2 Samuel 2:15
ESV
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.
NIV
So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.
NASB
So they got up and went over by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.
CSB
So they got up and were counted off—twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David’s soldiers.
NLT
So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side — twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David.
KJV
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.
NKJV
So they arose and went over by number, twelve from Benjamin, followers of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.
What does 2 Samuel 2:15 mean?
Following King Saul's death, the nation of Israel is divided. David is king of the large tribe of Judah in southern Israel. Saul's son Ish-bosheth, of the tribe of Benjamin, has been declared king over most of the rest of Israel, although the Philistine invaders control at least the north.The fighting men of both sides have come face to face in the city of Gibeon. Abner, representing Ish-bosheth, suggested that skilled fighters face each other (2 Samuel 2:14). He may mean for the entire battle to be decided by the winner of that combat, much like Goliath's challenge to Saul (1 Samuel 17:7–10). Joab, the leader of David's fighters, has agreed.
Now twelve fighters from each side square off against each other in pairs. It quickly becomes clear this is not a friendly competition. Each man—possibly all using the same tactic—grabs his opponent by the head or neck and stabs him (2 Samuel 2:16). In a bizarre spectacle, all twenty-four men are killed practically at the same time. This is the last competitive combat between the forces of David and Ish-bosheth. For the next two years, David's army will continually dominate their enemy.
It's interesting to note that all of Abner's soldiers are from Saul's tribe of Benjamin. Where David was crowned king by the men of Judah—one of the largest tribes (2 Samuel 2:4), Abner, alone, made Ish-bosheth king of the rest of the tribes. These tribes are not a cohesive group. One consequence is that all the soldiers are from the king's tribe: the smallest.
