2 Samuel 2:18

18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel.^[a] Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.^[b]

2 Samuel 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.

2 Samuel 2:18 In-Context

16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and [thrust] his sword into his opponent's side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades.

17 The battle that day was extremely fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's soldiers.

18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.

19 He chased Abner and did not turn to the right or the left in his pursuit of him.

20 Abner glanced back and said, "Is that you, Asahel?" "Yes it is," Asahel replied.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Ch 2:16
• [b]. 1 Ch 12:8