2 Samuel 2:9

2Sa 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

Ver. 9. And over all Israel.] Except the tribe of Judah, and some few others. {1Ch 12:1-40} This was an ill precedent, and as it were a preparative to that great schism in Rehoboam’s days, that could never be made up again.

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 2:9-11. He made him king over Gilead — Over all the tribes on the other side Jordan, which are comprehended under this name. Over the Ashurites — That is, the tribe of Asher, as the Chaldee paraphrast and others understand it. Over Jezreel — A large and rich valley, situate in the borders of the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and so put for them all. And over all Israel — All the tribes on this side Jordan, save only the tribe of Judah. Ish-bosheth was forty years old — Being born in the year that Saul was made king; for Saul reigned forty years, Act 13:41. And reigned two years — Before there was any hostility between him and David, which, after it began, continued five years and a half, during which time David resided in Hebron, and was king over the tribe of Judah, and Ish-bosheth reigned over Israel, or rather Abner, for that general had the power, and left him only the name of a king.

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

2:9 Gilead was the easternmost district of the northern kingdom, Jezreel the northernmost, and Benjamin the southernmost, with Ephraim in the middle. It is unclear which area was the land of the Ashurites. All the rest of Israel refers to the tribes that Ishbosheth ruled over rather than to the geographical area of his kingdom.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Over the eleven tribes.

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

over Gilead--used in a loose sense for the land beyond Jordan.

Ashurites--the tribe of Asher in the extreme north.

Jezreel--the extensive valley bordering on the central tribes.

over all Israel . . . But Judah--David neither could nor would force matters. He was content to wait God's time and studiously avoided any collision with the rival king, till, at the lapse of two years, hostilities were threatened from that quarter.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. Made him king over Gilead] These were places beyond Jordan; for as the Philistines had lately routed the Israelites, they were no doubt in possession of some of the principal towns, and were now enjoying the fruits of their victory. Abner was therefore afraid to bring the new king to any place where he was likely to meet with much resistance, till he had got his army well recruited.

Who the Ashurites were is not generally agreed; probably men of the tribe of Ashur.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(9) The Ashurites, and over Jezreel.—This verse apparently expresses the gradual extension of Ishbosheth’s dominion as the country became freed from the Philistines. At first, his authority was established over Gilead—i.e., the country on the east of the Jordan; then “over the Ashurites.” No satisfactory explanation of this name as it stands has been found, but it is probably meant for Asherites, or the tribe of Asher, the reading of some MSS. and of the Chaldee Version; the name of this tribe standing for the whole region west of the Jordan, and north of the plain of Esdraelon; then southwards, “over Jezreel,”the wide plain between the mountains of Gilboa and the little Hermon; then “over Ephraim,” including the half-tribe of Manasseh; and, still southwards, “over Benjamin;” and finally, “over all Israel,” excepting, of course, Judah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Gilead] Here apparently, as in Jos_22:9, Gilead includes the whole district occupied by the Israelites to the E. of the Jordan, and not merely the central portion of it, between the S. end of the Lake of Gennesaret and the N. end of the Dead Sea.

the Ashurites] Probably an alternative form or a corrupt reading for Asherites (Jdg_1:32), i.e. the tribe of Asher, named as the principal inhabitants of Western Palestine north of the plain of Esdraelon. The Targum gives “house of Asher.” The Vulgate and Syriac versions however read Geshurites. If this reading is adopted, by Geshurites must be understood the tribe which maintained itself among the Israelites in the district S. of Mount Hermon (Jos_13:13), to be distinguished from the independent kingdom of Geshur in Syria (ch. 2Sa_3:3), and from the Geshurites on the borders of Philistia (1Sa_27:8).

Jezreel] The great plain of Esdraelon is thus named from its principal city. See note on 1Sa_29:1.

all Israel] Ish-bosheth’s dominions were gradually extended until they included all the country which afterwards formed the kingdom of Israel as distinguished from that of Judah.

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.

And he made him king over Gilead,.... Which lay beyond Jordan, and included the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh; these he prevailed upon to acknowledge Ishbosheth, their king, and proclaimed him king over them:

and over the Ashurites: that is, those of the house or tribe of Asher, as the Targum, and indeed none else can well be thought of; some indeed read the Geshurites, as the Vulgate Latin version; but these were never expelled by the Israelites, and had at this time a king over them, Sa2 3:3; see Jos 13:13,

and over Jezreel; the great plain which went along the borders of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and included these tribes:

and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin: the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin:

and over all Israel, excepting the tribe of Judah; that is, he prevailed first on one of these, then on another, until he got all the tribes of Israel to own him for their king; David all this time being still and quiet, and not opposing him, waiting God's own time to open the way for his possession of the kingdom over all Israel, and having a strict regard to his oath to Saul, Sa1 24:21.

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

The Ashurites - If the tribe of Asher, the verse indicates the order in which Abner recovered the different districts from the Philistines, and added them to the dominions of Ish-bosheth, beginning with Gilead, and then gradually adding, on the west of Jordan, first the territory of Asher as far as Carmel and the whole plain of Esdraelon, and then the country of Ephraim and Benjamin, being in fact all Israel, as distinguished from Judah; and this reconquest may have occupied five years. Ish-bosheth’s reign over Israel may not have been reckoned to begin until the conquest was complete.

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

Gessuri. There was one south of Juda: but this country was probably near Hermon, and might be tributary to Israel. David perhaps married this king’s daughter, in order to detach him from the party of Isboseth, chap. iii. 3. Hebrew reads, "Assuri;" and St. Jerome observes, that many explained it of the tribe of Aser, (Trad. Heb.[Hebrew tradition?]) with the Chaldee, (Du Hamel; Menochius) or of the Assurians, Genesis xxv. 3. --- Israel, by degrees. In the mean time the Philistines occupied many cities, which might prevent Isboseth from attempting to fix his residence on the west side of the Jordan, ver. 19.

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).

Gilead; largely so taken for all the land of Israel beyond Jordan, as it is Jos 22:9; Jdg 10:8.

The Ashurites, i.e. the tribe of Asher, as the Chaldee Paraphrast and others understand it.

Jezreel; a large and rich valley situate in the borders of the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and so put synecedochically for them all.

All Israel; except Judah, as it follows.

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

9. Gilead — The mountainous region east of the Jordan. See map, page 234.

The Ashurites — Who these were it is impossible to determine. They could not have been the people of Asshur, (Assyria,) nor the Asshurim of Gen_25:3. Better is the reading of the Chaldee, the house of Asher, by which is meant the territory of the tribe of Asher in the north of Palestine, and the adjacent country north of the plain of Jezreel. The Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic read, the Geshurites. But these could not have been the Geshurites of 1Sa_27:8, nor is it likely that Ishbosheth reigned over the kingdom of Talmai, whose daughter David had taken to wife. 2Sa_3:3.

Jezreel — The city and great plain of this name. See on Jos_15:56; Jos_17:16. This great plain was mainly occupied by the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun.

Over all Israel — With the exception, of course, of Judah, over which David had been anointed king. The recovering of all the territory specified in this verse, and the subjecting of it to Ishbosheth, probably occupied Abner and his army some time. See on 2Sa_2:10.

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

Make him king over. A different preposition is used with the first three names from that employed afterwards, as though Ishbosheth"s reign over Gilead and Jezreel was a reality, but that he had only a shadowy claim to dominion over Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. Gilead. As Mahanaim lay upon the borders of Gad and Manasseh, Abner would easily control these two tribes, and Reuben, which was never an active or enterprising tribe, would follow their lead. Of the Ashurites nothing is known, and the reading is uncertain, as the LXX has "Thasir," and the Vulgate and Syriac "Geshur." The Chaldee paraphrase boldly gives "the house of Asher;" but this tribe lay close to Phoenicia, on the extreme northwest. There are two places called Geshur, (see on 2Sa_3:3) but neither of them seems meant, and more probably it was some place the name of which was uncommon, and so was wrongly copied by scribes until the present confusion arose. Jezreel. The name of this place, as specially subject to Ishbosheth, is surprising; for the town, at this time of no importance, lay in the wide plain between the mountains of Gilboa and the little Hermon. But this district was the prize won by the Philistines, and was a region where their cavalry and chariots gave them a great advantage.

For Ishbosheth to have had even a nominal dominion over Jezreel, he must either have become a tributary, or Abner must have maintained a not unsuccessful struggle there after the battle of Gilboa. The latter is the more probable. In safe possession of all the country east of the Jordan, Abner was not likely to consent to anything so humiliating as submission to the Philistines; while David"s connection with Achish made it neither so galling to him nor so disadvantageous. As the Transjordanic tribes assembled at Hebron to make David king to the number of one hundred and twenty thousand men, (1Ch_12:37) Abner plainly had large resources at his command, and, though the people were not very earnest in the cause of Saul"s house, yet they would probably assemble in considerable numbers after the battle of Gilboa, to prevent any irruption of the victors into their country. At their head Abner probably gained some advantages over the Philistines, and thus became powerful enough to proclaim Ishbosheth king, and as Ephraim and Benjamin acquiesced, he became nominally ruler over all Israel.

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

Gilead - Largely so taken, for all the land of Israel beyond Jordan. Ashurites - That is, the tribe of Asher, as the Chaldee paraphrast and others understand it. Jezreel - A large and rich valley situate in the borders of the tribes of Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali, and so put for them all. All Israel - Except Judah.

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