2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba’s Rebellion. 1Now a scoundrel named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the horn and cried out,
“We have no share in David,
nor any heritage in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”#1 Kgs 12:16.
2So all the Israelites left David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the Judahites, from the Jordan to Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king. 3David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left behind to care for the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but never again saw them. And so they remained shut away to the day of their death, lifelong widows.#2 Sm 15:16; 16:20–22.
Amasa’s Death. 4Then the king said to Amasa: “Summon the Judahites for me within three days. Then present yourself here.”#2 Sm 17:25; 19:14. 5Accordingly Amasa set out to summon Judah, but delayed beyond the time set for him. 6Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may now do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and take shelter while we look on.” 7So Joab and the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the warriors marched out behind Abishai from Jerusalem to campaign in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.#2 Sm 8:18. 8#The text of this verse is quite uncertain. They were at the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa met them. Now Joab had a belt over his tunic, from which was slung a sword in its sheath at his thigh; the sword would slide out downwards.#2 Sm 2:13. 9Joab asked Amasa, “Is everything all right, my brother?” and with his right hand held Amasa’s beard as if to kiss him. 10And since Amasa was not on his guard against the sword in Joab’s other hand, Joab stabbed him in the abdomen with it, so that his entrails burst forth to the ground, and he died; there was no second thrust. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba, son of Bichri.#1 Kgs 2:5. 11One of Joab’s attendants stood by Amasa and said, “Let him who favors Joab and is for David follow Joab.” 12Amasa lay covered with blood in the middle of the highroad, and the man noticed that all the soldiers were stopping. So he rolled Amasa away from the road to the field and spread a garment over him, because he saw how all who came upon him were stopping. 13When he had been removed from the road, everyone went on after Joab in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.
Joab Pursues Sheba. 14Sheba had passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth-maacah. Then all the Bichrites assembled and they too entered the city after him. 15So all Joab’s troops came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah. They built up a mound against the city, so that it stood against the rampart, and were battering the wall to knock it down. 16Then a wise woman from the city called out, “Listen, listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, so I can speak with you.’” 17When Joab had come near her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he replied, “Yes.” She said to him, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” He replied, “I am listening.” 18Then she went on to say: “There is a saying from long ago,#This proverbial expression is obscure but seems to reflect a tradition that this Danite town was associated with oracles or other sorts of revelation. Cf. Mt 16:13–17; and the intertestamental Testament of Levi 2:3. ‘Let them ask if they will in Abel or in Dan whether loyalty is finished 19or ended in Israel.’ You are seeking to batter down a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you wish to swallow up the heritage of the Lord?”#Gn 49:16. 20Joab answered, “Not at all, not at all! I do not wish to swallow or batter anything. 21That is not the case at all. A man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name is Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Give him up, just him, and I will withdraw from the city.” Then the woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown to you across the wall.” 22In her wisdom, the woman went to all the people, and they cut off the head of Sheba, son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He then sounded the horn, and they scattered from the city to their own tents, while Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
David’s Officials. 23Joab was in command of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and Pelethites.#2 Sm 8:16–18; 23:20. 24Adoram was in charge of the forced labor. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the chancellor. 25Shawsha was the scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.#2 Sm 8:17–18. 26Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba Leads Israel Away From David
1At that place there was a man named Sheba son of Bicri. Sheba was a worthless troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew a trumpet to gather the people together and said,
“We have no share in David.
We have no part in the son of Jesse.
Israel, let’s all go home.”
2So all the Israelites#20:2 Israelites Here, this means the tribes not united with Judah. left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people from Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3David went back to his house in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women to take care of the house. He put these women in a special house.#20:3 David … special house David’s son Absalom had ruined David’s concubines by having sexual relations with them. See 2 Sam. 16:21-22. Then he put guards around the house. They stayed in this house until they died. David took care of the women and gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. They lived like widows until they died.
4The king told Amasa, “Tell the people of Judah to meet with me in three days. You must be here, too.”
5So Amasa called the people of Judah together, but he took longer than the king had told him.
David Tells Abishai to Kill Sheba
6David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. So take my officers and chase Sheba. Hurry before he gets into cities with walls. If he gets into the well-protected cities, we will not be able to get him.”
7So Joab took the Kerethites and Pelethites#20:7 Kerethites and Pelethites David’s special group of fighting men. Also in verse 23. and the other soldiers with him and left Jerusalem to chase after Sheba son of Bicri.
Joab Kills Amasa
8When Joab and the army came to Big Rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform with a belt that held a knife. As he walked toward Amasa, the knife on the belt came out. 9Joab asked Amasa, “How are you doing, brother?” Joab reached out with his right hand and grabbed Amasa by the beard to greet him with a kiss. 10Amasa didn’t see the knife that was now in Joab’s other hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly, and Amasa’s intestines spilled out on the ground. There was no need for Joab to stab him again; he was already dead.
David’s Men Continue to Look for Sheba
Then Joab and his brother Abishai resumed the chase after Sheba son of Bicri. 11One of Joab’s young soldiers stood by Amasa’s body and said, “All of you who support Joab and David, let’s follow Joab.”
12Amasa was there in the middle of road, lying in his own blood. The young soldier noticed that all the people kept stopping to look at the body, so he rolled the body off the road and into the field and covered it with a cloth. 13Once the body was out of the way, the people simply passed it by and joined up with Joab to go after Sheba son of Bicri.
Sheba Escapes to Abel Beth Maacah
14Sheba son of Bicri passed through all the tribes of Israel on his way to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites#20:14 Berites The Greek and Latin versions have “Bicrites.” joined together and followed Sheba.
15When Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah, they surrounded the town. They piled dirt up against the city wall and began breaking stones out of the wall to make it fall down.
16But there was a very wise woman in that city who shouted out to them and said, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him.”
17Joab went to talk with the woman. She asked him, “Are you Joab?”
Joab answered, “Yes, I am.”
Then the woman said, “Listen to me.”
Joab said, “I am listening.”
18Then the woman said, “In the past people would say, ‘Ask for help in Abel and you will get what you need.’ 19I am one of many peaceful, loyal people in this town. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why do you want to destroy something that belongs to the Lord?”
20Joab answered, “I don’t want to destroy anything. I don’t want to ruin your city. 21But there is a man in your city from the hill country of Ephraim. He is named Sheba son of Bicri. He rebelled against King David. Bring him to me, and I will leave the city alone.”
The woman said to Joab, “All right. His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the city wall to Joab.
So Joab blew the trumpet and the army left the city. The soldiers went home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
The People on David’s Staff
23Joab was captain of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites. 24Adoniram led the men who were forced to do hard work. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the historian. 25Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 26And Ira from Jair was David’s personal priest.#20:26 personal priest Or “chief servant” or “advisor.”
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