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2 Samuel 2:9

in 2 Samuel 2

and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin—over all Israel.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

KJV

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

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This verse in 2 Samuel 2

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
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.

This site's exposition

took Ish–bosheth the son of Saul

on 2 Samuel 2:8-9

Abner, captain of Saul's host, takes Ish-bosheth and makes him king, not over Judah but over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Chronicles gives the same man's name as Esh-baal, and the readings among the scholars hold that Samuel's text substitutes bosheth, shame, for baal in later transmission. The kingdom Abner builds is Abner's in substance; Ish-bosheth's name fills the verse, but every verb belongs to the son of Ner.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

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.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), and Judah only was entirely for David. This was a further trial of the faith of David in the promise of God, and of his patience, whether he could wait God's time for the performance of that promise. Some difficulty there is about the time of the continuance of this competition.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And he made him king over Gilead,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host took Ish-bosheth--Here was the establishment of a rival kingdom, which, however, would probably have had no existence but for Abner. Ish-bosheth--or "Esh-baal" (1Ch 8:33;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

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.

The words behind it

14 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיַּמְלִכֵ֙הוּ֙and he made king him

    vaiyamlikhehuH4427 →348 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַגִּלְעָ֔ד<the> Gilead

    hagiladH1568 →134 times

  • וְאֶל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָאֲשׁוּרִ֖יthe Ashurite[s]

    haashuriH805 →

  • וְאֶֽל־and to

    veel-H413 →5510 times

  • יִזְרְעֶ֑אלJezreel

    yizreelH3157 →

  • וְעַל־and over

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙Ephraim

    ʾefrayimH669 →180 times

  • וְעַל־and over

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • בִּנְיָמִ֔ןBenjamin

    binyaminH1144 →166 times

  • וְעַל־and over

    veal-H5921 →5755 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • כֻּלֹּֽה׃ פall of it

    kulohH3605 →5413 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Numbers 32:1–42Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.2 worksJoshua 19:18Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,2 worksPsalms 108:8Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.2 worksJoshua 13:8–11The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:2 worksJudges 1:32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.2 worksNumbers 1:40From the sons of Asher, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,2 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
Genesis 30:13Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher.2 works2 Samuel 3:21Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.2 worksGenesis 25:3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.2 worksJudges 20:1Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.2 works1 Kings 18:45Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.0 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Joshua 19:18

    Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 28:4

      The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Kings 4:8

      One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.

    • 1 Kings 1:3

      Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king.

    • 1 Kings 21:1

      Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

    • 1 Kings 2:17

      Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

  • Through

    Psalms 108:8

    Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 49:10

      The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

    • Psalms 122:5

      For there the thrones of judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

  • Through

    Judges 1:32

    So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.

    it leads to

About 2 Samuel

Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Combat between Soldiers of Ish-bosheth and David — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 2 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 2 →