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2 Samuel Chapter 2







 

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Marcus Brazil's 2 Samuel Chapter 2 comment on 1/15/2021, 5:32pm...

Chris, thank you so much for your time and all you have said I think has validity. Of course my feelings about this matter are bordering on what seemingly is the lack of value of earthly lives back then. Of course this all points to that fallen angel Satan. He likes causing unbelief and doubt where he can. That's what he is doing to me. He has NOT got me to disbelieve any of God's word or weakened my faith I talked to my pastor about this and he did not have an answer for me but told me he would be trying to find a reasonable explanation for the games . If the games did in fact lessen the severity of upcoming battles then that sounds like it was worthwhile.

 


Chris's 2 Samuel Chapter 2 comment on 1/15/2021, 4:23pm...

I hope you can receive other views here Marcus, or else find further explanation & expansion of this biblical account elsewhere. It may well be that this "game" was actually a part of a greater battle that could have been pursued or prevented depending on the outcome of these 24 engaged in sword play. Not having the full story before us, leaves one speculating, so any opinion may be worthy of consideration.

I did find the following by renowned commentator, Charles Ellicott: on verse 14: "To avoid unnecessary bloodshed between the tribes of a common parentage, and also, perhaps, to prevent the weakening of the nation in the face of their common Philistine foe, Abner proposes that the struggle should be decided by a combat between a few champions chosen on either side, and Joab immediately accepts the proposal. Hervey (Speaker's Commentary) aptly compares this combat to that of the Horatii and Curiatii, under strikingly similar circumstances and with similar results, as described by Livy (I., 100 10:25)."

And to verse 17: "The combat of the twelve on each side having decided nothing, the two hosts joined battle. Abner and the Israelites were worsted (sic). The numbers engaged were probably not large, as the whole number of the slain was nineteen on David's side, and 360 on that of Israel (2Samuel 2:30-31). It was, however, a turning-point in the struggle."

These comments still don't answer your question, but I can only assume that with the lower sanctity of life of those days, particularly in times of warfare or when clear or assumed disobedience to the Law was evidenced, that the lives that could have been used in full-blown battle could also be used in any prelude to it. The question that actually came to my mind was how was it not possible that at least a couple of men could have survived this 24 man encounter, even with suffering severe injuries, but that all suffered the same fate. I guess some things we will never know.

 


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