2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba’s Revolt
1Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the ram’s horn and shouted:
We have no portion in David,
no inheritance in Jesse’s son.
Each man to his tent,#20:1 Alt Hb tradition reads gods Israel!
2So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the men of Judah from the Jordan all the way to Jerusalem remained loyal to their king.#1Kg 12:16–17
3When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and placed them under guard.#2Sm 15:16; 16:21–22 He provided for them, but he was not intimate with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4The king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself.” 5Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. 6So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”#20:6 Lit and snatch away our eyes
7So Joab’s men, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors marched out under Abishai’s command;#20:7 Lit out following him they left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. 8They were at the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa joined them. Joab was wearing his uniform and over it was a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath. As he approached, the sword fell out. 9Joab asked Amasa, “Are you well, my brother?” Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.#Mt 26:49; Mk 14:45; Lk 22:47 10Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it and spilled his intestines out on the ground. Joab did not stab him again, and Amasa died.#1Kg 2:5
Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. 11One of Joab’s young men had stood over Amasa saying, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 12Now Amasa had been writhing in his blood in the middle of the highway, and the man had seen that all the troops stopped. So he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him because he realized that all those who encountered Amasa were stopping.#2Sm 2:23 13When he was removed from the highway, all the men passed by and followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Berites#20:14 LXX, Vg read Bichrites came together and followed him. 15Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp#2Kg 19:32; Is 37:33; Jr 6:6; Ezk 4:2; 26:8 against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse, 16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.”
17When he had come near her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he replied.
“Listen to the words of your servant,” she said to him.
He answered, “I’m listening.”
18She said, “In the past they used to say, ‘Seek counsel in Abel,’ and that’s how they settled disputes. 19I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you’re trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why would you devour the Lord’s inheritance?”
20Joab protested: “Never! I would never devour or demolish! 21That is not the case. There is a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, who has rebelled against King David. Deliver this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”
The woman replied to Joab, “Watch! His head will be thrown over the wall to you.” 22The woman went to all the people with her wise counsel,#Ec 9:14–15 and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn, and they dispersed from the city, each to his own tent. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23Joab commanded the whole army of Israel;#2Sm 8:16–18; 1Kg 4:3–6
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
24Adoram#20:24 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read Adoniram; 1Kg 4:6; 5:14 was over forced labor;#1Kg 12:18
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;
25Sheva was court secretary;
Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26and in addition, Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 20: CSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Samuel 20
20
1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel. 2Then all the men of Israel went up from after David, following Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clave to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. 3And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house of confinement and maintained them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4And the king said to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and do thou attend here. 5So Amasa went to call together the men of Judah; but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6And David said to Abishai, Now shall 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 our sight. 7And 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. 8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. And Joab was girded with his coat, his dress, and upon it was the girdle of the sword which was fastened on his loins in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out. 9And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10And Amasa had taken no notice of the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him with it in the belly 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. 11And one of Joab's young men stood by Amasa and said, He that favours Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab. 12Now Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by stood still. 13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri,
14who went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maacah, and all the Berim; and they gathered together, and went also after him. 15And they came and besieged him in Abel-Beth-Maacah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it was raised in the trench; and all the people that were with Joab sapped the wall, to throw it down. 16And a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 17And he came near to her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he said, I am he. And she said to him, Listen to the words of thy handmaid. And he said, I am listening. 18And she spoke saying, They were wont to speak in old time saying, Just inquire in Abel; and so they ended. 19I am 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? 20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21The matter is not so; but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give up him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23And Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24and Adoram was over the levy; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 25and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26and Ira also, the Jairite, was David's chief ruler.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.