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?
Ver. 22. Wherefore should I smite thee to the ground?] As I shall be forced to do, if thou desist not. If a man must kill or be killed, (1.) He must flee; (2.) Defend himself by all means possible, dissuading the party, as here, and otherwise as he may. That tenet of Navarrus is most false, that a man may lawfully kill another, for the avoiding of a box on the ear, and to recover his honour. And so is that of Soto, A man may kill another in his own defence, because it is a shame to flee from an adversary. These are your Popish casuists.