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2 Samuel 20

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Sheba's Rebellion Begins 1–3

1
And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. ​
2
So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. ​
3
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood. ​

Joab Executes Amasa and Takes Command 4–13

4
Then said the king to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be thou here present. ​
5
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6
And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight. ​
7
And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
8
When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. ​
9
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. ​
11
And there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab.
12
And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

The Siege of Abel and the Wise Woman 14–22

14
And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
15
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
17
And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18
Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
19
I am of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah? ​
20
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21
The matter is not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22
Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king. ​

David's Officials Reinstated 23–26

23
Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; ​
24
and Adoram was over the men subject to taskwork; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25
and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26
and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister unto David.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Samuel 20

Verse 1

a man of Belial — Beliyyaal, 'worthlessness', the word of Deut 13:13, 'children of Belial'. Sheba is 'a Benjamite', of Saul's tribe (1 Sam 9:1). His cry, 'We have no part in David', is taken up by Israel at the division of the kingdom: 'What portion have we in David?… to your tents, O Israel' (1 Kings 12:16).

Verse 2

clave unto their king — Israel goes 'up from after David' to follow Sheba, while Judah 'clave' (dabaq, the verb of Gen 2:24, 'shall cleave unto his wife') to the king 'from Jordan even to Jerusalem'. It follows the quarrel of 19:41–43, where Israel claimed 'ten parts in the king' and Judah answered that he was 'near of kin' to them.

Verse 3

put them in ward — The ten concubines David had 'left to keep the house' (15:16) were taken by Absalom (16:21–22). David now sets them in custody (mishmereth), feeds them and does not go in to them. They are 'shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood', though the king himself was alive.

Verse 4

Assemble me the men of Judah — Absalom had made Amasa captain 'instead of Joab' (17:25); David had promised him the post, 'in the room of Joab' (19:13). His first charge is to gather Judah in three days. 'Assemble' is zaaq, to call out. Amasa was Joab's cousin, his mother Abigail being 'sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother' (17:25).

Verse 6

more harm than did Absalom — Amasa has overrun the 'set time' (v.5), so David turns to Abishai, Joab's brother (2:18). The danger he names is 'fenced cities' (batsar, cut off or made inaccessible), where Sheba could shut himself in. In v.7 it is 'Joab's men' who go out, with the Cherethites, the Pelethites and 'all the mighty men'.

Verse 8

the great stone which is in Gibeon — Gibeon is where Joab's men and Abner's first met at 'the pool of Gibeon' (2:12–13). Joab's sword, 'fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof', 'fell out' as he went. The verse does not say how, but in v.10 Amasa 'took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand'.

Verse 10

the fifth rib — Chomesh, found in four verses, all in Samuel and all of a killing: Abner strikes Asahel (2:23), Joab strikes Abner (3:27), Rechab and Baanah strike Ishbosheth (4:6), and here Joab strikes Amasa. David names the deed in his charge to Solomon (1 Kings 2:5); Solomon's answer is in 1 Kings 2:31–34.

Verse 19

a mother in Israel — Em, 'mother', the title Deborah gave herself (Judg 5:7). The city is one of Israel's own, 'peaceable and faithful'. 'Swallow up' is bala, the verb of the earth that 'swallowed them up' in Num 16:32. 'The inheritance of the LORD' is David's own phrase for the land in 1 Sam 26:19.

Verse 22

in her wisdom — The woman's counsel (chokmah, wisdom) saves the city, as Eccl 9:18 says, 'Wisdom is better than weapons of war'. Joab then blows the trumpet as he did to end the pursuit of Israel in 18:16, and the army disperses, 'every man to his tent'.

Verse 23

over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites — This list of officers repeats 8:16–18, with Joab still 'over all the host' after Amasa's death. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada commands the king's guard of Cherethites and Pelethites; he is the man who later puts Joab to death by Solomon's order (1 Kings 2:34).