1 Samuel 22:1,2; 1 Chronicles 2:15,16
David, whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
B. W. NEWTON (1807-1899): Among the followers and closest adherents of David, was Joab. He was found early with David in the cave. Whilst Jonathan tarried in the court of Saul, Joab was sharing the hardships and dangers of David in the wilderness.
THE EDITOR: Joab came with his brothers, Abishai and Asahel. Some of David’s brethren rallied to him from love and family loyalty, but others came in “distress,” with motives of personal preservation; they knew Saul’s blood-thirsty paranoia wouldn’t end with destroying David, but it would extend to themselves as part of David’s family. Still others had economic and political reasons—“debt, and discontent.”
ALEXANDER WHYTE (1836-1921): Joab, the son of David’s sister, was a man of the very foremost ability.
B. W. NEWTON: Throughout all David’s subsequent dangers, Joab stood like a lion at his side, and if an extent of outward service were regarded, David perhaps had no such servant as he.
G. CAMPBELL MORGAN (1863-1945): Joab was a strange and rugged character, at once fierce and faithful. His relation to David forms a strange picture of a troublesome friendship. He was a perpetual source of anxiety, and yet his rugged steadfastness naturally appealed to the king.
THE EDITOR: Joab became more prominent in David’s army after the death of Saul and Jonathan, during an unusual battle in Gibeon, which was much like a personal duel, 2 Samuel 2:12-32. Recently, David had been anointed king “over Judah” in Hebron, 2 Samuel 3,4; but Abner, Saul’s cousin, the “captain of Saul’s host,” had taken Saul’s son Ishbosheth and annointed him king “over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel,” 2 Samuel 2:8,9.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): Abner set up Ishbosheth in competition with David, perhaps in his zeal for the lineal succession, or rather in his affection to his own family and relations, and because he had no other way to secure to himself the post of honour he was in, as captain of the host. See how much mischief the pride and ambition of one man may cause. Ishbosheth would never have set up himself if Abner had not made a tool of him to serve his own purposes.
THE EDITOR: “And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together beside the pool of Gibeon, and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.” 2 Samuel 2:12-14.
MATTHEW HENRY: In this battle, Abner was the aggressor.
THOMAS COKE (1747-1814): Joab, like many, entertained those false notions of honour, according to which he dared not refuse the challenge. They buy honour very dear who purchase it at the expense of their brother’s blood. False notions of honour are among the wiles that Satan employs for the destruction both of men’s bodies and souls.
ADAM CLARKE (1760-1832): This was diabolical play.
STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1628-1680): They accounted the death of men but a sport and interlude.
ROBERT HAWKER (1753-1827): The sinful play, as it is here called, soon became serious work, and terminated in a bloody battle, so that the place of the slain was called Helkath-hazzurim; that is, “the field of hardy men.”
JOHN TRAPP (1601-1699): What a mad sport was that of Joab and Abner!
THOMAS COKE: The men are selected and matched: “Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.” 2 Samuel 2:15. Each man instantly seizes his fellow, plunges his sword into the other’s side, and all of them fell down dead together; so lavish are generals often of the lives of their brave soldiers, to gratify their caprice. The general battle hereupon ensues, and Abner and his forces are routed. They who thus stir up strife, often meddle to their own hurt; and it is just in God, to punish the aggressor, and cover those with shame who seek to advance themselves upon their neighbour’s ruin.
THE EDITOR: Joab’s men went after them.
JOHN GILL (1697-1771): Asahel, Joab’s brother, pursued after Abner, ambitious of the glory of taking or slaying the general of the army of Israel; trusting to his swiftness, not considering that the race is not always to the swift, and that he had to do with a veteran soldier, and he but a raw young man, though valiant. He kept his eye upon him and pursued him closely, disregarding persons on the right or left he could have made prisoners. Abner looked behind him, and said, “Art thou Asahel?” for it seems he knew him personally, being well acquainted with his family—they were very near to each other, as to be heard and understood by each other.
ADAM CLARKE: Asahel wished to get the armour of Abner as a trophy; this was greatly coveted by ancient heroes. Abner wished to spare him, for fear of exciting Joab’s enmity.
MATTHEW HENRY: Abner, it seems, either loved Joab or feared him; for he was very loth to incur his displeasure, which he would certainly do if he slew Asahel.
THOMAS COKE: The conduct of Abner appears heroic and amiable. He was very desirous of sparing Asahel, advising him not to engage with an old and experienced officer like himself, but to turn against one of the young men, who would be an easy conquest, and whose armour he might carry off as his spoil, 2 Samuel 2:21. Asahel, however, was not to be persuaded.
ADAM CLARKE: As Asahel was obstinate in the pursuit, and was swifter of foot, Abner saw that he must either kill or be killed—therefore he turned his spear and ran it through the body of Asahel.
ROBERT HAWKER: “And it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.” The circumstance of everyone that came to the spot whence Asahel died, stopping, seems to have been from the gracious goodness of God, because it thereby retarded the pursuers, and afforded time to Abner’s army to escape.
THE EDITOR: Joab and Abishai, Asahel’s brothers, kept up the pursuit until they found Abner and his men on a hilltop at nightfall. “Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?” Joab blew a trumpet to call off the pursuit, because Abner’s defensive position was too strong to be attacked at night, and Joab’s men were tired. Abner withdrew his men, and after walking all night, they crossed over Jordan; meanwhile Joab buried his brother Asahel, and returned to Hebron. Abner had lost 360 men, but Joab only 19—plus Asahel.
A. W. PINK (1886-1952): By temperament, Joab was a daring and energetic man: a bold fighter in lawless times.
THE EDITOR: Joab was a very hard man—definitely not a man to be played with.
