But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

2 SAMUEL 2:31KJV
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2 Samuel 2:31 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 2:31 mean?

2 Samuel 2:31 records the losses suffered by the force fighting David’s men: 360 men died. The count shows how heavily the fighting fell on Abner’s side in the struggle over who would rule Israel after Saul’s death.

The narrator gives the count after recording the losses among David’s men in verse 30. “The servants of David” means the men fighting under David’s command. “Benjamin” identifies the tribe from which Saul and Abner came.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 2:31

  • “servants” — עֶבֶד (ʿeved): The word can mean a servant or a person serving a leader. Here it describes men who fought on David’s side, not necessarily household servants.
  • “smitten” — נָכָה (nakhah): The word means to strike or attack. In this verse, the result of the attack is made clear by the statement that the men died.

Why 2 Samuel 2:31 matters

  • The casualty count shows that the two sides did not suffer equally. Verse 30 counts 19 of David’s men missing, besides Asahel; verse 31 counts 360 deaths on the other side.
  • The fighting divided Israelites against one another. David’s men fought men associated with Benjamin and Abner, rather than an outside army.
  • Abner’s force represented a rival claim to leadership. Earlier in the chapter, Abner had made Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, king over much of Israel, while David was king over Judah.

Where else these words appear

“Abner's” Hebrew H74 · used in 53 verses

  • 1 Samuel 14:50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
  • 2 Samuel 2:23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
  • 2 Samuel 3:22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

“threescore” Hebrew H8346 · used in 56 verses

  • Genesis 5:15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
  • Numbers 31:34 And threescore and one thousand asses,
  • 2 Chronicles 12:3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.