John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim." — 2 Samuel 2:29 (ASV)
And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain ,
&c.] The plain of Jordan. He marched with his men all night, lest Joab should return, and pursue him, and take vengeance on him for the death of his brother:
and passed over Jordan ;
at one of the fords of it:
and went through all Bithron ;
the name of a province or country, as Jarchi, called so perhaps from its being separated from the rest of the tribes of Israel by the river Jordan; some think the mountains of Bether were in this country, (Song of Solomon 2:17) . From Gibeon, where the battle was fought, to Bithron, according to Bunting F15 , was twenty eight miles, the which he says was in the tribe of Gad, twenty eight miles from Jerusalem northeastward, lying between Dibon and Jordan:
and they came to Mahanaim :
from where they came, and where they had left Ishbosheth, (2 Samuel 2:8 2 Samuel 2:12) . From Bithron to this place, according to the same writer F16 , was sixteen miles.