2 Samuel 2:13
ESV
And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. And they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
NIV
Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
NASB
And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, Abner’s men on the one side of the pool and Joab’s men on the other side of the pool.
CSB
So Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. The two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.
NLT
About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David’s troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool.
KJV
And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
NKJV
And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. So they sat down, one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.
What does 2 Samuel 2:13 mean?
Abner had been the commander of Saul's army. He used his power and influence to declare Saul's son Ish-bosheth as the next king of Israel (2 Samuel 2:8–10). He and his men have traveled from Ish-bosheth's capital in Mahanaim to Gibeon, perhaps to persuade the Gibeonites to support Saul's son as the new king (2 Samuel 2:12).It may be that David's military leader Joab was in Gibeon for the same reason. The support of Gibeon would have been strategic, in part, because the Gibeonites were not Israelites. They were descended from the Amorites (2 Samuel 21:1–3). Scripture later notes the Gibeonites' deep resentment against Saul for breaking a treaty established during the time of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:14; 2 Samuel 21:1). More likely, the armies want to take control of the tabernacle and the altar of God (1 Chronicles 16:39–40).
The Gibeonites were master engineers. Modern archaeologists have uncovered a spiral stepwell, dated to a time long before those found in India. The well is more than 82 feet, or about 25 meters, deep and 40 feet, or about 12 meters, wide, with a spiral staircase. The well protected the city from running out of water during a siege.
Commentators are certain that this is the pool where the fighting men of David and Ish-bosheth meet. It's unknown whether this is an arranged meeting at the well-known landmark or whether it happens by chance. In either case, the two sides sit down on either side of the pool.
