2 Samuel

2 Samuel 20 ©

1 Sheba revolteth with the men of Israel. 3 David on his return to Jerusalem shutteth up his ten concubines for life. 4 Amasa, made captain of the host, is slain by Joab. 14 Joab pursueth Sheba to Abel. 16 By the persuasions of a wise woman Sheba's head is thrown over the wall, and the city saved. 23 David's great officers.

1

AND there ahappened to be there a bman of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he cblew a trumpet, and said, dWe have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

a ch. 12.10; 19.41. Ps. 34.19.
b De. 13.13. Ju. 19.22. 1Sa. 2.12. ch. 16.7.
c Ju. 3.27; 6.34.
d 1Ki. 12.16. Ac. 8.21. Mat. 22.5,6. Lu. 19.14. v.22. ch. 19.43. 2Ch. 10.16.
2

So eevery man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but fthe men of Judah *clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

e ch. 19.41. 1Ki. 12.16. Pr. 17.14. Jn. 6.66. Phi. 2.21.
f 1Ki. 12.17,20. Jn. 6.66-68.
3

¶And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the gten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them *in 1ward, and fed them, but hwent not in unto them. So they were 2shut up unto the day of their death, living 3in widowhood.

g ch. 15.16; 16.21,22.
h Ge. 6.4; 38.26.
4

¶Then said the king to iAmasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

i ch. 19.13. Jn. 13.27. Ec. 9.10. Ro. 12.11.
5

So Amasa went to 4assemble the men of Judah: but he jtarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

j Ps. 118.9; 62.9.
6

And David said to kAbishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy llord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and 5escape us.

k ch. 18.2; 23.18. 1Ch. 2.16.
l ch. 11.11; 15.18.
7

And there went out after him Joab's men, and the mCherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

m v.23. ch. 8.18; 15.18; 23.8-39. 1Ki. 1.38,44.
8

When they were at nthe great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was *girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

n Jos. 10.27.
9

And Joab said to Amasa, oArt thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

o ch. 3.27; 17.25. Ps. 12.2; 55.21. Mat. 26.48,49. Jn. 7.3. Mi. 7.2,6. Je. 9.4,5. Lu. 22.47.
10

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he psmote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and 6struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

p ch. 3.27; 2.23. 1Ki. 2.5.
11

And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, qHe that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

q 2Ki. 9.32. De. 20.5.
12

And Amasa rwallowed 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 him stood still.

r ch. 17.25. Ps. 55.23. Re. 16.5,6.
13

When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14

¶And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto sAbel, and to tBeth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

s 2Ki. 15.29. 2Ch. 16.4. 1Ki. 15.20. Jos. 18.25. v.15.
t ch. 10.6.
15

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they ucast up a *bank against the city, and 7it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab 8battered the wall, to throw it down.

u 2Ki. 19.32. Je. 6.6; 32.24; 33.4. Is. 37.33. Eze. 4.2; 26.8.
16

¶Then cried a vwise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near *hither, that I may speak with thee.

v Ec. 9.14-18. 1Co. 1.27.
17

And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

18

Then she spake, saying, 9They were *wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

19

I wam one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and xa mother in Israel: why wilt thou yswallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

w Ge. 18.23. Ro. 13.4,5.
x Nu. 21.25. Eze. 16.46,49.
y Nu. 16.32. Ps. 124.3. Ex. 15.17. 1Sa. 26.19. ch. 17.16.
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 za man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri 10by 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, aBehold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

a 2Ki. 10.7.
z v.1,14.
22

Then the woman went unto all the people bin her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he cblew a trumpet, and they 11retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

b Ec. 9.14-18. v.16.
c ch. 2.28; 18.16; 15.10. Pr. 24.21; 25.8-10.
23

¶Now dJoab was over all the host of Israel: and eBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

d ch. 8.16,18. 1Ch. 18.15,17.
e ch. 23.20-23.
24

And fAdoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was 12recorder:

f ch. 8.16. 1Ki. 4.3,6; 12.18.
25

And Sheva was scribe: and gZadok and Abiathar were the priests:

g ch. 8.17; 15.24. Nu. 3.32. 1Ch. 18.16.
26

And hIra also the Jairite was 13a chief ruler about David.

h ch. 23.38. Ju. 10.4.