And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.
This verse belongs to the record of internal troubles and strife during the establishment of David's reign. It describes fighting at Gibeon, where Abner came with his forces to make Ish-bosheth son of Saul king and was met by Joab, and the hostilities were opened by twelve chosen young men from each side. David was reigning at Hebron, but Saul's son and army sought to keep the kingdom by force, so he did not receive the kingdom peacefully. The verse records a severe battle in the lingering warfare between Judah and Israel, in which Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's servants. David proved continually victorious in that war, and those victories helped draw the northern people toward him and opened the way for him to become king over all Israel, fulfilling God's purpose to bring him to the throne.
This verse belongs to the record of internal troubles and strife during the establishment of David's reign. It describes fighting at Gibeon, where Abner came with his forces to make Ish-bosheth son of Saul king and was met by Joab, and the hostilities were opened by twelve chosen young men from each side. David was reigning at Hebron, but Saul's son and army sought to keep the kingdom by force, so he did not receive the kingdom peacefully. The verse records a severe battle in the lingering warfare between Judah and Israel, in which Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David's servants. David proved continually victorious in that war, and those victories helped draw the northern people toward him and opened the way for him to become king over all Israel, fulfilling God's purpose to bring him to the throne.