1And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
2Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
4And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
5Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
6And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
7Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
8Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
9And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
10Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
11And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
13Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
15Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
16And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
17And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
19And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
20And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
21And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
22And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
23But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
24Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
25And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
26And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
28Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
29Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
30But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
31But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
32And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.
Verse 3
He had won the people's loyalty by fulfilling his duties freely. First, during a time of division among them, he chose to live in exile in Hebron rather than rule in Jerusalem.
Verse 5
The martyrs of Christ in their strivings for truth have conquered this love of one’s flesh.… For, in all flesh that lacks life, the one who has left the body cannot be aware of injury to the lifeless body, nor can he who created it lose anything. But in the midst of what was being done to the bodies of the dead, although the martyrs were enduring them fearlessly with great fortitude, among the brothers there was great grief, because no opportunity was given to them to pay just dues at the burial of the saints.… And thus, although no misery came upon those who had been slain, in the dismemberment of their bodies, in the burning of their bones, in the scattering of their ashes, a great sorrow tortured those who were unable to bury anything of theirs, because they themselves in a certain manner felt for those who had no feeling in any manner, and where now there was no passion on the part of the one, there was wretched compassion on the part of the other.Those men were praised and called blessed by King David who had bestowed the merciful kindness of burial on the dry bones of Saul and Jonathan, in keeping with that wretched compassion which I have mentioned. But, pray tell, what compassion is bestowed on those who have no feeling? Or should one think that the unburied were not able to cross the infernal river? May this be far from the Christian belief! Otherwise, it worked out very badly for so great a multitude of martyrs whose bodies could not be buried, and for them truth emptily said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do,” if they were able to do them such wrongs as to prevent their crossing over to the desired places. But, without any doubt, this is exceedingly false, for it is no hindrance to the faithful to be denied burial of the bodies. Also, it is of no advantage if burial is granted to the godless. Why, then, are those men said to have done an act of mercy in burying Saul and his son and blessed by good King David for this, unless it is because the hearts of the compassionate are favorably affected when they are concerned over the well-being of other bodies of the dead? Or is it because of that love which keeps one from ever hating his own flesh that they do not wish such things to happen after their own death to their own bodies, so that what they wish to be done for them when they shall have no feeling they care to do for others who now have no feeling, while they themselves still have feeling?
Verse 10
He reigned two years: Viz., before he began visibly to decline: but in all he reigned seven years and six months; for so long David reigned in Hebron.
Verse 22
But when the easily angered so attack others that it is impossible to shun them, they should not be smitten with open rebuke but sparingly with a certain respectful forbearance. We shall prove this better by citing the example of Abner. Scripture has it that when Asahel attacked him with vehement and inconsiderate haste, Abner said to Asahel, “Go off and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to strike you to the ground.… But he refused to listen to him, and would not turn aside. Therefore, Abner struck him with his spear, with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died.” Of whom, then, did Asahel serve as a type, but of those who are driven headlong in a violent access of frenzy? Such people, when under the impulse of a like frenzy, are the more cautiously to be shunned, the more carried away they are in their madness. Therefore, too, Abner, who in our language is termed “lamp of the father,” fled: that is to say, if the teacher, whose tongue symbolizes the heavenly light of God, perceives the mind of a person to be carried away along the rugged path of frenzy and refrains from bandying words with such an angered one, he is like one unwilling to strike a pursuer. But when easily angered people will not restrain themselves under any consideration, and, as it were, like Asahel, do not refrain from their mad pursuit, then it is necessary for those who try to check them in their frenzy, not on any account to allow their anger to be aroused but to show all possible calmness; and let them suggest discreetly that which will, as it were, by a side stroke pierce their frenzied mind.Thus, when Abner made a stand against his pursuer, he pierced him, not with a direct thrust but with the reverse end of his spear. Of course, to strike with the sharp point is to oppose another with an attack of open rebuke, but to strike a pursuer with the reverse end of the spear is to touch the frenzied quietly and partially, and to overcome him, as it were, by sparing him. But Asahel falls down dead on the spot: that is, turbulent minds, on perceiving that they are shown consideration and, on the other hand, because they are touched in their hearts in consequence of being reasoned with calmly, fall down at once from the lofty place to which they had raised themselves. Those, therefore, who withdraw from their frenzied impulse under the stroke of gentleness, die, as it were, without being struck by the head of a spear.
Verse 23
But when the easily angered so attack others that it is impossible to shun them, they should not be smitten with open rebuke but sparingly with a certain respectful forbearance. We shall prove this better by citing the example of Abner. Scripture has it that when Asahel attacked him with vehement and inconsiderate haste, Abner said to Asahel, “Go off and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to strike you to the ground.… But he refused to listen to him, and would not turn aside. Therefore, Abner struck him with his spear, with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died.” Of whom, then, did Asahel serve as a type, but of those who are driven headlong in a violent access of frenzy? Such people, when under the impulse of a like frenzy, are the more cautiously to be shunned, the more carried away they are in their madness. Therefore, too, Abner, who in our language is termed “lamp of the father,” fled: that is to say, if the teacher, whose tongue symbolizes the heavenly light of God, perceives the mind of a person to be carried away along the rugged path of frenzy and refrains from bandying words with such an angered one, he is like one unwilling to strike a pursuer. But when easily angered people will not restrain themselves under any consideration, and, as it were, like Asahel, do not refrain from their mad pursuit, then it is necessary for those who try to check them in their frenzy, not on any account to allow their anger to be aroused but to show all possible calmness; and let them suggest discreetly that which will, as it were, by a side stroke pierce their frenzied mind.Thus, when Abner made a stand against his pursuer, he pierced him, not with a direct thrust but with the reverse end of his spear. Of course, to strike with the sharp point is to oppose another with an attack of open rebuke, but to strike a pursuer with the reverse end of the spear is to touch the frenzied quietly and partially, and to overcome him, as it were, by sparing him. But Asahel falls down dead on the spot: that is, turbulent minds, on perceiving that they are shown consideration and, on the other hand, because they are touched in their hearts in consequence of being reasoned with calmly, fall down at once from the lofty place to which they had raised themselves. Those, therefore, who withdraw from their frenzied impulse under the stroke of gentleness, die, as it were, without being struck by the head of a spear.