SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:23
Y no queriendo él irse, lo hirió Abner con el regatón de la lanza por la quinta costilla , y le salió la lanza por las espaldas, y cayó allí, y murió en aquel mismo sitio. Y todos los que venían por aquel lugar donde Asael había caído y estaba muerto, se paraban.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. Howbeit, he refused to turn aside , etc.] Determined on making him his captive if possible. Wherefore Abner, with the hinder end of the spear ; he had in his hand, which seems to have had a pike at both ends; so that with the hinder end of it, next to Asahel, he thrust it at him, without turning to him: and smote him under the fifth [rib] ; the place where hang the gall and liver, as the Jewish commentators from their Talmud observe. There are twelve ribs, seven of which are called true ones, and five spurious; if this was the fifth of the seven, the spear must pierce the breast f34 , and strike the seat of life, the heart and lungs; if the fifth from the eighth and first of the spurious ones, then wounding the hypochondria, it must pass to the vital bowels of the abdomen, which seems to be the case here f35 : according to some this is meant of the inferior ribs, which we call the short ribs, and any of these five are called the fifth rib; and Abner must strike him in the right side, because he was behind him, and which stroke must be deadly, because he struck him through the liver: that the spear came out behind him : the thrust was so violent that the spear went through him, and came out at his back: and he fell down and died in the same place ; he fell at once, and died on the spot immediately: and it came to pass, [that] as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still ; that is, such of David’s men who were in the pursuit after the Israelites, when they came to the spot, and saw Asahel dead, they had no power to proceed in the pursuit, being so troubled and grieved at the death of him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-24 - Death often comes by ways we least suspect. We are often betrayed by the accomplishments we are proud of! Asahel's swiftness, which he presumed so much upon, did him no service, but hastened his end.
Original Hebrew
וימאן 3985 לסור 5493 ויכהו 5221 אבנר 74 באחרי 310 החנית 2595 אל 413 החמשׁ 2570 ותצא 3318 החנית 2595 מאחריו 310 ויפל 5307 שׁם 8033 וימת 4191 תחתו 8478 ויהי 1961 כל 3605 הבא 935 אל 413 המקום 4725 אשׁר 834 נפל 5307 שׁם 8033 עשׂהאל 6214 וימת 4191 ויעמדו׃ 5975
