2 Samuel 2:14

14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them come forward."

2 Samuel 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:14

And Abner said to Joab
Perceiving he made no motion towards an engagement with him, his orders from David being only to act on the defensive, and avoid as much as possible the effusion of blood:

let the young men now arise, and play before us;
with their swords after the manner of gladiators or duellers; that it might appear who were best skilled in the use of the sword, and who were the bravest, stoutest, and most courageous; and this he proposed in a way of bravado, and in order to bring on a battle, or to decide the quarrel between them; and this bloody barbarous exercise Abner calls play, as if it was a diversion and pastime to see men wounding and killing one another:

and Joab said, let them arise;
he accepted the challenge, not caring to be hectored and bullied by Abner.

2 Samuel 2:14 In-Context

12 Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat on one side of the pool, while the other sat on the other side of the pool.

14 Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us." Joab said, "Let them come forward."

15 So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 Each grasped 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, which is at Gibeon.