(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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2 Samuel 2:8–17, “But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon. And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.”
Abner was the son of Saul’s uncle Ner (1 Sam 14: 50), it was in his best interest to support Saul’s descendant as king, in the short term. He took Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, the other sons were killed in the battle at Gilboa, and made him king of Israel. They went over to the eastern side of the Jordan River and proclaimed Ishbosheth king of that area. They included Benjamin in this kingdom because Saul and his sons were from that tribe even though it wasn’t really continuous with the territory on the eastern side of the river. Ishbosheth ruled as king for two years but he wasn’t king over all Israel because Judah was loyal to David. David’s men, led by Joab, and Ishbosheth’s men met together in Gibeon, on the eastern side of the River. It seems as though they came in peace but Joab wasn’t to be trusted. They arranged a competition and Joab chose twelve of his men to fight a mock battle with Abner’s men. However, Joab’s men killed all of Abner’s men, surprising them with an ambush. Joab did this to provoke a battle and Abner’s army was soundly defeated in the ensuing battle.
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