2 Samuel 2:31
ESV
But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner 's men.
NIV
But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.
NASB
However, the servants of David had struck and killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men; 360 men were dead.
CSB
but they had killed 360 of the Benjaminites and Abner’s men.
NLT
But 360 of Abner’s men had been killed, all from the tribe of Benjamin.
KJV
But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.
NKJV
But the servants of David had struck down, of Benjamin and Abner’s men, three hundred and sixty men who died.
What does 2 Samuel 2:31 mean?
In all the long years Saul chased David, trying to kill the man he knew would succeed him as king, David never fought back. When Saul's army chased him, David took his army and ran. When Saul was vulnerable, David let him live and insisted he wasn't worth Saul's attention (1 Samuel 23—24; 26).Samuel had anointed David to be king, but David doesn't demand his rightful place. After Saul died in battle against the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:1–4), David sent gifts to the people of Judah, and they crowned him king of the tribe (2 Samuel 30:26–31; 2:1–4). He sat waiting for five years for the other tribes to follow.
Instead, Saul's former military commander, Abner, crowned Saul's son Ish-bosheth king of Israel (2 Samuel 2:8–10). And, as kingdoms did back then, he met with Joab and David's army. The meeting became a battle. The battle became a rout. Abner has lost many, many times as many men as Joab. But Joab has lost his brother (2 Samuel 2:18–23, 30).
In all David's wandering, Saul's army never lost a man to violence by one of David's men. David's forces never lost a man because of Saul's troops. David has been chosen by God to be king of all the tribes of Israel. Abner could have gathered the tribes to Israel and handed them to David peacefully—and he will (2 Samuel 3:21). But first, his familial pride starts a two-year civil war that he will lose.
