Analysis of 2 Samuel 2 — Steps into Hebron and Swords by the Pool: When a Kingdom Grows Slowly and Blood Learns to Speak

Pr Enos Mwakalindile
Jan 9
1 min read

Some chapters begin with a coronation. This one begins with a question. Feet move uphill. A city opens its gates. And before one kingdom becomes whole, brothers stand on opposite sides of a pool and learn how quickly “play” can become grief.

The artwork portrays the event described in 2 Samuel 2:12–17, where the forces of Abner (representing the house of Saul) and Joab (representing David) met. To avoid a full-scale civil war, they proposed a contest between twelve young men from each side.

The Struggle: You can see pairs of men locked in close combat. The biblical text describes this as each man grabbing his opponent by the head and thrusting a sword into his side.

Helkath Hazzurim: The image captures the moment they "fell down together." This site became known as the "Field of Blades" (or Field of Flint), a grim monument to the civil strife following Saul's death.

The Landscape: The barren, rocky terrain mirrors the harsh reality of a kingdom divided and the "dust" mentioned in your previous chapter's analysis. — Power games are bloodshed; peace is the kingdom.

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