Y³ w 1,2-. Sheba. Revolt made.
x -2. Judah's loyalty.
y 3. David's concubines.
x 4-13. Judah's loyalty.
w 14-22. Sheba. Revolt quelled.933 B.C.
2 Samuel 20)
1: And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba (= seven, or an oath), the son of Bichri (a descendant of Becher [Gen.46:22]), 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 gods (one of the emendations of the Sopherim, by which they transposed the middle two letters of the primitive text and made it read "tent" instead of "gods". The same was done in 1 Kings 12:16, and 2 Chron.10:16.), O Israel.”
2: So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri:
but the men of Judah clove to their king, from 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 fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
x z¹ 4,5. Amasa. Disloyalty.
a¹ 6,7. Joab and Abishai. Pursuit.
z² 8-10-. Amasa. Murder.
a² -10,11. Joab and Abishai. Proclomation.
z³ 12,13-. Amasa. Dead.
a³ -13. Joab. Pursuit.
4: Then said the king to Amasa, “Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be you here present.”
5: So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. (This is an example of a undisciplned person.)
6: And David said to Abishai, “Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom (he was spreading lies and rumors): take you (some codices read, "now therefore") your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.”
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 went before them (Heb. = came to meet them). And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded to him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and the sword dropped out and fell. (Joab was setting him up.)
9: And Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. (playing buddy-buddy)
10: But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand (he let his guard down because he was on an ego trip): 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. (Got rid of another traitor)
So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11: And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, “He that favours Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.” (when you are pursuing Satan never let a traitor get in the way)
12: And 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.
13: When he was removed (or, thrust) out of the highway,
all the People went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
w b 14. Abel. Flight to.
c 15. Siege laid.
b 16-22-. Abel. Parley at.
c -22. Siege raised.14: And Joab went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel (= a meadow), and to Beth-maachah (house of oppression), and all the Bichrites (see v.1): and they were gathered together, and went also after Sheba.
15: And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood in 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, to Joab, ‘Come near to this place, that I may speak with you.’ ” (She was a woman of God. Said with authority. She didn't say please)
17: And when he was come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am he.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your handmaid.” And he answered, “I do hear.”
18: Then she spoke, saying, “They were accustomed to speak in old time, saying, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel:’ and so they ended the matter. (See Deut.20:10,11. This woman knows the word of God. She going to save an entire city. This is why God has many servants.)
19: I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: you seek to destroy a city, a mother city in Israel (Fig., i.e. a metropolitan city): why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?” (Anytime you have a Christian nation fighting a Christian nation, you have a civil war)
20: And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. (Joab recognized wisdom)
21: The matter is not so: but a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver 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.”
22: Then the woman went to all the People in her wisdom (cp. Ecc.9:14,15). And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. (You give a deadly wound to a man of Satan, When it is legally called for in God's Word)
And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent (cp. 19:8). And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
K d 23. Military.
e 24. Civil.
d 25. Ecclesiastical.
e 26. Civil.23: Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah (= made by the Lord. cp. 8:18; 23:20. 1 Kings 1:8; 2:34) the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: (God lets you know Joab is restored)
24: And Adoniram (= lord of heights. See 1 Kings 4:6) was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat (= whom Yehovah judges) the son of Ahilud was recorder:
25: And Sheva (= Yahaveh contends) was scribe (or secretary): and Zadok (= just) and Abiathar were the priests:
26: And Ira (= watchful of a city) also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David (Cp. 8:18; 23:38. David did want to follow God's way. It is the only way you can be successful).