John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And he made him king over Gilead , etc.] Which lay beyond Jordan, and included the tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh; these he prevailed upon to acknowledge Ishbosheth, their king, and proclaimed him king over them: and over the Ashurites : that is, those of the house or tribe of Asher, as the Targum, and indeed none else can well be thought of; some indeed read the Geshurites, as the Vulgate Latin version; but these were never expelled by the Israelites, and had at this time a king over them, ( 2 Samuel 3:3); (see Joshua 13:13); and over Jezreel ; the great plain which went along the borders of Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali, and included these tribes: and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin : the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin: and over all Israel , excepting the tribe of Judah; that is, he prevailed first on one of these, then on another, until he got all the tribes of Israel to own him for their king; David all this time being still and quiet, and not opposing him, waiting God’s own time to open the way for his possession of the kingdom over all Israel, and having a strict regard to his oath to Saul, ( 1 Samuel 24:21,22).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-17 - The nation in general refused David. By this the Lord trained up his servant for future honour and usefulness; and the tendency of tru godliness was shown in his behaviour while passing through variou difficulties. David was herein a type of Christ, whom Israel would no submit to, though anointed of the Father to be a Prince and a Saviou to them. Abner meant, Let the young men fight before us, when he said Let them play before us: fools thus make a mock at sin. But he is unworthy the name of a man, that can thus trifle with human blood.
Original Hebrew וימלכהו4427 אל413 הגלעד1568 ואל413 האשׁורי805 ואל413 יזרעאל3157 ועל5921 אפרים669 ועל5921 בנימן1144 ועל5921 ישׂראל3478 כלה׃3605
