David recovereth the spoil. B. C. I. SAMUEL. 10 But David pursued, he and four about 1056. hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. & ver. 21. Zeph. 2. 5. Josh. 14. 13. £15. 13. k 15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. 16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad The 5.3. upon all the earth, 'eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. | His presents to his friends. the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. 22 Then answered all the wicked men, and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. 23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. B. C. about 1056. || Or, asked them how they did, Judg. 18. 15. + Heb. men. o Deut. 13. 13. Judg. 19. 22. 31, 27. Josh. 22. 8. 24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but Pas his part is P See Num. that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25 And it was so from that day † forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. + Heb. and forward. 28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshte- Josh. 15. 50. moa, 29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt. CHAPTER XXXI. Saul's army defeated. 2 His sons slain. 4 He and his armourbearer kill themselves. 7 The Philistines possess the forsaken towns of the Israelites. 8 They triumph over the dead bodies of Saul and his 11 The men of Jabesh-gilead recover the bodies by night, burn them, and bury their bones at Jabesh. sons. u ch. 27. 10. x Judg. 1. 16. y Judg. 1. 17. z Josh. 14. 13. 2 Sam. 2. 1. OW the Philistines fought against a 1 Chr. 10. fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines followed hard 1-12. ||Or, wounded. b ch. 28. 4. and Jonathan. Now TOW it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was Sam. 30.17, returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; Heb. What was, bre 1 Sam. 4. 16. 41 Sam. 31. 1. 1 Sam. 41. 23, 4 3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. 4 And David said unto him, † How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. 5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? e 6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon dmount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And Heb. Bekold I answered, † Here am I. of mail, or, my embroid red coat hin Seroth 8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. I took the crown that was upon his B. C. 1056. 13. 31. 11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and like- 8 ch. 3. 81. & wise all the men that were with him : 12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword. 13 ¶ And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite. 14 And David said unto him, h How h Num. 12. 8. wast thou not afraid to stretch forthi 1 Sam. 31. 4. thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed? k 1 Sam. 24. 6. & 26. 9. Ps. 105. 15. 15 And David called one of the ch. 4. 10, 12. young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. 1 Kings 2. 32, 33, 37. 16 And David said unto him, m Thy m1 Sam. 26. 9. blood be upon thy head; for "thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD's anointed. 17 T And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son : 18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written Pin the book of Jasher :) n ver. 10. Luke 19. 22. 1 Sam. 31. 3. p Josh. 10. 13. Or, of the upright. 19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the migh-4 ty fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest 9 He said unto me again, Stand, I 'the daughters of the Philistines repray thee, upon me, and slay mejoice, lest the daughters of the my coat for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. 10 So I stood upon him, and 'slew that my, him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen and me. Judz. 9. 54. 1 Sam. 23. 2, Women. 27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished! CHAPTER II. David, by God's direction, goeth up to Hebron, where he is made king of Judah. 5 He commendeth the men of Jabesh-gilead for their kindness to Saul. 8 Abner maketh Ish-bosheth king of Israel. 12 A skirmish between the men of Abner and of Joab. 18 Asahel is slain. 25 At Abner's request Joab soundeth a retreat. 32 Asahel's burial. Joab defeateth Abner. the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. 8 B. C. about 1055. But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took " Ish-bosheth + Heb. The the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth 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. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. 12 ¶ And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. host which was Saufs! || Or, Eshbaal, 1 Chr. 8. 33. & 9.3. i 1 Sam. 14.56 k ch. 5, 5. 1 Kings 2 11 + Heb. num. ber of days. 1 Josh. 18. 25 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and about 1053. the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon:+Heb. them and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which AND it came to pass after this, pertained to Ish-bosheth the son of a Judg. 1. 1. b 1 Sam.30.31. ver. 11. ch. 5. 1, 3. 1 Kings 2. 11. b 2 So David went up thither, and his e two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezrec 1 Sam. 30. 5. elitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite. 3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That 'the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul. 51 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that have shewed this kindye ness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. together. m Jer. 41. 12 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 Helkath-hazzurim, That is. The which is in Gibeon. 17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. 18 And there were "three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot Pas a wild roe. Joab soundeth a retreat. B. C. about 1053. ch. S. 27. & ground? how then should I hold up and stronger, and the house of Saul 23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside : wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the 4.6.& 20.10. fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. 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. 25 ¶ And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill. 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? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? 27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 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. 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. 31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died. 32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day. CHAPTER III. Ish-bosheth, 12 seeketh terms of David. 13 David re and dismissed. 22 Joab, returning from battle, kill eth Abner. 28 David curseth Joab, 31 and mourn- OW there was long war between waxed weaker and weaker. B. C. about 1053. a 1 Chr. 3. 1-4. 2 ¶ And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreel- b1 Sam. 25. 43. itess; 1 Chr. 3. 1. 3 And his second, " Chileab, of Abi-Or, Daniel, gail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king c of Geshur; с c 1 Sam. 27. 8. ch. 13. 37. d 1 Kings 1. 5. e ch. 21. 8, 10. f ch. 16. 21. 1 Sam. 24. 14. 8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Deut. 23. 18. Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? 9 So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; 12 ¶ And Abner sent messengers to about 1048. David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee. 13 ¶ And he said, Well; I will make Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying, De- Now " of David: but David waxed stronger 15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took 1 So Gen. 43.3. n1 Sam. 18. 25, 27. |
