2 Samuel 2:29

29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole forenoon they came to Mahana'im.

2 Samuel 2:29 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 2:29

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain,
&c.] The plain of Jordan. He marched with his men all night, lest Joab should return, and pursue him, and take vengeance on him for the death of his brother:

and passed over Jordan;
at one of the fords of it:

and went through all Bithron;
the name of a province or country, as Jarchi, called so perhaps from its being separated from the rest of the tribes of Israel by the river Jordan; some think the mountains of Bether were in this country, ( Song of Solomon 2:17 ) . From Gibeon, where the battle was fought, to Bithron, according to Bunting ^F15, was twenty eight miles, the which he says was in the tribe of Gad, twenty eight miles from Jerusalem northeastward, lying between Dibon and Jordan:

and they came to Mahanaim:
from whence they came, and where they had left Ishbosheth, ( 2 Samuel 2:8 2 Samuel 2:12 ) . From Bithron to this place, according to the same writer ^F16, was sixteen miles.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Travels p. 145, 146.
F16 Ibid.

2 Samuel 2:29 In-Context

27 And Jo'ab said, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have given up the pursuit of their brethren in the morning."

28 So Jo'ab blew the trumpet; and all the men stopped, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more.

29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; they crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole forenoon they came to Mahana'im.

30 Jo'ab returned from the pursuit of Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men besides As'ahel.

31 But the servants of David had slain of Benjamin three hundred and sixty of Abner's men.