David Anointed King of Judah
2 After this David inquired of the Lord,
the whole time David was living with the Philistines, he never inquired of the Lord. Been there done that. Abiathar’s ephod?
“Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.”
20 miles SW of Jerusalem. was a city of refuge in the territory of Judah (Josh 21:13) and part of the inheritance of Caleb (Josh 14:14; 15:13; Judg 1:20). In the time of the patriarchs, it was called Kiriath-arba (see Gen 23:2 and note)
2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
He will eventually have 7 wives. God did not approve this. Genesis wife, 2 shall be one flesh. Deut. When told about the king, the king is not to accumulate wives.
3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
For 7 ½ years at age 30. First public anointing.
When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” 1 Sam 31:11–13. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”
Men of Jabesh-gilead rescued the body of dead, decapitated Saul. The first thing Saul did was rescue the men of Jabesh-gilead.
Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel
8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he 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.
Saul and 3 sons killed, not Ish-bosheth. Civil war between North and South. David will reunite and then split again after Solomon. We don’t know why he didn’t fight in Saul’s battle. Abner survived the battle; he was the body guard of Saul. He should not be alive and Saul being dead. David still willing to wait on the Lords timing.
Abner, Saul’s cousin and the commander of his army (1 Sam 14:50–51), initially rejects David’s claim to kingship and installs Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth as king of Israel.
One of Saul’s remaining sons—three of Saul’s sons were killed by the Philistines at the battle of Mount Gilboa (1 Sam 31:1–2; compare 2 Sam 21:5–9). It appears that Ish-bosheth was now the rightful heir to the throne, according to progeny based kingship. Abner is attempting to keep Saul’s dynasty intact.
The Battle of Gibeon
12 Abner the son of Ner, (not lil’ Abner-cousin to Saul) and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah
(David’s sister, He was the head of David’s army (2 Sam 20:23; 1 Chr 27:34)
Joab and his two brothers—Abishai and Asahel—were crucial to David’s consolidation efforts. With Joab at the helm, they established David’s military power and killed his enemies as David brought the kingdom under his control. Despite his familial connection with the king, Joab fell into disrepute after wrongly avenging the death of his youngest brother, Asahel (see 2 Sam 3:22–39). Later, he killed David’s rebellious son, Absalom, against David’s command (see 18:14); he also killed David’s nephew, Amasa (see 17:25 and note; 19:13; 20:10). On his deathbed, David ordered his son, Solomon, to assassinate Joab (see 1 Kgs 2:5–6, 28–35).[1]
and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. 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 arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”
Like the Goliath situation? Abner from the North came to challenge David of Judah.
15 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. 16 And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, (sharp swords) which is at Gibeon. So all 24 died. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
18 And the three sons of Zeruiah
mentioned 26 times in the bible an always alone, no mention of a husband. Raise 3 mighty warriors.
were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
Josephus said he was so fast he could out run a horse. ???
19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil. (Armour)” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. 22 And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”
(it is true that this could start a feud that may never end. It was also a huge victory to take the Armour of a General of the opposite army.
Abner does not want to be responsible for killing the brother of his rival general, Joab. He probably understands that reprisals will follow.
23 But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?” 27 And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.