2 Samuel 2:12

The Battle of Gibeon

12 One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

2 Samuel 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:12

And Abner the son of Ner
Who was before captain of Saul's host, and now of Ishbosheth's:

and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul;
who seem to be not only his domestic servants, that waited upon him, or his courtiers, but his whole army by what follows:

went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon;
came from the city on the other side Jordan, where perhaps they had been two years past, concerting schemes to bring all Israel under the government of Ishbosheth; in which they had succeeded, only Judah stood out with David; and in order to reduce that tribe, they passed over Jordan and came to Gibeon, a city in Benjamin. See ( Joshua 18:25 ) .

2 Samuel 2:12 In-Context

10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

11 And the length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12 One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 So Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. And the two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let us have the young men get up and compete before us.” “Let them get up,” Joab replied.