king two years. However, the households of Judah were behind David, |
10 בֶּן-אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אִישׁ-בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן-שָׁאוּל בְּמָלְכוֹ עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנִים מָלָךְ B אַךְ בֵּית יְהוּדָה הָיוּ אַחֲרֵי דָוִד: |
11 καὶ ἐγένοντο XC αἱ ἡμέραι, ἃς Δαυιδ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Χεβρων ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ιουδα, ἑπτὰ ἔτη καὶ ἓξ μῆνας. |
11
And
the X
days
which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda w |
11 And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months. |
11 And the X timeX that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. |
11 and the number of the days in which David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was 7 years and 6 months. |
11 וַיְהִי מִסְפַּר הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דָוִד מֶלֶךְ בְּחֶבְרוֹן עַל- בֵּית יְהוּדָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים: ס |
12 Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Αβεννηρ υἱὸς Νηρ καὶ οἱ παῖδες Ιεβοσθε υἱοῦ Σαουλ ἐκ Μαναεμ εἰς Γαβαων·D |
12 And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon. |
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the campE to Gabaon. |
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. |
12 Presently Abner, son of Ner, went on a campaign from Makhanayim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul. |
12 וַיֵּצֵא אַבְנֵר בֶּן-נֵר וְעַבְדֵי אִישׁ-בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן-שָׁאוּל מִמַּחֲנַיִם גִּבְעוֹנָה: |
13 καὶ Ιωαβ υἱὸς Σαρουιας καὶ οἱ παῖδες Δαυιδ ἐξήλθοσαν [ἐκ Χεβρων] καὶ συναντῶσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην τὴν Γαβαων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, καὶ ἐκάθισαν οὗτοι ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην [τὴν Γαβαων] ἐντεῦθεν καὶ οὗτοι ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην ἐντεῦθεν. |
13 And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth [from Chebron], and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain Fon this side, and those by the fountain on that side. |
13
And
Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went
out,
and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when
they were come together,
they sat down [over against one another]: the |
13
And
Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went
out,
and met together
by
the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the |
13 So Joab, son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David went on a campaign {from Hebron} and met up with them together at the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, these on this [side] of the pool, and those on that [side]. |
13 וְיוֹאָב בֶּן- צְרוּיָה וְעַבְדֵי דָוִד יָצְאוּ G וַיִּפְגְּשׁוּם עַל- בְּרֵכַתH גִּבְעוֹן יַחְדָּו וַיֵּשְׁבוּ אֵלֶּה עַל- הַבְּרֵכָה מִזֶּה וְאֵלֶּה עַל- הַבְּרֵכָה מִזֶּה: |
14 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεννερ πρὸς Ιωαβ Ἀναστήτωσαν δὴ τὰ παιδάρια καὶ παιξάτωσαν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν· καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ Ἀναστήτωσαν. |
14 And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. |
14 And Abner said to Joab: Let X the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise. |
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. |
14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Please let the boys get up and play before us!” And Joab said, “Let them get up.” |
14 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר אֶל-יוֹאָב יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב יָקֻמוּ: |
15 καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ παρῆλθον ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῶν [παίδων] Βενιαμιν δώδεκα X τῶν Ιεβοσθε υἱοῦ Σαουλ καὶ δώδεκα ἐκ τῶν παίδων Δαυιδ. |
15 And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the [children] of Benjamin, X belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. |
15 Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. |
15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. |
15 So they got up and they crossed over by number: twelve belonging to {the descendants of} Benjamin – and to Ish-boseth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David. |
15 וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיַּעַבְרוּ בְמִסְפָּר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לְבִנְיָמִןI וּלְאִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן-שָׁאוּל וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מֵעַבְדֵי דָוִד: |
16 καὶ ἐκράτησαν ἕκαστος [τῇ χειρὶ] τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ μάχαιρα αὐτοῦ εἰς πλευρὰν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ πίπτουσιν κατὰ τὸ αὐτό· καὶ ἐκλήθη [τὸ ὄνομα] τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Μερὶς τῶν ἐπιβούλων, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν Γαβαων. |
16 And they seized every one the head of his neighbour [with his hand], and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and [the name of] that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon. |
16 And every one catching his fellow by the head, [thrust] his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the [name of the] place was called: The field of the valiant, X in Gabaon. |
16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon. |
16 Then each of them got a firm grip on the head of his neighbor, then his sword was in the side of his neighbor, and then they fell down together. So that place was called “The Flint-Knife Clearing which is in Gibeon.” |
16 וַיַּחֲזִקוּ אִישׁ בְּרֹאשׁ רֵעֵהוּ וְחַרְבּוֹ בְּצַד רֵעֵהוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ יַחְדָּו וַיִּקְרָאJ לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא חֶלְקַת הַצֻּרִיםK אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן: |
17 καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος σκληρὸς ὥστε λίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔπταισεν Αβεννηρ καὶ ἄνδρες Ισραηλ ἐνώπιον παίδων Δαυιδ. -- |
17
And
the battle was very severe
on
that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel w |
17
And
there was a very fierce
battle
X that day: and Abner was |
17 And there was a very sore battle X that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. |
17 And the battle was indeed very hard during that day, but Abner was routed along with the men of Israel before the front of the servants of David. |
17 וַתְּהִי הַמִּלְחָמָה קָשָׁה עַד-מְאֹד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּנָּגֶף אַבְנֵר וְאַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי עַבְדֵי דָוִד: |
18
καὶ
ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖ
τρεῖς υἱοὶ
Σαρουιας, Ιωαβ
καὶ Αβεσσα
καὶ Ασαηλ, καὶ
Ασαηλ κοῦφος
τοῖς ποσὶν
αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ
μία δορκ |
18
And
there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and
Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as |
18
And
there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and
Asael: now Asael was a |
18
And
there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and
Asahel: and Asahel was
as
light
of X X f |
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was light on his feet, like one of the gazelles which are in the field. |
18 וַיִּהְיוּ-שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי צְרוּיָה יוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי וַעֲשָׂהאֵל וַעֲשָׂהאֵל קַל בְּרַגְלָיו כְּאַחַד הַצְּבָיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה: |
19 καὶ κατεδίωξεν Ασαηλ ὀπίσω Αβεννηρ καὶ οὐκ ἐξέκλινεν τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς δεξιὰ οὐδὲ εἰς ἀριστερὰ κατόπισθεν Αβεννηρ. |
19
And
Asael |
19 And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to X X the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. |
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. |
19 So Asahel persued after Abner, and he did not detour from following Abner to go to the right or to the left. |
19 וַיִּרְדֹּף עֲשָׂהאֵל אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וְלֹא-נָטָה לָלֶכֶת עַל- הַיָּמִין וְעַל- הַשְּׂמֹאול מֵאַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר: |
20 καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν Αβεννηρ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν Εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς Ασαηλ; καὶ εἶπεν Ἐγώ εἰμι. |
20 And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asael himself? and he said, I am. |
20 And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou X Asael? And he answered: I am. |
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou X Asahel? And he answered, I am. |
20 Then Abner glanced behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he said, “It is I.” |
20 וַיִּפֶן אַבְנֵר אַחֲרָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הַאַתָּה זֶה עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי: |
21 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Αβεννηρ Ἔκκλινον σὺ εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ καὶ κάτασχε σαυτῷ ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων καὶ λαβὲ σεαυτῷ τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν Ασαηλ ἐκκλῖναι ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ. |
21
And
Abenner said to him, Turn
thou
to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for thyself on one
of the young men, and take to thyself his armour:
but Asel would not X turn |
21
And
Abner said to him: |
21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay X thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not X turn aside from following of him. |
21 So Abner said to him, “Take a detour for yourself to your right or to your left, and seize for yourself one of the guys, and take for yourself what there is to rob from him!” But Asahel was not willing to turn away from following him. |
21 וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַבְנֵר נְטֵה לְךָ עַל-יְמִינְךָ אוֹ עַל-שְׂמֹאלֶךָ וֶאֱחֹז לְךָ אֶחָד מֵהַנְּעָרִים וְקַח- לְךָ אֶת-חֲלִצָתוֹL וְלֹא-אָבָה עֲשָׂהאֵל לָסוּר מֵאַחֲרָיו: |
22
καὶ
προσέθετο
ἔτι
Αβεννηρ λέγων
τῷ Ασαηλ Ἀπόστηθι
X
X ἀπ᾿ X
|
22
And
Abenner said yet again
to
Asael, Stand
aloof
X
X from X
me,
|
22
And
X
again
Abner said to Asael: Go
off,
X |
22 And Abner said X again to Asahel, Turn X thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? |
22 Then Abner tried again once more, saying to Asahel, “For your own [good], take a detour from following me! Why should I strike you to the ground? And how will I lift up my face around Joab your brother?” |
22 וַיֹּסֶף עוֹדN אַבְנֵר לֵאמֹר אֶל-עֲשָׂהאֵל סוּר לְךָ מֵאַחֲרָי לָמָּה אַכֶּכָּה אַרְצָה וְאֵיךְ אֶשָּׂא פָנַי אֶל-יוֹאָב אָחִיךָ: |
23 καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλετο τοῦ ἀποστῆναι. καὶ τύπτει αὐτὸν Αβεννηρ ἐν τῷ ὀπίσω τοῦ δόρατος ἐπὶ τὴν ψόαν, καὶ διεξῆλθεν τὸ δόρυ ἐκ τῶν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ πίπτει ἐκεῖ καὶ ἀποθνῄσκει ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἕως τοῦ τόπου, οὗ ἔπεσεν ἐκεῖ Ασαηλ καὶ ἀπέθανεν, καὶ ὑφίστατο. -- |
But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies {on the spotO}: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell X and died, X stood still. |
23
But
he refused to |
23
Howbeit
he refused to turn
aside:
wherefore Abner with the hinder [end]
of
the spear smote him under the fifth
rib,
that
the spear came out X behind him; and he fell down there, and died
|
23 But he refused to detour. So Abner struck him down with the back of his spear through his abdomen, such that the spear protruded from his back, and he fell down there and died under him. And when every man who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died happened upon it, they just stood there. |
23 וַיְמָאֵןQ לָסוּר וַיַּכֵּהוּ אַבְנֵר בְּאַחֲרֵי הַחֲנִית אֶל -הַחֹמֶשׁR וַתֵּצֵא הַחֲנִית מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּפָּל-שָׁם וַיָּמָת תַּחַתוֹS וַיְהִי כָּל-הַבָּא אֶל- הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר- נָפַל שָׁם עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיָּמֹת וַיַּעֲמֹדוּ: |
24 καὶ κατεδίωξεν Ιωαβ καὶ Αβεσσα ὀπίσω Αβεννηρ· καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἔδυνεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰσῆλθον ἕως τοῦ βουνοῦ Αμμαν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ προσώπου Γαι ὁδὸν ἔρημον Γαβαων. |
24
And
Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and
they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is |
24
Now
while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and
they came as far as the hill of the Taqueduct,
that [lieth]
over
against
the
Uvalley
[by]
the
way of the wilderness |
24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah [by] the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. |
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner. And when the sun went [down], they themselves went as far as the hill of Ammah, which is on the level of Giyah, Gibeon’s desert road. |
24 וַיִּרְדְּפוּ יוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ עַד- גִּבְעַת אַמָּהV אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי- גִיחַ דֶּרֶךְ מִדְבַּר גִּבְעוֹן: |
25 καὶ συναθροίζονται υἱοὶ Βενιαμιν [οἱ] ὀπίσω Αβεννηρ καὶ ἐγενήθησαν εἰς συνάντησιν μίαν καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν βουνοῦ ἑνός. |
25
And
the children of Benjamin [who]
followed
Abenner gather themselves together, and they |
25
And
the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together |
25
And
the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner,
and became X one troop,
and stood
on
the top of |
25 Then the descendants of Benjamin rallied themselves behind Abner, and they became as one band, and they stood on the top of one hill. |
25 וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ בְנֵי-בִנְיָמִן אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וַיִּהְיוּ לַאֲגֻדָּהW אֶחָת וַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל רֹאשׁ-גִּבְעָה אֶחָת: |
26
καὶ
ἐκάλεσεν Αβεννηρ
Ιωαβ καὶ εἶπεν
Μὴ εἰς νῖκος
καταφάγεται
ἡ ῥομφαία; ἦ
οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι
πικρὰ ἔσται εἰς
τὰ ἔσχατα;
καὶ ἕως πότε
οὐ μὴ
εἴπῃς
τῷ λαῷ ἀναστρέφειν
ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν
τῶν ἀδελφῶν
|
26
And
Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually?
knowest thou not that it will be bitter at last?
X How long then wilt thou refuse
to
tell the people to turn from following |
26
And
Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto
utter destruction?
knowest thou not that it is |
26
Then
Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for
ever?
knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter
[end]?
X how long shall it be [then], |
26 Then Abner called out to Joab and said, “Will it be endlessly that the sword devours? Don’t you know that it will be bitter in the aftermath? And up to what point are you going to not say to the people to turn back from [going] after their brothers?” |
26 וַיִּקְרָא אַבְנֵר אֶל-יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלָנֶצַח תֹּאכַל חֶרֶב הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּה כִּי-מָרָה תִהְיֶה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וְעַד-מָתַי לֹא-תֹאמַר לָעָם לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵי אֲחֵיהֶם: |
27
καὶ
εἶπεν Ιωαβ Ζῇ
|
27
And
Joab said, As the |
27
And
Joab said: As the |
27
And
Joab said, As
God
liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely
then
|
27 Then Joab said, “As Yahweh is alive, if indeed you had not spoken, then it wouldn’t have been until the morning before each one of my people would have been brought up short from [going] after his brother.” |
27 וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב חַי הָאֱלֹהִיםY כִּי לוּלֵאZ דִּבַּרְתָּ כִּי אָז מֵהַבֹּקֶרAA נַעֲלָה הָעָם אִישׁ מֵאַחֲרֵי אָחִיו: |
28 καὶ ἐσάλπισεν Ιωαβ τῇ σάλπιγγι, καὶ ἀπέστησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ οὐ κατεδίωξαν X ὀπίσω τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ οὐ προσέθεντο ἔτι τοῦ πολεμεῖν. |
28 And Joab sounded X the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue X after Israel, and did not fight any longer. |
28 Then Joab sounded X the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more. |
28
So
Joab blew X |
28 And Joab blew into his horn, then all his people stood down, and they did not pursue any more after Israel, and they did not continue to fight any more. |
28 וַיִּתְקַעAB יוֹאָב בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיַּעַמְדוּ כָּל-הָעָם וְלֹא-יִרְדְּפוּ עוֹד אַחֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא-יָסְפוּ עוֹד לְהִלָּחֵם: |
29
καὶ
Αβεννηρ καὶ οἱ
ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ
ἀπῆλθον εἰς
|
29
And
Abenner and his men [departed]
at
|
29
And
Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain[s]: and
they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all |
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. |
29 So Abner and his men walked through the Arabah all that night, then they crossed over the Jordan and then walked the whole Bitron until they came to Machanaim. |
29 וְאַבְנֵר וַאֲנָשָׁיו הָלְכוּ בָּעֲרָבָה כֹּל הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת- הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיֵּלְכוּ כָּל-הַבִּתְרוֹןAC וַיָּבֹאוּ מַחֲנָיִםAD: |
30 καὶ Ιωαβ ἀνέστρεψεν ὄπισθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Αβεννηρ καὶ συνήθροισεν πάντα τὸν λαόν, καὶ ἐπεσκέπησαν τῶν παίδων Δαυιδ ἐννεακαίδεκα ἄνδρες καὶ Ασαηλ. |
30
And
Joab returned from following Abenner, and he assembled all the
people, and there were missing
of
the |
30
And
Joab returning, after he had |
30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel. |
30 Meanwhile, Joab returned from [going] after Abner, and he assembled all his people. Only 19 men from among David’s servants (plus Asahel) were on the casualty-list, |
30 וְיוֹאָב שָׁב מֵאַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת-כָּל-הָעָם וַיִּפָּקְדוּ מֵעַבְדֵי דָוִד תִּשְׁעָה-עָשָׂר אִישׁ וַעֲשָׂה-אֵל: |
31
καὶ
οἱ παῖδες Δαυιδ
ἐπάταξαν τῶν
[ |
31
And
the servants of David smote of the [ |
31
But
the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and |
31
But
the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and |
31 whereas the servants of David had struck down from the {descendants} of Benjamin {from} the men of Abner 360 who died. |
31 וְעַבְדֵי דָוִד הִכּוּ AEמִבִּנְיָמִן AFוּבְאַנְשֵׁי אַבְנֵר שְׁלֹשׁ- מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים אִישׁ מֵתוּAG: |
32 καὶ αἴρουσιν τὸν Ασαηλ καὶ θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν Βαιθλεεμ. καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ιωαβ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα, καὶ διέφαυσεν αὐτοῖς ἐν Χεβρων. |
32 And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and [the morning] rose upon them in Chebron. |
32 And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they [came] to Hebron at break [of day]. |
32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they [came] to Hebron at break [of day]. |
32 Then they carried Asahel up and buried him in his father’s tomb which was at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night, so it was becoming light when they got to Hebron. |
32 וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת-עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּקֶבֶר אָבִיו אֲשֶׁר בֵּית לָחֶם וַיֵּלְכוּ כָל- הַלַּיְלָה יוֹאָב וַאֲנָשָׁיו וַיֵּאֹר לָהֶם בְּחֶבְרוֹן: |
3:1 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ οἴκου Σαουλ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ οἴκου Δαυιδ· καὶ [ὁ οἶκοςAH] Δαυιδ ἐπορεύετο καὶ ἐκραταιοῦτο, καὶ ὁ οἶκος Σαουλ ἐπορεύετο καὶ ἠσθένει. |
3:1
And there was war for a long time between the house of Saul and
the house of David; and [the house of] David X grew |
3:1 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: David prospering and growing [always stronger and] stronger, but the house of Saul X X decaying [daily]. |
3:1
Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of
David: but David waxed |
3:1 Now, the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David, but David actually got stronger as he went along, whereas the house of Saul actually got weaker as it went along. |
3:1 וַתְּהִי הַמִּלְחָמָה אֲרֻכָּה בֵּין בֵּית שָׁאוּל וּבֵין בֵּית דָּוִד וְדָוִד הֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק וּבֵית שָׁאוּל הֹלְכִים וְדַלִּיםAI: ס |
1This was Matthew Henry’s choice “the field of rocky men.”
2Perhaps following K&D’s “Field of Sharp Edges”
3Perhaps following McCarter. Tsumura flatly denied that 10th century blades were made of anything but bronze or iron.
4John Gill seemed to think so.
5Alternately, Wilett suggested that Abishai was foolishly relying upon his swiftness (to which many other commentators agreed) and unjustly denying the right of escape to a fugitive. K&D asserted that Abishai was just after the fame of capturing the general. This is not clear to me.
6“The design was brave, had he been par negotio - equal to its accomplishment: but let not the swift man glory in his swiftness, any more than the strong man in his strength; magnis excidit ausis - he perished in an attempt too vast for him.”~Matthew Henry
7Some English versions imply that the back end was blunt, but the original doesn’t actually say that it was blunt.
8“Abner's care how he should lift up his face to Joab gives cause to suspect that he really believed David would have the kingdom at last…” ~Henry
9“If Abner had been the conqueror, we should not have had him complaining of the voraciousness of the sword and the miseries of a civil war, nor pleading that both sides were brethren…” ~Matthew Henry
10Only Goldman agreed with my interpretation. Most commentators instead gave the interpretation that, as Willett put it, “Joab laieth the fault vpon Abner, protesting in the name of God, that if Abner had not first prouoked them to battell, they had giuen ouer in the morning, when no assault was yet made.” (cf. Matthew Henry: “‘Unless thou hadst spoken,’ that is, ‘...hadst bidden the young men arise and play before us, none of us would have struck a stroke... We should have retired in the morning if thou hadst not given the challenge.’” So also Kimchi, Gill and K&D.) Willett’s commentary also has a good excursus on a Biblical philosophy of war.
11Gill claimed that the sepulchre was known to be on the South side, just outside of Bethlehem.
12Willett suggested that this is mentioned anachronistically because they wouldn’t have had time to conduct all the business of a funeral and still get back to Hebron by daybreak, much less would they have conducted a funeral in the dead of night. Gill solved the problem by asserting that the body count and burial were on the subsequent day and the arrival in Hebron was the morning after the morning that Abner arrived in Machanayim, and with this Goldman agreed. Tsumura suggested that the father of Joab, Abishai, and Asahel “probably died young, as he had a grave… and it was unusual for a man to be known by his mothr’s name.”
AMy
original chart includes the NASB, NIV, and ESV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. NAW is my translation.
When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not
indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text),
I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses
a wording which is different from all the other translations, I
underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in
my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the
Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original
text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a
word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an
X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the
English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help
the reader see correlations between the various editions and
versions when there are more than two different translations of a
given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing 2 Samuel 2 is
4Q51Samuela, although it is missing vs. 1-4 and vs.
17-24. This scroll has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the LXX
is legible and matches the MT, the MT has been colored purple.
Where the DSS and/or Vulgate support the LXX with omissions or text
not in the MT, I have highlighted
with yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and
where I have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it
with {pointed brackets}.
BDSS starts v. 10 here, omitting Ishbotheth’s name, age, and length of reign, but it’s in the LXX & Vulgate, so we’ll keep it.
CAlthough the text of the DSS is illegible at this point, the spacing between legible portions of this verse supports the extra word “number/accounting/calculation/length” in the MT. The MT word occurs again in v.15, where the LXX translates it ἀριθμῷ, and all the English versions translate it “number/count.”
DLater Greek versions by Aquila and Theodotion dropped the “g” and just read βουνος, but the DSS seem to support keeping the “g.” The same thing happpens in v.24.
E“Machanaim” means “camps,” so this is a fair translation, but the transliteration the other English versions followed makes more sense because it appears to be referring to a specific town on the map, not a temporary army camp.
FVaticanus matches the shorter reading of the MT, but the LXX adds the words “of Gibeon.” The DSS is illegible at this point, but doesn’t have enough space for the extra word. It doesn’t change the meaning, since the fountain was specified as that “of Gibeon” earlier in the verse already.
GThe DSS is obliterated here, but the spacing between legible portions of the verse indicates that the word /wrbjm (“from Hebron”) was here, just as it is in the LXX. This more neatly parallels the previous verse where an origin is given with the going out of the rival army, although the MT suffers no significant loss by dropping the word out because the account has already told us that Hebron was David’s headquarters.
HAbout 75% of the time this word is translated according to its root meaning of “blessing,” but it seems to mean “pool” here and in about 16 other uses throughout the O.T.
IDSS
reads לבני
לבבנימין איש
b(“…
two and ten
belonging to the sons of for Benjamin each for
Ish-bosheth”)
compare with the MT (“...two and ten belonging to
Benjamin and to Ishbosheth..”)
and the LXX (“...of
the sons of Benjamin twelve
of IshBoseth…”)
Tsumura tags the following vav
as “explicative” translating it “that is.”
JTsumura tags this verb as an “impersonal passive.”
KTargum = “inheritance of the slain,” Strong = “Smoothness of the Rocks,” BDB “The Field of the Swords,” NKJV = “Field of Sharp Swords,” NET = “Field of Flints,” CEV = “Field of Daggers” Two thirds of the occurences of the first word in the O.T. refer to a parcel of land that is flat and can grow crops (Gen. 33:19; Ruth 2:3; 4:3; 2 Sam. 14:30; 23:11; 1 Chr. 11:13; Jer. 12:10), of the other 4, two were Proper nouns, one is clearly a “portion” of a food offering, and the other was the “smooth” side of a goatskin. The second word occurs about 9 times in the plural, 6 times as “rocks” – large ones with caves or that can act as landmarks, and the other two times (besides here in 2 Sam) as “flint” knives for circumcision.
LTsumura noted that this literally means “what is stripped off of him.”
MThe prospect of a homoteleution is intriguing with the repetition of “before Joab” in the LXX and the intervening text missing in the MT, but it’s not in the Latin either. Unfortunately there are no DSS with this verse.
Ncf. 1 Samuel 3:6 “Then Yahweh continued calling Samuel again…” also Isaiah 8:5 “ Again Yahweh spoke to me once more…” (NAW)
OThis is an uncharacteristically-loose translation for Brenton. The LXX (including the Vaticanus) follows the Hebrew more literally with, “underneath him.”
PThe Syriac also omits “fell,” but this doesn’t change the story, for the result was that he died on the spot.
Qcf. the people’s “refusal” to listen to Samuel’s warnings against installing a king (1 Sam. 8:19) and Saul’s “refusing” to eat the night before his last battle (1 Sam. 28:23).
RThis word is unique to 2 Samuel, with the same root as the Hebrew number 5. BDB suggested “5th rib” along with “abdomen.” Ironically, the same word occurs in the assasination of Abner (2 Sam. 3:27) and of IshBosheth (2 Sam. 4:6) who were murdered in a way similar to the way Abner killed Abishai. (The only other instance of this word in the O.T. is 2 Sam. 20:10, describing Amasa’s murder.)
SMasoretic scribes recommended editing the traditional text by adding a yod as the penultimate character (תַּחְתָּיו) to make the pronomial suffix (“him”) more distinct, but it doesn’t change the meaning.
TThe Syriac, as well as Aquila’s and Theodotion’s Greek versions (udragwgoV) support this translation.
UGreek translations made after the LXX by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion agreed with the Latin here: jaraggoV.
VThere is an Ammah about two miles south of Gibeon on the BibleWorks map software, but no Giah. Neither place is to be found in the Hammond Atlas or the Moody Atlas of Bible Lands. There are Latin and Greek translations from the second to fourth centuries AD which translated these places not as proper nouns, but as the “aqueduct” and the “ravine” which are even less specific as to where they were on the map! To the east of the North-South “Ridge Road” that ran through Gibeon, there were fewer towns, so perhaps the “wilderness road” branched off of the Ridge Road to the East through that terrain?
WThis is a rare word, used only here and Exod. 12:22 (“bunch of hyssop”); Isa. 58:6 (“bindings of a yoke”), and Amos 9:6 (debated, but something that belongs to God and is on earth)
XThe DSS is obliterate3d at this point, so we don’t know if it would have supported the LXX “our” or the MT “your,” but the Latin supports the MT.
YYahweh is what the translators of the LXX and Vulgate appear to have seen in the manuscripts they translated from, and Yahweh would be more fitting for this oath formula. The DSS is illegible at this point but word spacing between legible sections of this verse and the next could support the shorter word YHWH over the longer word ELOHIM.
ZCf. 1 Samuel 25:34 “Although, as Yahweh the God of Israel lives, Who withheld me from causing evil to you, if indeed you had not [כי לולי] hurried and come to me to call me off, then by the light of the morning, there would not have been left to Nabal one who pees against the wall." (NAW)
AADSS spells the preposition as a standalone word (מן) rather than as a prefix, but the meaning is the same.
ABcf. 1 Samuel 13:3b “...So Saul blew on the horn throughout all of the land to say, ‘Hebrews, take heed!’” (NAW)
ACHapex
legomenon. The meaning is that of a divide/cleft, and the
context places it between the Jordan and Machanayim, where the
Jabbok river would have carved a ravine that ran upstream from the
Jordan to Machanayim.
K&D noted: “It is very evident
that Bithron is not the name of a city, but of a district, from the
fact that it is preceded by the word ‘all,’ which would
be perfectly unmeaning in the case of a city...”
ADDSS adds a directional he to the end of this word, but it doesn’t change the meaning. The context makes it obvious that they were walking to Machanayim.
AEThere is no mem prefix to Benjamin in the DSS, but there is room on the previous line (which is obliterated) for that mem to be a standalone preposition followed by the word “sons” thus supporting the LXX.
AFThe DSS reads y?nam /ymynb, supporting the LXX, which does not contain the “and,” and which contains an ablative preposition (“from”) rather than the dative preposition (“to”) in the MT. The Syriac likewise has an ablative preposition (although it preserved the “and”). The Vulgate alone preserved the MT.
AGThis word is missing in the Lucian rescription of the LXX and in the Syriac, as well as in the NIV and ESV. It is odd to have this second verb in the MT as though there are two sentences when there are not two sentences. The LXX reads it instead as a prepositional phrase, which solves that grammatical problem, but creates a morphological problem, for, while the first and last letter would render that prepositional phrase correctly, the middle letter doesn’t. The DSS is illegible at this point.
AHThe DSS agrees with the MT and the Vulgate in omitting “the house of” before David here, but the LXX insertion doesn’t change the idea of the verse.
AIThe two plurals in the MT describing the singular house of Saul seem to be incorrect grammar. The much-older LXX and DSS (ldw ilwh) render them as singulars, which makes more sense.