2 Samuel 2:12

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Avner the son of Ner and the servants of Ish-Boshet the son of Sha'ul went out from Machanayim to Giv'on;

Berean Standard Bible:

One day Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

American Standard Version:

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Abner^{H74} the son^{H1121} of Ner^{H5369}, and the servants^{H5650} of Ishbosheth^{H378} the son^{H1121} of Saul^{H7586}, went out^{H3318} from Mahanaim^{H4266} to Gibeon^{H1391}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Joshua 9:3

¶ And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

Joshua 10:2

That they feared greatly, because Gibeon [was] a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it [was] greater than Ai, and all the men thereof [were] mighty.

Joshua 10:4

Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.

2 Samuel 17:14

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite [is] better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

Joshua 10:12

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

Genesis 32:2

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This [is] God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

Commentary for 2 Samuel 2:12

2 Samuel 2:12 is a verse set within the broader context of the transition of power in Israel following the death of King Saul. The verse specifically mentions Abner, who was Saul's cousin and the commander of his army, and Ishbosheth, Saul's surviving son. After Saul's death, Abner installed Ishbosheth as king over Israel, in opposition to David, whom Samuel had anointed as Saul's successor.

The verse states, "And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon." Mahanaim was a city east of the Jordan River, which served as a base for Ishbosheth's forces. Gibeon, on the other hand, was a strategic city located within the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's tribe, to the west of the Jordan.

The movement from Mahanaim to Gibeon indicates a strategic military maneuver. Abner may have been attempting to strengthen his control over the central part of Israel, secure more territory for Ishbosheth, or perhaps was heading towards Gibeon for a specific confrontation with David's forces. This action is part of the broader narrative of the power struggle between the house of Saul and the house of David, which eventually led to David's undisputed rule over a united Israel.

The themes present in this verse include loyalty, the chaos of succession, and the geopolitical complexities of ancient Israel. It reflects the tumultuous period after Saul's death, where competing factions vied for control, and the legitimacy of rulership was a matter of fierce contention. The verse also highlights the importance of geographical control in establishing and maintaining sovereignty during this historical period.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

Strong's Number: H74
There are 1865 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַבְנֵר
Transliteration: ʼAbnêr
Pronunciation: ab-nare'
Description: or (fully) אֲבִינֵר ; from אָב and נִיר; father of light (i.e. enlightening); Abner, an Israelite; Abner.
Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Strong's Number: H5369
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נֵר
Transliteration: Nêr
Pronunciation: nare
Description: the same as נִיר; lamp; Ner, an Israelite; Ner.
Strong's Number: H5650
There are 714 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֶבֶד
Transliteration: ʻebed
Pronunciation: eh'-bed
Description: from עָבַד; a servant; [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.
Strong's Number: H378
There are 301 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ־בֹּשֶׁת
Transliteration: ʼÎysh-Bôsheth
Pronunciation: eesh-bo'-sheth
Description: from אִישׁ and בֹּשֶׁת; man of shame; Ish-Bosheth, a son of King Saul; Ish-bosheth.
Strong's Number: H7586
There are 335 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁאוּל
Transliteration: Shâʼûwl
Pronunciation: shaw-ool'
Description: passive participle of שָׁאַל; asked; Shaul, the name of an Edomite and two Israelites; Saul, Shaul.
Strong's Number: H3318
There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָצָא
Transliteration: yâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter.
Strong's Number: H4266
There are 13 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַחֲנַיִם
Transliteration: Machănayim
Pronunciation: makh-an-ah'-yim
Description: dual of מַחֲנֶה; double camp; Machanajim, a place in Palestine; Mahanaim.
Strong's Number: H1391
There are 35 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גִּבְעוֹן
Transliteration: Gibʻôwn
Pronunciation: ghib-ohn'
Description: from the same as גֶּבַע; hilly; Gibon, a place in Palestine; Gibeon.

This site was crafted entirely from the ground up—every line of code, every feature, and every design detail is the result of my dedication to creating a platform that connects you with God’s Word in a truly unique way. Thank you for visiting. - Faisal A.