2 Samuel 2:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

NIV: Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.

NASB: Now Abner the son of Ner, went from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul.

CSB: Abner son of Ner and soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

NLT: One day Abner led Ishbosheth’s troops from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

KJV: And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

NKJV: Now Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

It's interesting that there is no recorded effort by David's to take control of Israel by military force before Ish-bosheth becomes king. Rather, David used gifts (1 Samuel 30:26–31), psalms (2 Samuel 17–27), and letters of blessings (2 Samuel 2:4–7) to try to win the Israelites' hearts. It only worked with Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). Considering Ish-bosheth became king of Israel by the word of Saul's military commander, Abner, war is now inevitable.

Even so, we aren't told why they start fighting now. Abner is a great warrior; he's been Saul's commander since before David defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:55). Representing David's side is Joab, David's nephew and commander (1 Chronicles 2:13–17).

Joab brought his brothers, Abishai and Asahel. When the Ziphites betrayed David's location to Saul and God allowed David to sneak into Saul's camp, Abishai went with him. When they reached Saul, sound asleep in the center of his sleeping army, Abner was sleeping next to him. David and Abishai stole Saul's spear, retreated a safe distance away, and mocked Abner for leaving his king defenseless (1 Samuel 26).

Gibeon is just northwest of Jerusalem, placing it between David's capital at Hebron and Ish-bosheth's capital at Mahanaim. The Gibeonites are not Israelites, but descendants of the Amorites. The Amorites tricked Joshua into letting them live amidst the Israelites peacefully (Joshua 9). Even so, Gibeon is an extremely important strategic city: it's where the tabernacle moved to after Saul killed the priests at Nob (1 Chronicles 16:39–40).

Second Samuel 2:12–17 marks the beginning of a civil war. Upon Saul's death, David became king of Judah (1 Samuel 31:1–4; 2 Samuel 2:1–4). Despite five years of his diplomatic attempts (2 Samuel 1; 2:4–7), David hasn't managed to unite the Israelites under his rule. Abner makes Saul's son Ish-bosheth king over the rest of Israel (2 Samuel 2:8–10). For two years, the rival kingdoms fight: David's side growing stronger and Ish-bosheth's weaker (2 Samuel 3:1). The war begins with twelve duels.

David returns to Israel, where he is anointed king over Judah, and settles in Hebron. Abner declares Saul's son Ish-bosheth king over Israel. David blesses the men of Jabesh-gilead for burying Saul's remains. Abner, leading Ish-bosheth's men, faces off against Joab, leading David's fighters, at Gibeon. In a fierce, one-sided battle, Abner kills Joab's brother, but David's men overwhelm Abner's Benjaminite fighters, losing twenty but killing 360. Abner and the survivors prepare for a last stand on the hill of Ammah, but Joab calls off the battle when Abner pleads with him to stop. Both sides return home.

Saul and three of his sons are dead (1 Samuel 31:1–4). David becomes king of Judah, and Saul's son Ish-bosheth is king of the remaining tribes. When the two sides meet in battle, Ish-bosheth's army fares poorly. David continues to grow stronger over two years of fighting. Ish-bosheth's general Abner appears to make a futile attempt to take the crown from his king, then starts the work to peacefully hand David the crown of Israel (2 Samuel 3:1–12).

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.