Shmuel Bais 2:18

18 And there were three Bnei Tzeruyah there: Yoav, Avishai, Asahel; Asahel was as swift of foot as a gazelle.

Shmuel Bais 2:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:18

And there were three sons of Zeruiah there
In the battle,

Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel;
Joab was the general of the array, Abishai was he who went into Saul's host at night, and took away his spear and cruse of water at his head, ( 1 Samuel 26:6 1 Samuel 26:7 ) ; and it is for the sake of the third, Asahel, that the account is given, the story of his death being about to be told.

And Asahel [was as] light of foot as a wild roe:
swiftness of foot, as well as courage, for which this man was famous, ( 1 Chronicles 11:26 ) ; was a very great qualification for a warrior ^F5. So Achilles, in Homer ^F6, is often said to be swift of foot, and others of his heroes are commended for their swiftness. Harold son of King Canutus, was from his swiftness

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 called Harefoot; as here this man for the same reason is compared to a wild roe, which is a very swift creature, or to one of the roes that were in the field as in the original text. See ( Song of Solomon 2:7 Song of Solomon 2:17 ) ( 8:14 ) ; one sort of which, called "kemas", is said to run as swift as a tempest {h}.

F5 Cornel. Nepos, Epaminond. l. 2.
F6 (podav wkuv) , Iliad. 1. lin. 15.
F7 Rapin's History of England, vol. 1. p. 128.
F8 Aelian. Hist. de Animal, l. 14. c. 14.

Shmuel Bais 2:18 In-Context

16 And they caught every one his re’a by the rosh, and thrust his cherev in his re’a’s side; so they fell down together; therefore that makom was called Chelkat-Hatzurim, which is in Giveon.

17 And there was a very fierce milchamah that day; and Avner was defeated, and the Anshei Yisroel, before the Avadim of Dovid.

18 And there were three Bnei Tzeruyah there: Yoav, Avishai, Asahel; Asahel was as swift of foot as a gazelle.

19 Asahel pursued after Avner; and in going he turned not to the right nor to the left from following Avner.

20 Then Avner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.