Thematic Bible: Two kingdoms


Thematic Bible



And Abner son of Ner and the servants of Ish-bosheth son of Saul went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out also; and the two groups met by the pool of Gibeon, seating themselves with one group on either side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise and have a contest before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. read more.
Then there arose and went over by number -- "twelve of Benjamin who were with Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his side; so they all fell together. Therefore that place was called the Field of Sharp Knives, which is at Gibeon. A very fierce battle followed, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. Three sons of Zeruiah [the half sister of David] were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe or antelope. Asahel pursued Abner, and as he ran he turned not to the right hand or to the left from following Abner. Then Abner looked behind him and said, Are you Asahel? He answered, I am. Abner said to him, Turn aside to your right or left, and seize one of the young men and take his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I be able to face Joab your brother? Asahel refused to turn aside; so Abner with the rear end of his spear smote him through the abdomen, and he fell and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died stood still. But Joab and Abishai [his brothers] pursued Abner; the sun was going down as they came to the hill of Ammah, before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon. And the Benjamites gathered together behind Abner and became one troop 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 bitterness will be the result? How long will it be then before you bid the people to stop pursuing their brethren? Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have stopped pursuing their brethren in the morning. So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight any more. Abner and his men went all night through the Arabah [plain], crossed the Jordan, and went through the whole Bithron [district of ravines] and came to Mahanaim. Joab returned from pursuing Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing of David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. But the servants of David had slain of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron at daybreak.

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker [to the point of being powerless]. Verse ConceptsDavid, Reign OfHousesWarfare, Examples OfWarfare, Nature OfWeakness, PhysicalStrong IndividualsWithout StrengthCivil WarWarBattle

The rest of the acts of Solomon -- "and all that he did, and his wisdom (skill) -- "are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? The time Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

Then the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.Then they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” Verse ConceptsDavid, Reign OfAnointing KingsMaking Kings

And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. Verse ConceptsLengthSeven Years

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord told you, You shall feed My people Israel and be prince over [them]. So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them [there] before the Lord, and they anointed [him] king over Israel. read more.
David was thirty years old when he began his forty-year reign. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

Now Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. And he made him king over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began his two-year reign over Israel. But the house of Judah followed David.

All of David’s servants passed on beside him, and all the Cherethites, Pelethites and the Gittites, six hundred men who had come with him from Gath, passed on before the king. Verse ConceptsPassing BySix To Seven HundredSix Hundred And Above

There was also war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. Verse ConceptsWarfare, Nature OfCivil War