{"commentary":{"id":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","website":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamieson-Fausset-Brown_Bible_Commentary","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/","licenseNotes":null,"licenseNotice":null,"englishName":"Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary","language":"eng","textDirection":"rtl","sha256":"db3d4c8b3c1f32ef9d1430a57392e02bda3a17aac1f9bbe398461de021a3cb13","availableFormats":["json"],"listOfBooksApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/books.json","listOfProfilesApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/profiles.json","numberOfBooks":66,"totalNumberOfChapters":1187,"totalNumberOfVerses":17056,"totalNumberOfProfiles":0,"languageName":"English","languageEnglishName":"English"},"book":{"id":"2SA","commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","name":"2 Samuel","commonName":"2 Samuel","introduction":"THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF SAMUEL. The two were, by the ancient Jews, conjoined so as to make one book, and in that form could be called the Book of Samuel with more propriety than now, the second being wholly occupied with the relation of transactions that did not take place till after the death of that eminent judge. Accordingly, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, it is called the First and Second Books of Kings. The early portion of the First Book, down to the end of the twenty-fourth chapter, was probably written by Samuel; while the rest of it and the whole of the Second, are commonly ascribed to Nathan and Gad, founding the opinion on Ch1 29:29. Commentators, however, are divided about this, some supposing that the statements in Sa1 2:26; Sa1 3:1, indicate the hand of the judge himself, or a contemporary; while some think, from Sa1 6:18; Sa1 12:5; Sa1 27:6, that its composition must be referred to a later age. It is probable, however, that these supposed marks of an after-period were interpolations of Ezra. This uncertainty, however, as to the authorship does not affect the inspired authority of the book, which is indisputable, being quoted in the New Testament (Sa1 13:14 in Act 13:22, and Sa2 7:14 in Heb 1:5), as well as in many of the Psalms. \n\n\n\nNext: 2 Samuel Chapter 1\n\n","order":10,"numberOfChapters":24,"sha256":"188c33e35c1324c0d404a63bb72e8da9b887b5607315ae0afe09fa16484886bc","firstChapterNumber":1,"firstChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2SA/1.json","firstChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2SA","chapter":1},"lastChapterNumber":24,"lastChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2SA/24.json","lastChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2SA","chapter":24},"totalNumberOfVerses":209},"chapter":{"number":2,"content":[{"type":"verse","number":5,"content":["David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead--There can be no doubt that this message of thanks for their bold and dangerous enterprise in rescuing the bodies of Saul and his sons was an expression of David's personal and genuine feeling of satisfaction. At the same time, it was a stroke of sound and timely policy. In this view the announcement of his royal power in Judah, accompanied by the pledge of his protection of the men of Jabesh-gilead, should they be exposed to danger for their adventure at Beth-shan, would bear an important significance in all parts of the country and hold out an assurance that he would render them the same timely and energetic succor that Saul had done at the beginning of his reign.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":8,"content":["ABNER MAKES ISH-BOSHETH KING OVER ISRAEL. (Sa2 2:8-17)\n\nAbner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host took Ish-bosheth--Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner. \n\nIsh-bosheth--or \"Esh-baal\" (Ch1 8:33; Ch1 9:39). The Hebrews usually changed names ending with Baal into Bosheth (\"shame\") (compare Jdg 9:53 with Sa2 11:21). This prince was so called from his imbecility. \n\nAbner--was first cousin of Saul, commander of the forces, and held in high respect throughout the country. Loyalty to the house of his late master was mixed up with opposition to David and views of personal ambition in his originating this factious movement. He, too, was alive to the importance of securing the eastern tribes; so, taking Ish-bosheth across the Jordan, he proclaimed him king at Mahanaim, a town on the north bank of the Jabbok, hallowed in patriarchal times by the divine presence (Gen 32:2). There he rallied the tribes around the standard of the unfortunate son of Saul.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":9,"content":["over Gilead--used in a loose sense for the land beyond Jordan. \n\nAshurites--the tribe of Asher in the extreme north. \n\nJezreel--the extensive valley bordering on the central tribes. \n\nover all Israel . . . But Judah--David neither could nor would force matters. He was content to wait God's time and studiously avoided any collision with the rival king, till, at the lapse of two years, hostilities were threatened from that quarter.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":12,"content":["Abner . . . and the servants of Ish-bosheth . . . went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon--This town was near the confines of Judah, and as the force with which Abner encamped there seemed to have some aggressive design, David sent an army of observation, under the command of Joab, to watch his movements.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":14,"content":["Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us--Some think that the proposal was only for an exhibition of a little tilting match for diversion. Others suppose that, both parties being reluctant to commence a civil war, Abner proposed to leave the contest to the decision of twelve picked men on either side. This fight by championship instead of terminating the matter, inflamed the fiercest passions of the two rival parties; a general engagement ensued, in which Abner and his forces were defeated and put to flight.\n\n"]},{"type":"verse","number":19,"content":["ASAHEL SLAIN. (Sa2 2:19-32)\n\nAsahel pursued after Abner--To gain the general's armor was deemed the grandest trophy. Asahel, ambitious of securing Abner's, had outstripped all other pursuers, and was fast gaining on the retreating commander. Abner, conscious of possessing more physical power, and unwilling that there should be \"blood\" between himself and Joab, Asahel's brother, twice urged him to desist. The impetuous young soldier being deaf to the generous remonstrance, the veteran raised the pointed butt of his lance, as the modern Arabs do when pursued, and, with a sudden back thrust, transfixed him on the spot, so that he fell, and lay weltering in his blood. But Joab and Abishai continued the pursuit by another route till sunset. On reaching a rising ground, and receiving a fresh reinforcement of some Benjamites, Abner rallied his scattered troops and earnestly appealed to Joab's better feelings to stop the further effusion of blood, which, if continued, would lead to more serious consequences--a destructive civil war. Joab, while upbraiding his opponent as the sole cause of the fray, felt the force of the appeal and led off his men; while Abner probably dreading a renewal of the attack when Joab should learn his brother's fate, and vow fierce revenge, endeavored, by a forced march, to cross the Jordan that night. On David's side the loss was only nineteen men, besides Asahel. But of Ish-bosheth's party there fell three hundred and sixty. This skirmish is exactly similar to the battles of the Homeric warriors, among whom, in the flight of one, the pursuit by another, and the dialogue held between them, there is vividly represented the style of ancient warfare.\n\n\n\n\nNext: 2 Samuel Chapter 3\n\n"]}],"introduction":"DAVID, BY GOD'S DIRECTION, GOES UP TO HEBRON, AND IS MADE KING OVER JUDAH. (Sa2 2:1-7)\n\nDavid inquired of the Lord--By Urim (Sa1 23:6, Sa1 23:9; Sa1 30:7-8). He knew his destination, but he knew also that the providence of God would pave the way. Therefore he would take no step in such a crisis of his own and the nation's history, without asking and obtaining the divine direction. He was told to go into Judah, and fix his headquarters in Hebron, whither he accordingly repaired with his now considerable force. There his interests were very powerful; for he was not only within his own tribe, and near chiefs with whom he had been long in friendly relations (see on Sa1 30:26), but Hebron was the capital and center of Judah, and one of the Levitical cities; the inhabitants of which were strongly attached to him, both from sympathy with his cause ever since the massacre at Nob, and from the prospect of realizing in his person their promised pre-eminence among the tribes. The princes of Judah, therefore, offered him the crown over their tribe, and it was accepted. More could not, with prudence, be done in the circumstances of the country (Ch1 11:3).\n\n"},"thisChapterLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2SA/2.json","thisChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2SA","chapter":2},"nextChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2SA/3.json","nextChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2SA","chapter":3},"previousChapterApiLink":"/api/c/jamieson-fausset-brown/2SA/1.json","previousChapterReference":{"commentaryId":"jamieson-fausset-brown","book":"2SA","chapter":1},"numberOfVerses":6}