Bible Strands
2 Samuel 2:30
When Joab returned from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of the Gibeon engagement, as Joab halts his pursuit of Abner and conducts a headcount of David’s forces.
The words — שָׁב (Shav) literally means “he returned” or “he turned back,” marking Joab’s decision to cease the chase. וַ/יִּקְבֹּץ (va/i.yik.Botz) means “and he gathered,” indicating a formal muster to assess losses.
The thread — This casualty accounting directly follows Abner’s night march to Mahanaim (2 Samuel 2:29) and precedes the report of 360 Benjamite fatalities (2 Samuel 2:31).
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that military campaigns require precise inventory of human cost, framing Joab’s leadership through logistical assessment rather than rhetorical triumph.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.