2 Samuel 2:24

JOAB AND ABISHAI OVERTAKE ABNER

"But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner; and as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Armah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. And the Benjaminites gathered themselves behind Abner, and became one band, and took their stand on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you bid your people turn from the pursuit of their brethren"? And Joab answered, "As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have given up the pursuit of their brethren in the morning," So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the men stopped, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore."

"Joab and Abishai pursued Abner" (2 Samuel 2:24). The only thing which prevented Asahel's brothers Joab and Abishai from killing Abner on this occasion was the timely rally of a group of Benjaminites behind him on the top of that hill. Abner's army had been thoroughly whipped, and at this time, when it was evident that he had been defeated, Abner began to talk about the sword's devouring and the pursuit of "their brethren." No such thoughts entered the old hypocrite's head when he suggested that 24 young men kill themselves in some kind of a war game; and "the brethren" meant nothing at all to him when he started that vicious war. But now, that his troops were defeated and with himself in the front of the charging men of David, he screams for a cessation of hostilities!

"If you had not spoken ... the men would have given up pursuit ... in the morning" (2 Samuel 2:27). This was only another way of saying, "We would have chased you all night"!

"So Joab blew the trumpet" (2 Samuel 2:28). We may only speculate as to why Joab did this, especially with a total destruction of Abner's defeated troops a definite possibility if the hostilities had continued. In all probability, the need for a funeral for Asahel was the decisive factor in Joab's mind.

"They did not fight any more" (2 Samuel 2:28). This does not mean that the war was over. As Willis noted, "This states only that the battle which began at the pool of Gibeon was terminated. The war went on for a long time (2 Samuel 3:1)."[21]