Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

On the east of the hill (El-jib, the ancient Gibeon) is a copious spring, which issues in a cave excavated in the limestone rock, so as to form a large reservoir. In the trees further down are the remains of a pool or tank of considerable size (120 feet by 110 feet). This is doubtless “the pool of Gibeon.”

Sat down - i. e. halted and encamped.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And Joab the son of Zeruiah,.... A sister of David, and this her son was general of David's army:

and the servants of David, went out; that is, his army went out from Hebron to Gibeon, which was twenty four miles^F4Bunting's Travels, p. 146. to meet that under Abner; for though he had but one tribe with him, and Ishbosheth had all the rest, yet Judah was a numerous, powerful, and warlike tribe; and besides many out of the other tribes had joined them, and, above all, God was on their side, and they had his promise to rely upon with respect to the establishment of the kingdom in the house of David, and his power and providence to trust in, and therefore went out boldly and cheerfully to meet the armies of Israel under Abner:

and met together by the pool of Gibeon; the same perhaps with the great waters in Gibeon, Jeremiah 41:12,

and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool; facing one another, and watching each other's motions.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by 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.

Met — That is, met the opposite army, and put themselves in a posture for battle.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Samuel 2:13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by 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.

Ver. 13. And then sat down.] David and his men were loath to fight, unless it were in their own necessary defence. He remembered his oath to Saul, not to attempt against his house: and therefore came not hither himself in person, but sent Joab, with directions to hold off till needs must.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Went out, to battle.

Quest. How could or durst this one tribe oppose all the rest?

Answ. First, This tribe was very numerous and valiant of themselves, and they had a king of extraordinary courage, and conduct, and success. Secondly, There were great numbers of the other tribes which favoured them, as appears from 1Ch 12. Thirdly, They had the encouragement of special promises of God, made both to their tribe and to David.

Met together, i. e. met the opposite army, and put themselves into a posture for battle.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

13.Joab — Who here appears as leader of David’s men, but was not made captain of his hosts till after the capture of the Jebusites. Chap. 2 Samuel 5:8, and 1 Chronicles 11:6.

The pool of Gibeon — The same as the great waters of Gibeon mentioned Jeremiah 41:12. It is probably identical with the great reservoir still seen just northeast of the city, and supplied with water from a fine fountain in the rocks just above it. The fountain “is in a cave excavated in and under the high rock, so as to form a large subterranean reservoir. Not far below it, among the olive trees, are the remains of another open reservoir, about the size of that at Hebron, perhaps one hundred and twenty feet in length by one hundred feet in breadth. It was doubtless anciently intended to receive the superfluous waters of the cavern.” — Robinson.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Gibeon. Abner"s city, in Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:29, 1 Chronicles 8:30; 1 Chronicles 9:35, 1 Chronicles 9:36).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by 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.

Joab the son of Zeruiah. She was one of David's sisters (1 Chronicles 2:16), and mentioned particularly, either from her own personal eminence or from her relationship to the king. The father of Joab was, according to Josephus, called Suri.

Met together by the pool of Gibeon (cf. Jeremiah 41:12) - doubtless the reservoir still seen on the eastern slope of the hill (Porter's 'Handbook,' p. 225; Robinson's 'Biblical Researches,' p. 138).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Joab the son of Zeruiah.—Zeruiah was David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:16), and Joab the most prominent of her three distinguished sons. Subsequently, by his successful leading of the forlorn hope in the siege of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:6; comp. 2 Samuel 5:8), he became permanently established as commanaer-in-chief of David’s army. He was undoubtedly among “the brethren of David” who came down to him at the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1), though he is not mentioned by name, like his brother Abishai (1 Samuel 26:6-9), in the narrative of David’s outlawry.

The pool of Gibeon is a large reservoir or tank, arranged to store the overflow from a subterranean reservoir fed by a spring in the rocky hill-side. Its ruins still remain, about 120 feet long by 100 broad. The hostile forces halted in full sight of each other on the opposite sides of the pool.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Joab

18; 8:16; 20:23; 1 Kings 1:7; 2:28-35; 1 Chronicles 2:16

together

Heb. them together. pool.

Jeremiah 41:12