(18) В¶ And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. (19) And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. (20) Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. (21) And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. (22) And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? (23) Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
This event of the flight of Abner and his army, and the pursuit of Joab's army after him, is very properly introduced here by way of relating the death of Asahel. Perhaps a youth of more courage than prudence against so expert an old soldier as Abner. The circumstance of everyone that came to the spot whence he died, stopping, seems to have been from the gracious goodness of God, because it thereby retarded the pursuers, and afforded time to Abner's army to escape. I believe there are a thousand, and perhaps ten thousand, such events in every man's life, which we call casual; but which, by a kind of preventing providence, minister to the Lord's design, in bringing about other events with which themselves apparently have nothing to do.