The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 41

jmotifled in defending hie election to be king the hair. It 110ems cert!Lin, therefore, thnt over Judah. Th~ pool of Gi1-ft ie described this mutual butchery WIIII the "plRy; " nor by Robinson (' ReeParohes,' ii. 186) 118 "an oe.n we conceive of a more murderona and open 1iank about a hundred and twenty feet savage proceeding. Abner, 11,t the head of in length and a hundred in breadth, sur- hia fierce Benje.mite&, thought, perhaps, rounded by a grove of oii,•e treee. Above it, that Joab had no men among his followers e1:oavated in t.be rook, ie a eubterranea.n willing to throw life a way in ao senseless reservoir, to reoei ve the water from a copious a manner. But Joabwas as ready as Abner, 11pring, from which the overflow deeoends and possibly some oode of false honour, into the tank below." As neither party we.a such as used to make men prsotise duel- willing to shed the first blood in 11, civil will', ling, required the e.oceptauoe of the ohal- of which t.be Philistines would re&p the lenge. And so, with their e.ppetite for blood benefit, they both halted in eight of one whetted by the sight of twenty-four murders, another on opposite eidee of the hill, with they haatened to begin the fight. B:elkath- the tB.nk below th11m in the middle. haaurim. Litemlly this means "the field Ver. 14.-Let the young men now a.rue. of fiinte_; " but 11,11 the flint is constantly used ••Now" is not a.n adverb of time, but is for any hlU'd rook (Ps. 111:viii. 20), the hortative, 11,nd therefore rightly translated Authorized Version has admitted into tho in the Revised Version," I pmy thee." It is margin a paraphrase taken from the Vul- bv no means certain th&t Abner meant th&t gate, which supposes that by flints nre this single combat should decide the wa.r; meant "strong men," e.nd renders, "the for simile.r preludes before 11, battle are not field of strong men." So in Isa. xxvi. 4: uncommon &mong the Ambians, 11,nd serve, " the flint," or rook, " of ages," is even trans- 11,11 this did, to put an end to the mutual lated "everlasting strength." Flints, how- unwillingness to begin the onslaught. So, ever, were cotllltantly tllled by the Ism.elites: too, games often preceded outbrellks of far knives whenever extreme sharpness· :we.a ScandinHi&n blood-fends. And this was required. Thus for the. oircnmoising ot i probably Abner's objeot. He W&S the as- Israel, J'ehove.h .commanded Joshua ,to pre- sailant, but now found that his men shre.n.k pare .knives of flint (Josh. v. 2); and in. from mortal combat with their brethren. course of time the sharp or whetted edge There is thus no oomparison between this of a weapon was called its .flint. 'l'hus in combat and that of the Curia.tii and Horatii Pa. J.xxxix. 43 we read, " Thou ha.et turned described in Livy, i. x. 25. Let them play. be.ck the flint of his sword." The name The word is grim enough, though intended therefore probably means "the field of the to gloss over I.be cruel reality. On each side sharp kuives" (see margin of the Revised twelve of the most skilful champions were to Version), o.nd refers to the short swords be select.eel who were to fight in stem earnest with which they murdered one another. with one another, while the rest gazed upon Ver. 17.-A very sore battle. The pur- the fieree spectacle. The sight of the con- pose of Abner was thus gained. Excited flict would whet their appetite for blood, and by the spect.e.cle of merciless slaughter, the ti,eir reluctanoe would give place to thirst e.rmies maumnvred no longer, but rushed for revenge. The request was t.oo thoroughly fiercely to the attack, e.ud fought with fury. in accordance with Joah's temper for him to But the mighty men of David were irre- refuse, and his immediate answer was, Let sistible. Only nineteen of his warriors fell, them arise. while Abner lost three hundred and sixty, Ver. 16.-llia aword in biB fellow's side. and was forced to flee. The o.bsenoe of the verb in the original .sets Ver. 19.-Aaahel puraued after Abner. powerfully before us the mpidity of the TbiB episode is fully ne.rmted, both because whoiB action. But what Rn action! Twenty- of Ase.hel's rank as David's nephew, and. four experienced meu each take the other also because of its tragice.l consequences to by tLe head. and, without any attempt at Abner himself. Ase.hel was a son of self-defence, thrust their ,nrnrds into their Zeruis.h, David's sister, and, while hie own oppoDents' sidt, and leave their own sides brothers were of little use to him, his exposed to e. si.w.il&r thrust. Were they, nephews, Joab, Abisbe.i, and Asahel, were then, unskilful in the use of weapons? the mainstays of David's throne. As their Impo,;sible. Were they blinded by hatred father's name is never mentioned, but only of one another? But no raucour would the mother's, Zeruie.h we.~ probably a woman make a me.n forget his skill in defence. of great ability, and her sons iuherited it Here there is no v&.riety, no checkered from her. Possibly she had married beneath fortune o! the combatauls, but all twenty- her station, or her husband had died early; four do and su1fer just the same; .aud it is but eerte.inly her sons, thinking more of reme.rk.a.ble that they bad swords only, her than of their father, had soon thrown und no shield,;. With shields on their 11rms, in their lot with David her brother (but tl.cy could uot have seized one o.uother by see noie 011 vcr. 32). 'l'he youngest of thd on. u. 1-82.) THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 30