The fight between the twelve men has some debate over it. Some see it as just a playful wrestling match that went awry; others interpret it as a kind of duel to be held rather than start a civil war. What seems to have happened was that both sides fought so desperately that all twenty-four men lay dead. This brought about the battle that perhaps Abner was trying to avoid. It is impossible to know. What happened was a horrible battle where fellow Israelites killed each other.
The death of Joab's brother that Abner tried to avoid: first by trying to talk him out of following, and second by the use of the blunt side of his spear. Yet at the end, Abner, in trying to defend himself, killed Asahel. This will come back to cause trouble later.
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