2 Samuel 2:9

9 And made him king over Gilead and the Asherites and over Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin, that is, over all Israel.

2 Samuel 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:9

And he made him king over Gilead
Which lay beyond Jordan, and included the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh; these he prevailed upon to acknowledge Ishbosheth, their king, and proclaimed him king over them:

and over the Ashurites:
that is, those of the house or tribe of Asher, as the Targum, and indeed none else can well be thought of; some indeed read the Geshurites, as the Vulgate Latin version; but these were never expelled by the Israelites, and had at this time a king over them, ( 2 Samuel 3:3 ) ; see ( Joshua 13:13 ) ;

and over Jezreel;
the great plain which went along the borders of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and included these tribes:

and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin:
the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin:

and over all Israel,
excepting the tribe of Judah; that is, he prevailed first on one of these, then on another, until he got all the tribes of Israel to own him for their king; David all this time being still and quiet, and not opposing him, waiting God's own time to open the way for his possession of the kingdom over all Israel, and having a strict regard to his oath to Saul, ( 1 Samuel 24:21 1 Samuel 24:22 ) .

2 Samuel 2:9 In-Context

7 Then let your hands be strong, and have no fear: though Saul your lord is dead, the people of Judah have made me their king.

8 Now Abner, the son of Ner, captain of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-bosheth over to Mahanaim,

9 And made him king over Gilead and the Asherites and over Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin, that is, over all Israel.

10 (Saul's son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was ruler for two years.) But Judah was on the side of David.

11 And the time when David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah was seven years and six months.