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2 Samuel 20

KJV · Chapter 20/24

1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

2So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3And 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 fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried 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 fenced cities, and escape us.

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 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.

9And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

11And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

12And 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 him 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.

14And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth–maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth–maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

16Then 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.

17And 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.

18Then 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.

19I am one 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 the Lord?

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, 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.

22Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

23Now 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 tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

25And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

26And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A Benjamite named Sheba leads a fresh rebellion of the northern tribes against David. Joab takes command (killing his rival Amasa in the process) and pursues Sheba to the city of Abel, where a wise woman negotiates handing over Sheba's head to save the city.

Explanation

This lesser rebellion shows that the tribal tensions revealed in the previous chapter were deep and real, not just a passing discomfort. The intervention of the wise woman of Abel prevents an unnecessary massacre, showing the value of intelligent mediation in the midst of armed conflict. Joab, once again, acts with calculated brutality (treacherously killing Amasa), revealing himself as a morally complex character: extremely competent and loyal to David, yet also ruthless and willing to step outside ethical limits when he judges it necessary.

Fun facts

  • The city of Abel of Beth-maacah was known as a center of traditional wisdom, as the woman herself mentions ('they were wont to say, they shall surely ask counsel at Abel'), suggesting it had a reputation for wise counsel long before this episode.
  • This is the last great act of violence by Joab recorded in this book; his conduct throughout his life — loyal, yet violent and vindictive — will finally be judged by Solomon in 1 Kings 2.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Samuel 20:1A man named Sheba, of Benjamin, takes advantage of the confusion to stir up rebellion, saying that Israel has no part nor inheritance in David.
  2. 2 Samuel 20:2All the men of Israel abandon David and follow Sheba, while only Judah remains loyal to the king from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
  3. 2 Samuel 20:3Back at the palace, David provides for the ten concubines left behind, but does not resume relations with them, and they live shut away like widows until death.
  4. 2 Samuel 20:4David orders Amasa to summon the men of Judah within three days and present himself back to the king.
  5. 2 Samuel 20:5Amasa goes to summon Judah, but takes longer than the time David had given him.
  6. 2 Samuel 20:6David fears that Sheba will become an even greater threat than Absalom and sends Abishai to pursue the rebellion before it can grow strong in some fortified city.
  7. 2 Samuel 20:7Joab’s men, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men go out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba.
  8. 2 Samuel 20:8Near Gibeon, Amasa meets up with them, and Joab, with his sword hidden in his belt, approaches him.
  9. 2 Samuel 20:9Joab takes hold of Amasa’s beard with his right hand, the traditional gesture of greeting and respect between relatives, precisely to distract him while the sword in his other hand strikes him — the betrayal works by exploiting a custom of trust.
  10. 2 Samuel 20:10Without Amasa noticing the danger, Joab wounds him fatally with the sword, and he and Abishai continue the pursuit of Sheba.
  11. 2 Samuel 20:11One of Joab’s men stands by the body, calling on whoever favors David and Joab to follow them.
  12. 2 Samuel 20:12Seeing that everyone stopped as they passed Amasa’s body, the man drags it off the road and covers it with a cloak so the people keep following Joab without stopping.
  13. 2 Samuel 20:13As soon as the body is removed from the road, all the men follow Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
  14. 2 Samuel 20:14Joab passes through all the tribes of Israel until he reaches Abel of Beth-maachah, where the local inhabitants join Sheba’s rebellion.
  15. 2 Samuel 20:15Joab besieges the city and builds a ramp against the wall, while his men try to batter down its defenses.
  16. 2 Samuel 20:16A wise woman cries out from inside the city, asking to speak directly with Joab.
  17. 2 Samuel 20:17Joab comes closer, confirms who he is, and agrees to hear what the woman has to say.
  18. 2 Samuel 20:18The woman recalls the old custom of seeking counsel at Abel, a city known for settling disputes with wisdom.
  19. 2 Samuel 20:19Calling Abel “a mother in Israel” is an expression of respect for important and wise cities — the woman on the wall is appealing to the city’s reputation as a place of good counsel to persuade Joab to negotiate instead of destroying it.
  20. 2 Samuel 20:20Joab answers that he would never intend to destroy or ruin the city.
  21. 2 Samuel 20:21Joab explains that he only wants Sheba, the man who rebelled against the king, and promises to withdraw as soon as the city hands him over — the woman promises to throw his head over the wall.
  22. 2 Samuel 20:22With wisdom, the woman persuades the people of the city, who cut off Sheba’s head and hand it over to Joab, ending the siege and the rebellion.
  23. 2 Samuel 20:23List of officials: Joab commanded the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites.
  24. 2 Samuel 20:24Adoram was in charge of forced labor, and Jehoshaphat was the recorder of the kingdom.
  25. 2 Samuel 20:25Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar continued as priests.
  26. 2 Samuel 20:26Ira the Jairite also served as a kind of personal minister to David.

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