Study Desk

They grieved and mourned and fasted until evening for Saul and Jonathan and for Israel, the people of the Lord , because so many had been killed in battle.

"Saul and Jonathan, so wonderful and dear; together in life, together in death; swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

So David went to Hebron, taking with him his two wives: Ahinoam, who was from Jezreel, and Abigail, Nabal's widow, who was from Carmel.

So twelve men, representing Ishbosheth and the tribe of Benjamin, fought twelve of David's men.

Each man caught his opponent by the head and plunged his sword into his opponent's side, so that all twenty-four of them fell down dead together. And so that place in Gibeon is called "Field of Swords."

But Asahel would not quit; so Abner, with a backward thrust of his spear, struck him through the stomach so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead, and everyone who came to the place where he was lying stopped and stood there.

Then Joab blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to stop pursuing the Israelites; and so the fighting stopped.

Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.

So Ishbosheth had her taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

So Joab went to the king and said to him, "What have you done? Abner came to you—why did you let him go like that?

When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel.

So Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge on Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

Abner was buried at Hebron, and the king wept aloud at the grave, and so did all the people.

The woman at the door had become drowsy while she was sifting wheat and had fallen asleep, so Rechab and Baanah slipped in.

So all the leaders of Israel came to King David at Hebron. He made a sacred alliance with them, they anointed him, and he became king of Israel.

The time came when King David and his men set out to attack Jerusalem. The Jebusites, who lived there, thought that David would not be able to conquer the city, and so they said to him, "You will never get in here; even the blind and the crippled could keep you out."

And so David realized that the Lord had established him as king of Israel and was making his kingdom prosperous for the sake of his people.

The Philistines were told that David had been made king of Israel, so their army set out to capture him. When David heard of it, he went down to a fortified place.

So David went to Baal Perazim and there he defeated the Philistines. He said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood." And so that place is called Baal Perazim.

and so that place has been called Perez Uzzah ever since. David was furious because the Lord had punished Uzzah in anger.