32 They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Joab, having stopped the pursuit, passed the night with his army on the field of battle; the next morning he numbered the missing, and buried the dead; they carried the body of Asahel to Bethlehem and buried him there, and then joined David at Hebron. Hebron would be about 14 miles from Bethlehem, or about five hours' march.
And they took up Asahel,.... From the place where he fell; that is, Joab and Abishai, his brethren, as Josephus (w) relates; after they had buried the dead in the field of battle, they took up him:
and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem: not in the city of Bethlehem, but without it, on the south side of it; so says Fuller (x),"southward, i.e. of Bethlehem, we find Asahel's sepulchre, who was buried in the grave of his father.''What was his father's name is not known, only his mother's name, Zeruiah, is mentioned in Scripture, a sister of David, and daughter of Jesse the Bethlehemite. Bethlehem was sixteen miles from Gibeon, according to Bunting (y).
And Joab and his men went all night; not the night following the battle, but the night following the next day, after he had been to Bethlehem, and buried his brother there; wherefore, lest David should think it long before he came, he travelled all night:
and they came to Hebron at break of day; where David was, which, according to the same writer (z), was twenty miles from Bethlehem.
(w) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 1. sect. 3. (x) Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, B. 2. c. 14. sect. 21. p. 301. (y) Travels, ut supra. (p. 145, 146.) (z) Travels, ut supra. (p. 145, 146.)
On the way back, David's men took up the body of Asahel, and buried it in his father's grave at Bethlehem. They proceeded thence towards Hebron, marching the whole night, so that they reached Hebron itself at daybreak. "It got light to them (i.e., the day dawned) at Hebron."
In Bethlehem - The rest they buried in the field of battle, but Asahel in the sepulchre of his father. Thus are distinctions made upon earth, even between the dust of some and of others! But in the resurrection no difference will be made but between good and bad; which will remain for ever.
*More commentary available at chapter level.