2 Samuel 2:23

2Sa 2:23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth [rib], that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, [that] as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

Ver. 23. Under the fifth rib.] {a} Where the liver and gall are, a sure killing place; for a punishment of his pertinacy, and too eager pursuit of a yielding enemy.

{a} In inguine. - Vulg.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 2:23. He fell down there and died — So Asahel’s swiftness, which he presumed on so much, only forwarded his fate: with it he ran upon his death, instead of running from it. As many as came to the place stood still — Ceased from the pursuit; fearing, perhaps, the same fate if they followed further; or staying out of respect to Asahel, that his body might not be exposed to any indignity.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Some read, in those parts, whereas the lively parts lie: as the heart, the lungs, the liver, the milt, and the gall.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

23. with the hinder end of the spear] Abner defended himself in this way with a view to disable rather than kill Asahel. But the butt-end of the spear, pointed or shod with iron to be stuck in the ground (1Sa_26:7; Hom. Il. X. 153), dealt a fatal blow.

under the fifth rib] The E. V. follows the Jewish commentators in thus rendering a word which occurs in three other passages of this book (2Sa_3:27, 2Sa_4:6, 2Sa_20:10) and nowhere else. In the belly is however the more probable meaning.

stood still] Riveted to the spot with awe and grief, mourning the untimely fate of the young hero. Cp. ch. 2Sa_20:12.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Howbeit, he refused to turn aside,.... Determined on making him his captive if possible.

Wherefore Abner, with the hinder end of the spear; he had in his hand, which seems to have had a pike at both ends; so that with the hinder end of it, next to Asahel, he thrust it at him, without turning to him: and

smote him under the fifth rib; the place where hang the gall and liver, as the Jewish commentators from their Talmud (i) observe. There are twelve ribs, seven of which are called true ones, and five spurious; if this was the fifth of the seven, the spear must pierce the breast (k), and strike the seat of life, the heart and lungs; if the fifth from the eighth and first of the spurious ones, then wounding the hypochondria, it must pass to the vital bowels of the abdomen, which seems to be the case here (l): according to some (m) this is meant of the inferior ribs, which we call the short ribs, and any of these five are called the fifth rib; and Abner must strike him in the right side, because he was behind him, and which stroke must be deadly, because he struck him through the liver:

that the spear came out behind him: the thrust was so violent that the spear went through him, and came out at his back:

and he fell down and died in the same place; he fell at once, and died on the spot immediately:

and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still; that is, such of David's men who were in the pursuit after the Israelites, when they came to the spot, and saw Asahel dead, they had no power to proceed in the pursuit, being so troubled and grieved at the death of him.

(i) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 49. 1. (k) "Transadigit costas, et crates pectoris ensom". Virgil. Aeneod. l. 12. ver. 506. (l) Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 501. (m) Weemse's Portrait of Man, p. 24.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

With the hinder end ... - i. e. the wooden end, which was more or less pointed to enable the owner to stick it in the ground 1Sa 26:7.

The fifth rib - The word so rendered here (and in marginal references) means the abdomen, and is not etymologically connected with the Hebrew for five, as the translation “fifth rib” supposes, but with a verb meaning to be fat, or strong.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Stroke, (aversa.) Hebrew, "with the hinder end of the spear, under the fifth rib." Septuagint, "in the loin."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The hinder end of the spear was sharp-pointed, after the manner.

Under the fifth rib; the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal.

In the same place; upon the spot, not being able to go one step further.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. He refused to turn aside — He believed that he could conquer Abner, and he was unwilling to lose the opportunity of gaining that honour.

The hinder end of the spear — Which was sharpened, so as to stick in the ground when not in use. 1Sa_26:7.

Under the fifth rib — Rather, in the abdomen. The Hebrew word comes from the root חמשׂ, to be fat.

Stood still — Horror stricken at the bloody sight.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The fifth rib. This rendering here and in other places arises from the derivation of the word from the numeral five, but this notion has long been abandoned, and the word is now known to be formed from a verb signifying "to be fat or stout." Really it means the abdomen, and is so translated in the LXX and Vulgate, while the Syriac gives only the general sense, and renders "the breast." In the same place; Hebrew, under him; that is, immediately. So violent was the blow that Asahel dropped down dead without a struggle. So tragic was his fate, and so great the affection of David"s men for the young warrior, that the pursuit ceased, and all, as they came up, remained standing by the side of the corpse.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And died - So Asahel's swiftness, which he presumed on so much, only forwarded his fate! With it he ran upon his death, instead of running from it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

But when he still refused to depart in spite of this warning, Abner wounded him in the abdomen with the hinder part, i.e., the lower end of the spear, so that the spear came out behind, and Asahel fell dead upon the spot. The lower end of the spear appears to have been pointed, that it might be stuck into the ground (vid., Sa1 26:7); and this will explain the fact that the spear passed through the body. The fate of the young hero excited such sympathy, that all who came to the place where he had fallen stood still to mourn his loss (cf. Sa2 20:12).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Into the fifth rib. As [if to say] the fifth rib, the place where the bile and the liver are set. [But] Yonasan translated [this to mean] "on the side of his thigh,"

And died in his place. And died in his place.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.