2 SamuelChapter 20

+ Secondary text Original text ← Previous Next →Contribute

Now there happened to be there a scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. He sounded the ram's horn and cried out: "We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Jesse! To your tents, Israel!"

So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed loyal to their king, all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

When David came to his house in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to keep the house and put them under guard. He provided for them, but he did not go in to them. So they were shut away until the day they died, living as widows.

Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days, and be here yourself."

So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time appointed for him.

David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself and escape us."

So Joab's men went out after him, along with the Kerethites and the Pelethites and all the warriors. They left Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

When they reached the great stone at Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a sword in its sheath. As he stepped forward, the sword fell out.

Joab said to Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" And with his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard to kiss him.

Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab's hand, and Joab struck him in the belly with it, spilling his entrails on the ground. He needed no second blow, and Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

One of Joab's young men stood over Amasa and called out, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!"

But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road. When the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged Amasa off the road into a field and threw a garment over him, for everyone who came upon him stopped at the sight.

Once he had been removed from the road, all the men went on after Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah, and all the Berites gathered together and followed him in.

Joab's forces came and besieged him in Abel Beth Maacah. They threw up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood level with the outer wall, and all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to bring it down.

Then a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I may speak with him."

He came near, and the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." "I am listening," he said.

Then she said, "There was a saying in the old days: 'Let them inquire at Abel'—and so the matter was settled.

I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. Yet you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?"

Joab answered, "Far be it, far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

That is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri by name, has lifted his hand against the king, against David. Hand over that one man, and I will withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you over the wall."

Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. He sounded the ram's horn, and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own tent. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites;

Adoram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the record keeper;

Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

and Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David.

Lookup

Summary2

Chapter 20

Main Theme: Sheba's rebellion against David is crushed through Joab's pursuit and the intervention of a wise woman.

Content: The Benjamite Sheba leads a rebellion against David, gaining followers from Israel. After first killing Amasa at Gibeon, Joab pursues him. At the city of Abel Beth Maacah, a wise woman persuades the inhabitants to kill Sheba to save their city; his head is then thrown over the wall to Joab. The chapter concludes with an overview of David's officials.

Key Words/Images:

Sheba son of Bichri: A Benjamite who leads a rebellion against David with the cry, "We have no portion in David."
The Wise Woman: An unnamed woman who saves the city of Abel Beth Maacah through negotiation and action.
Joab's Treachery: Joab kills Amasa at Gibeon under the guise of a greeting, repeating his pattern of treachery.
"A mother in Israel": The woman's description of the city underscores its significance and the value of preserving it.

Historical context

People

Sheba son of Bichri is introduced as "a worthless man" (אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל) from the tribe of Benjamin. His tribal affiliation is significant—as a Benjamite, he belonged to the same tribe as the deposed king Saul. His rebellion thus represents not only political discontent but possibly also a remnant of Saulide resistance against Davidic rule. His slogan "We have no portion in David" (v. 1) is repeated almost verbatim at the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:16), showing deep and enduring tensions between north and south.

Amasa was David's nephew and had recently been appointed commander-in-chief in place of Joab (2 Samuel 19:14). His killer, Joab, therefore had both personal and professional motives. Amasa's delay in gathering the men of Judah (v. 5) may indicate either logistical problems or a lack of loyalty within the army, which contributed to his vulnerable position.

The wise woman from Abel represents a tradition of female advisors and negotiators in Israelite culture. Her reference to the city's reputation as a place where people sought counsel (v. 18) suggests that certain cities functioned as centers of wisdom.

Places

Abel-beth-maacah (אָבֵלָה בֵּית מַעֲכָה) was located in the far north of Israel, near Dan, at the foot of Mount Hermon. The city is identified with Tell Abil el-Qamh in present-day northern Israel. Archaeological excavations have revealed significant fortifications from the Iron Age. Its location along important trade routes to Aram and Phoenicia gave it strategic importance. The designation "a mother in Israel" (v. 19) suggests that it was an important regional capital.

Gibeon (v. 8), where Joab met Amasa, was an ancient cultic site marked by "the great stone." This place had already been the scene of bloody conflict between David's and Saul's men (2 Samuel 2:12–17).

Events and Customs

The fate of the concubines (v. 3) sheds light on a difficult aspect of ancient Near Eastern royal practice. David's ten concubines, whom Absalom had publicly dishonored (16:22), were placed under lifelong house arrest—living as "widows." They could neither be separated from the king nor live normally as his wives, since sexual relations with them were now taboo. This reflects that royal women were tied to issues of legitimacy and inheritance.

Joab's murder of Amasa (vv. 9–10) follows the same pattern as the killing of Abner (2 Samuel 3:27): a seemingly friendly meeting with a kiss serving as cover for a fatal sword thrust in the belly. The custom of grasping the beard for a friendly kiss left the victim defenseless. Joab's "loose" sword that fell from its sheath was likely a deliberate trap.

Key Terms

The expression "every man to his tents" (אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו, vv. 1 and 22) is an ancient mobilization cry used to disband army gatherings. It points back to the time when Israelites lived in tents and served as a signal that the common military effort had ended.

"To swallow up the inheritance of the Lord" (תְבַלַּע נַחֲלַת יְהוָה, v. 19) uses the image of devouring or destroying something that belongs to God Himself—namely, the people and land of Israel. This expression emphasizes that the destruction of an Israelite city was an attack on God's own property.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The closing list of officials in this chapter (vv. 23–26) offers a rare glimpse into Davidic state administration. The list mentions "the Cherethites and Pelethites"—likely royal bodyguards of foreign (possibly Cretan or Philistine) origin. The title "Adoniram over the forced labor" testifies to an established practice of compulsory service that later became unpopular (1 Kings 12:18). That Ira the Jairite is called "priest for David" suggests that the king had a personal court chaplain alongside the chief priests Zadok and Abiathar.

People16

David7 Abiathar1 Sheba9 Zadok (High Priest)1 Joab (son of Zeruiah)13 Jehoshaphat1 Jesse1 Amasa5 Jair1 Hadoram1 Abishai2 Judah1 Bikri8 Ira1 Sheva (David's state scribe (secretary))1 Ahilud1

See all people →

Key words7

Joab — A military commander and nephew of King David, known for his loyalty and military skill.
Sheba — A rebellious leader from the tribe of Benjamin who challenged David's authority as king.
Amasa — A relative of David and former commander of Absalom's army, appointed by David to replace Joab.
Abishai — Joab's brother and one of David's most powerful warriors, who helped Joab crush Sheba's rebellion.
Bichri — A designation for Sheba's followers, who took part in the revolt against King David.
Abel-Beth-Maacah — A city in Israel where Sheba sought refuge, and where Joab laid siege to him.
Wise woman — An inhabitant of Abel-Beth-Maacah who negotiated with Joab and helped end the siege by handing over Sheba's head.