2 Samuel 2:28
ESV
So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.
NIV
So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.
NASB
So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the people halted and no longer pursued Israel, nor did they continue to fight anymore.
CSB
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight.
NLT
So Joab blew the ram’s horn, and his men stopped chasing the troops of Israel.
KJV
So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.
NKJV
So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and did not pursue Israel anymore, nor did they fight anymore.
What does 2 Samuel 2:28 mean?
The first battle of this civil war between the tribes of Judah and their allies has reached its end. The forces of David, God's choice for Israel's next king, have badly defeated the fighting men of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, Abner's choice for Israel's next king.Lost in the battle are nearly 400 men, almost all on Abner's side. Yet the most significant death is that of David's nephew and Joab's brother, Asahel, at Abner's hand. Abner, though, is the one who begged Joab for an end to the fighting, and Joab agreed. The trumpet blast is the signal to end the fighting, collect the fallen, and go home.
Both sides march through the night. Israel's army crosses the Jordan; apparently Ish-bosheth's native Benjamin is too close to David's Judah. Joab, his older brother Abishai, and their army retrieve Asahel's body and carry it to Bethlehem. They bury it in the tomb of their father. By morning, they'll be home in Hebron, David's capital (2 Samuel 2:29–32).
The battle will continue for another two years. Finally, Joab will become fully disillusioned with Ish-bosheth. He'll meet with David and promise to convince the tribes of Israel to accept him as king (2 Samuel 3:12). This is what David wanted. Since he first fled from Saul until this battle, he always used diplomacy to win the favor of his fellow Israelites, never violence to take it.
