וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּה' לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה בְּאַחַת עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו עֲלֵה וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אָנָה אֶעֱלֶה וַיֹּאמֶר חֶבְרֹנָה

Since the war with the Philistines had ended with the scattered flight of the Israelite soldiers, its consequences were not yet fully apparent. The Philistines had won the battle and had restored for themselves control over large tracts of the country, but the public at large had not yet become aware of the fate of Saul and his sons. At the time, David was residing in Tziklag, which is listed among the cities of the inheritance of Simeon, but which had probably been under Philistine control for many years. It was thereafter that David, who had still not been fully informed of the current state of affairs, inquired of the Lord, saying: Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah? It can be inferred from the style of these focused questions, and the brevity of the responses, that David consulted God by means of the Urim and the Tumim. The Lord said to him: Go up. David said: Where shall I go up? He said: To Hebron. Hebron was the major city in the territory of Judah, perhaps its capital. It was well known as far back as the days of the patriarchs. David’s return from isolation, and his settlement in the most important city of Judah is thus a significant step, both symbolically and practically.

וַיַּעַל שָׁם דָּוִד וְגַם שְׁתֵּי נָשָׁיו אֲחִינֹעַם הַיִּזְרְעֵלִית וַאֲבִיגַיִל אֵשֶׁת נָבָל הַכַּרְמְלִי

David went up there, and also his two wives went with him, Ahino’am the Yizre’elite and Avigayil the former wife of Naval the Carmelite.

ואֲנָשָׁיו אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ הֶעֱלָה דָוִד אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּעָרֵי חֶבְרוֹן

David took up the men, around six hundred of them, who were with him, serving as his active military unit, each man with his household, and they settled in the cities of Hebron, which was originally part of the inheritance of Caleb. The Levites lived in Hebron, which also served as a city of refuge. It is likely that the city itself was not heavily populated, but that there were many smaller settlements in the surrounding area, called “environs of the city,” and David’s men resided there.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אַנְשֵׁי יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ שָׁם אֶת דָּוִד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל בֵּית יְהוּדָה

When David arrived in Hebron, the men of the tribe of Judah came and anointed David there as king over the house of Judah. Although they could not appoint him in the name of the entire nation, they decided that David, a member of their own tribe, would be their king. Since David had Samuel’s promise, as well as the major organized military force left in the land, they felt that there was no one more suitable for the throne. As David sought to establish his reign in Hebron, he heard rumors of what was happening on the broader national stage: They told David, saying: It was the men of Yavesh Gilad who took the bodies of Saul and his sons that were hanging on the wall of Beit Shan and who buried Saul in a dignified manner.

וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד אֲשֶׁר קָבְרוּ אֶת שָׁאוּל וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד מַלְאָכִים אֶל אַנְשֵׁי יָבֵישׁ גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם בְּרֻכִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם הַחֶסֶד הַזֶּה עִם אֲדֹנֵיכֶם עִם שָׁאוּל וַתִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ

David sent messengers to the men of Yavesh Gilad and said to them: Blessed are you to the Lord, in that you acted with this kindness for your lord, for Saul, and you buried him. David began assuming the role of a king by sending the men of Yavesh Gilad an official message of gratitude as head of state and due to his familial ties to Saul, which he could still claim.

וְעַתָּה יַעַשׂ ה' עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת וְגַם אָנֹכִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אִתְּכֶם הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

Now may the Lord act with kindness and truth for you, your deed; and I too, will do for you this benevolence, because you have done this thing. Perhaps he promised them protection against any possible retaliation by the Philistines, which the people of Yavesh Gilad feared.

וְעַתָּה תֶּחֱזַקְנָה יְדֵיכֶם וִהְיוּ לִבְנֵי חַיִל כִּי מֵת אֲדֹנֵיכֶם שָׁאוּל וְגַם אֹתִי מָשְׁחוּ בֵית יְהוּדָה לְמֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם

Now, let your hands be strong, and be men of valor, as your lord, Saul, to whom you too were greatly attached, is dead. David added: And the house of Judah has anointed me king over them. I speak with authority, although I am not yet king over all Israel, only over the tribe of Judah.

ואַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר שַׂר צָבָא אֲשֶׁר לְשָׁאוּל לָקַח אֶת אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל וַיַּעֲבִרֵהוּ מַחֲנָיִם

Meanwhile, Avner son of Ner, who was the former army commander for Saul and his cousin, took Ish Boshet son of Saul, who had not been killed in the war and perhaps did not even participate in the fighting, and conveyed him from the portion of Benjamin, which was near Philistine territory, to the city of Mahanayim east of the Jordan, where he could reside in relative security. It should be noted that following the episode of the concubine in Giva, ties of marriage had been established between the tribe of Benjamin and the residents of the region of Gilad.

וַיַּמְלִכֵהוּ אֶל הַגִּלְעָד וְאֶל הָאֲשׁוּרִי וְאֶל יִזְרְעֶאל וְעַל אֶפְרַיִם וְעַל בִּנְיָמִן וְעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלֹּה

He crowned him first king over the Gilad, where Mahanayim was located, and then over the Ashurites, the tribe of Asher, over Yizre’el, in the inheritance of Manasseh, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and finally over all Israel. Avner considered Ish Boshet the rightful heir to the throne, and he sought to reestablish the dynasty of Saul through him. Ish Boshet was not the one designated to inherit his father’s position, and it is clear from the continuation of the story that he was not a strong leader. Avner was forced to proceed slowly, as the people were broken and disheartened from the war. Consequently, Ish Boshet’s reign over the Kingdom of Israel initially took shape on the eastern side of the Jordan River before being enlarged gradually and incrementally.

בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל בְּמָלְכוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנִים מָלָךְ אַךְ בֵּית יְהוּדָה הָיוּ אַחֲרֵי דָוִד

Ish Boshet son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. They did not accept Ish Boshet as their king and thus remained a separate political entity from the other tribes. For generations prior to the formal split into two kingdoms, during the period when Israel was still a nation of disparate tribes, the tribe of Judah had existed as an independent unit.

וַיְהִי מִסְפַּר הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דָוִד מֶלֶךְ בְּחֶבְרוֹן עַל בֵּית יְהוּדָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים

The number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Apparently, David began to reign in Hebron before Ish Boshet was appointed king.

וַיֵּצֵא אַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר וְעַבְדֵי אִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל מִמַּחֲנַיִם גִּבְעוֹנָה

Relations between the newly-formed kingdoms were not friendly, but the two sides were not at war either. They each scouted and sought to determine their next move. Avner son of Ner and the servants of Ish Boshet son of Saul departed from Mahanayim to Givon. Ish Boshet wished to incorporate the area of Givon under his rule, as it belonged to the inheritance of Benjamin. Meanwhile, David reigned in Judah.

וְיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה וְעַבְדֵי דָוִד יָצְאוּ וַיִּפְגְּשׁוּם עַל בְּרֵכַת גִּבְעוֹן יַחְדָּו וַיֵּשְׁבוּ אֵלֶּה עַל הַבְּרֵכָה מִזֶּה וְאֵלֶּה עַל הַבְּרֵכָה מִזֶּה

Yoav son of Tzeruya, who was the captain of David’s army, and the servants of David also went out to that same place, and they met them at the pool of Givon. These were sitting at the pool on this side, and those were sitting at the pool on that side. For now, the two camps avoided direct confrontation. They remained on opposite sides of the great pool, without coming into physical contact with each other.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר אֶל יוֹאָב יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב יָקֻמוּ

Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us. Let them engage in combat for the sake of competition and amusement. Yoav said: Let them rise.

וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיַּעַבְרוּ בְמִסְפָּר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לְבִנְיָמִן וּלְאִישׁ בֹּשֶׁת בֶּן שָׁאוּל וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מֵעַבְדֵי דָוִד

They rose and crossed by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ish Boshet son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. It is possible that the challenge began as a mere game or simulated battle, such as a fencing match, but as the confrontation was emotionally charged, spirits soon became enflamed.

וַיַּחֲזִקוּ אִישׁ בְּרֹאשׁ רֵעֵהוּ וְחַרְבּוֹ בְּצַד רֵעֵהוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ יַחְדָּו וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא חֶלְקַת הַצֻּרִים אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן

Each man grabbed the head of his counterpart, and he stabbed his sword into the side of his counterpart. In their enmity, they stabbed each other to death. And they all fell down dead together. They called that place the Field of the Flints, or the plot of land belonging to the strong ones, or the swords, which is in Givon.

וַתְּהִי הַמִּלְחָמָה קָשָׁה עַד מְאֹד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּנָּגֶף אַבְנֵר וְאַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי עַבְדֵי דָוִד

Due to the casualties both sides had suffered at the competition, open warfare broke out between Avner’s men and those of Yoav. The fighting was very fierce that day, and Avner and the men of Israel were routed before the servants of David. Perhaps Yoav’s men outnumbered Avner’s, and they may also have been more experienced soldiers. Since Israel’s defeat by the Philistines had greatly damaged Saul’s forces, Avner had been forced to draft new, inexperienced troops for his army.

וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי צְרוּיָה יוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי וַעֲשָׂהאֵל וַעֲשָׂהאֵל קַל בְּרַגְלָיו כְּאַחַד הַצְּבָיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה

The three sons of Tzeruya, David’s sister, who was probably older than he, were there, among David’s men: Yoav, Avishai, and Asa’el; Asa’el was swift of foot like one of the gazelles in the field.

וַיִּרְדֹּף עֲשָׂהאֵל אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וְלֹא נָטָה לָלֶכֶת עַל הַיָּמִין וְעַל הַשְּׁמֹאול מֵאַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר

As he was a fast runner, Asa’el pursued Avner, the captain of the opposing army; and he did not veer to go right or left from following Avner.

וַיִּפֶן אַבְנֵר אַחֲרָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הַאַתָּה זֶה עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי

Avner looked behind him, while he was running, and said: Is that you, Asa’el? He answered: It is I.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַבְנֵר נְטֵה לְךָ עַל יְמִינְךָ אוֹ עַל שְׂמֹאלֶךָ וֶאֱחֹז לְךָ אֶחָד מֵהַנְּעָרִים וְקַח לְךָ אֶת חֲלִצָתוֹ וְלֹא אָבָה עֲשָׂהאֵל לָסוּר מֵאַחֲרָיו

Avner said to him: If you wish to gain some sort of achievement in the battle, or if you want to appear victorious, veer to your right or to your left, and seize one of the lads, and take his garments. Find someone else and seize his armor, as was customarily done to defeated soldiers, but leave me alone. But Asa’el was unwilling to turn aside from following him.

וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד אַבְנֵר לֵאמֹר אֶל עֲשָׂהאֵל סוּר לְךָ מֵאַחֲרָי לָמָּה אַכֶּכָּה אַרְצָה וְאֵיךְ אֶשָּׂא פָנַי אֶל יוֹאָב אָחִיךָ

Avner added to Asa’el, saying: Turn aside from following me. Why should I smite you to the ground? If you do not cease pursuing me, I will be forced to kill you in self-defense. How will I show my face to Yoav your brother? Although Avner and Yoav were not friends, they did interact with one another as captains of their respective forces. Avner did not wish to ruin the relationship.

וַיְמָאֵן לָסוּר וַיַּכֵּהוּ אַבְנֵר בְּאַחֲרֵי הַחֲנִית אֶל הַחֹמֶשׁ וַתֵּצֵא הַחֲנִית מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּפָּל שָׁם וַיָּמָת תַּחְתָּיו וַיְהִי כָּל הַבָּא אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָפַל שָׁם עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיָּמֹת וַיַּעֲמֹדוּ

He, Asa’el, refused to turn aside, and Avner struck him with the back of the handle of the spear in the stomach, the area under the ribs where the liver is located. Avner was a skilled warrior. Instead of turning around and fighting as Asa’el may have expected, Avner decided to surprise him by attacking with his spear in an unusual manner to strike Asa’el in a soft, vulnerable spot of the body, and the spear went through Asa’el’s body and came out behind him, as a consequence of both the force of the blow and the fact that Asa’el was running so fast. He fell there and died in his place. It was that anyone from David’s men who came to the place where Asa’el fell and died came to a stop. They all paused in confusion and shock, as Asa’el was a relative of David and, it seems, also one of the heads of the army.

וַיִּרְדְּפוּ יוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ עַד גִּבְעַת אַמָּה אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי גִיחַ דֶּרֶךְ מִדְבַּר גִּבְעוֹן

Yoav and Avishai, the brothers of Asa’el, pursued Avner, who had turned towards his base across the Jordan River. And the sun was setting, and they came to the hill of Ama, which was opposite Giah, on the way of the wilderness of Givon, meaning between Givon and the Judean Desert.

וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ בְנֵי בִנְיָמִן אַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וַיִּהְיוּ לַאֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת וַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל רֹאשׁ גִּבְעָה אֶחָת

The children of Benjamin, who had previously fled, gathered behind Avner, and they became one unit and stood at the top of a hill.

וַיִּקְרָא אַבְנֵר אֶל יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלָנֶצַח תֹּאכַל חֶרֶב הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּה כִּי מָרָה תִהְיֶה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וְעַד מָתַי לֹא תֹאמַר לָעָם לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵי אֲחֵיהֶם

Avner called to Yoav, and he said: Will forever the sword devour? Will we continue slaughtering one another incessantly? Surely you know that it, war, will ultimately be bitterness. For how long will you not say to the people to turn back from following their brethren? Instruct your soldiers to stop pursuing us. You have no reason to fight Ish Boshet’s men and the people of Benjamin.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב חַי הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי לוּלֵא דִּבַּרְתָּ כִּי אָז מֵהַבֹּקֶר נַעֲלָה הָעָם אִישׁ מֵאַחֲרֵי אָחִיו

Yoav said: You are responsible for what has transpired. As God lives, had you not spoken and suggested the showcase combat, then already in the morning the people would have forborne, each from following his brother. We would have separated in peace, even if not as friends.

וַיִּתְקַע יוֹאָב בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיַּעַמְדוּ כָּל הָעָם וְלֹא יִרְדְּפוּ עוֹד אַחֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יָסְפוּ עוֹד לְהִלָּחֵם

Yoav sounded the shofar, to signal the end of the battle and to instruct his soldiers to disengage (18:16, 20:22), and the entire people stood, and did not pursue Israel any longer, and they did not continue to fight.

וְאַבְנֵר וַאֲנָשָׁיו הָלְכוּ בָּעֲרָבָה כֹּל הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיֵּלְכוּ כָּל הַבִּתְרוֹן וַיָּבֹאוּ מַחֲנָיִם

Avner and his remaining men went through the Arava all that night, and they crossed the Jordan, and went through the entire Bitron, a valley that dissects the land across the Jordan River, on the way to Mahanayim. And they came back to their base in Mahanayim. Apparently, the effort to incorporate Givon, in the territory of Benjamin, into the areas under the control of Ish Boshet failed. The forces of David, who controlled Judah, had pushed Avner’s soldiers back across the Jordan.

וְיוֹאָב שָׁב מֵאַחֲרֵי אַבְנֵר וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת כָּל הָעָם וַיִּפָּקְדוּ מֵעַבְדֵי דָוִד תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר אִישׁ וַעֲשָׂהאֵל

Yoav returned from following Avner, and he gathered the entire people; missing from David’s servants were nineteen men, who had been killed in the fighting, and Asa’el, who is singled out from the other casualties due to his importance.

וְעַבְדֵי דָוִד הִכּוּ מִבִּנְיָמִן וּבְאַנְשֵׁי אַבְנֵר שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים אִישׁ מֵתוּ

The servants of David had smitten from Benjamin and of Avner’s men, a decisive blow; three hundred and sixty men had died.

וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת עֲשָׂהאֵל וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּקֶבֶר אָבִיו אֲשֶׁר בֵּית לָחֶם וַיֵּלְכוּ כָל הַלַּיְלָה יוֹאָב וַאֲנָשָׁיו וַיֵּאֹר לָהֶם בְּחֶבְרוֹן

They picked up Asa’el and buried him in a dignified manner in the grave of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Yoav and his men went all night, and the day broke for them at their base in Hebron.