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2 Samuel
Chapter Twenty
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 20
This
chapter gives an account of a new rebellion raised by Sheba
2 Samuel 20:1; of
David's shutting up his concubines unto the day of their death
whom Absalom
had lain with
2 Samuel 20:3; of
Amasa being ordered to assemble the men of Judah to crush the rebellion
but
being dilatory
Abishai is sent out with David's servants
and was followed by
Joab with the men under him
2 Samuel 20:4; and
of the murder of Amasa by Joab
2 Samuel 20:8; and
of Sheba being shut up in the city Abel
2 Samuel 20:14;
whose head
by the means of a wise woman
was delivered to Joab
and so an end
was put to the rebellion
2 Samuel 20:16;
and
lastly
of the chief officers in David's camp and court
2 Samuel 20:23.
2 Samuel 20:1 And
there happened to be there a rebel
[a] whose name
was Sheba the son of Bichri
a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet
and
said: “We have no share in David
Nor do we have inheritance in the son of
Jesse; Every man to his tents
O Israel!”
YLT
1And there hath been called
there a man of worthlessness
and his name [is] Sheba
son of Bichri
a
Benjamite
and he bloweth with a trumpet
and saith
`We have no portion in
David
and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents
O
Israel.'
And there happened to be a man of Belial
.... A wicked
man
as the Targum
a lawless
yokeless man
that had cast off the yoke of the
law
and was without it
as Belial is by some interpreted; or one unprofitable
and useless
yea
noxious and pernicious: this man
though
with respect to
second causes
may be said to be there by chance
yet it was so ordered by the
providence of God that he should be present at this time for the further
fulfilment of the threatening to David
that the sword should not depart from
his house:
whose name was Sheba
the son of Bichri
a Benjamite; one perhaps
that had been in the rebellion of Absalom
and had a grudge against David for
the removal of the kingdom out of that tribe:
and he blew a trumpet; which was done to draw
off the Israelites from David
and gather a party to himself:
and said
we have no part in David; so he interpreted what
the men of Judah said
because they claimed kindred to David
the rest of the
Israelites had no interest in him; thus they
who just before said they had ten
parts in him
now had none at all:
neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; so he calls
David by way of contempt
as if he was no king
but a private person
and a
descendant from a mean family:
every man to his tent
O Israel; there to consider what
to do
and whom to choose to be their king
and let Judah take David for their
king
and enjoy him alone
since they had so slighted
and dealt so injuriously
and roughly with the rest of the tribes.
2 Samuel 20:2 2 So every man of Israel
deserted David
and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of
Judah
from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem
remained loyal to their king.
YLT
2And every man of Israel
goeth up from after David
after Sheba son of Bichri
and the men of Judah have
cleaved to their king
from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.
So every man of Israel went up from after David
.... Those
that met him on the road departed from him
and went no further with him:
and followed Sheba the son of
Bichri; and made him their captain
who was the author of their mutiny
and sedition:
but the men of Judah clave unto their king
from Jordan to
Jerusalem: never left him
after they had conducted him over Jordan
until
they had brought him safely to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 20:3 3 Now 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 seclusion and supported them
but did
not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death
living in
widowhood.
YLT
3And David cometh in unto
his house at Jerusalem
and the king taketh the ten women-concubines -- whom he
had left to keep the house
and putteth them in a house of ward
and sustaineth
them
and unto them he hath not gone in
and they are shut up unto the day of
their death
in widowhood living.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem
.... His
palace there
which was in that part of the city called the fort of Zion
and
city of David:
and the king took the ten women his concubines
whom he had
left to keep the house; when he fled from Jerusalem because of Absalom
2 Samuel 15:16
and put them in ward; partly as a punishment
for easily yielding to the lust of Absalom
and partly that they might not be
seen
which would bring to remembrance his sin:
and fed them; he did not put them to death
nor put them
away
but kept them thus confined
and made a proper provision for them
not
suffering them to marry any other
and be maintained by them:
but went not in unto them: into their apartments to
lie with them
having been defiled by his son
2 Samuel 16:22
so they were shut up unto the day of their death; kept in the
ward till they died:
living in widowhood; neither used by the king
as his concubines
as they had been before
nor suffered to many any other; or
"in the widowhood of life"F15אלמנות
חיות "in viduitate vitae"
Pagninus
Montanus.
which is so expressed
to distinguish it from widowhood made by
death; this was such sort of widowhood as obtained while their husband was
living; so the Targum
"widows of their husband alive
' or remaining.
2 Samuel 20:4 4 And the king said to
Amasa
“Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days
and be present here
yourself.”
YLT
4And the king saith unto
Amasa
`Call for me the men of Judah [in] three days
and thou
stand here
'
Then said the king to Amasa
.... Whom he had promised
to make general of his army
2 Samuel 19:13; and
by the following order declared him such:
assemble me the men of Judah within three days; which was
done by the sound of the trumpet
or by the proclamation of a herald; it seems
that the men of Judah
who attended David to Jerusalem
were gone to their
respective cities and places of abode
or there would have been no occasion for
such a summons; though it is strange they should
when the men of Israel
appeared so inclinable to a new rebellion:
and be thou here present; to take the command of
them.
2 Samuel 20:5 5 So Amasa went to assemble the
men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had
appointed him.
YLT
5and Amasa goeth to call
Judah
and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;
So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah
.... To
gather
them together out of their several tribes
and bring them to Jerusalem:
but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him: than the
three days; whether this was owing to the remissness of Amasa
or the
unwillingness of the people to serve under him
who had been Absalom's general
in the late rebellion
or not having time sufficient allowed him
is not
certain.
2 Samuel 20:6 6 And David said to Abishai
“Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your
lord’s servants and pursue him
lest he find for himself fortified cities
and
escape us.”
YLT
6and David saith unto
Abishai
`Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou
take the servants of thy lord
and pursue after him
lest he have found for
himself fenced cities
and delivered himself [from] our eye.'
And David said to Abishai
.... For it seems he
would have nothing to say to Joab
being displeased with him for slaying
Absalom
and having removed him from his posts; and therefore speaks to the
next officer in his army
Abishai; though JosephusF16Antiqu. l. 7.
c. 11. sect. 6. says
he addressed himself to Joab
contrary to the express
words of the text:
now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did
Absalom; gain a greater party
and give more trouble to subdue him
unless suppressed in time:
take thou thy lord's servants
and pursue after him; without
waiting for Amasa
and the troops he was assembling; delays in such a case as
an insurrection being dangerous
which ought to be nipped in the bud
and
crushed as soon as possible; in order to which
he bids him take his servants
that were about him
his bodyguards
and pursue Sheba:
lest he get him fenced cities; where he may secure
himself
and hold out a siege a long time
and give a great deal of trouble:
and escape us; for the present; or "escape our
eyes"
as the "Keri"
or marginal reading is; we shall lose
sight of him
and not know which way he is gone
if he is not pursued quickly.
2 Samuel 20:7 7 So Joab’s men
with the
Cherethites
the Pelethites
and all the mighty men
went out after him. And
they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
YLT
7And the men of Joab go out
after him
and the Cherethite
and the Pelethite
and all the mighty men
and
they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;
And there went out after him Joab's men
.... Who
though he was removed from his post as general
yet might still have the
command of a regiment:
and the Cherethites
and the Pelethites; over whom
Benaiah was
2 Samuel 20:23;
these attended David in his flight
and had now returned with him
2 Samuel 15:18
and all the mighty men; the military men that
were at Jerusalem as many as could be spared:
and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of
Bichri; with Abishai at the head of them; JosephusF17Antiqu.
l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7. says there were six hundred
besides the soldiers at
Jerusalem that went on this pursuit.
2 Samuel 20:8 8 When they were at
the large stone which is in Gibeon
Amasa came before them. Now Joab was
dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its
sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward
it fell out.
YLT
8they [are] near the great
stone that [is] in Gibeon
and Amasa hath gone before them
and Joab [is]
girded; his long robe he hath put on him
and upon it a girdle -- a sword [is]
fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out
and it falleth.
When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon
.... Which
according to JosephusF18Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7.
was forty
furlongs
or five miles from Jerusalem: what this great stone was
whether an
obelisk
or what
is not certain; one of the greatest stones we read of was
that which Semiramis cut out of the mountains of Armenia
which was an hundred
thirty feet long
and twenty five broad and thickF19Diodor. Sic. l.
2. p. 100. Vid. ib. p. 53. Herodot. Euterpe
c. 111. . This place was appointed
for the rendezvous of David's forces
and hither Amasa came with what he had
assembled together
and joined them
and took the command of them: for it
follows:
Amasa went before them; as the general of them:
and Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him; who went
along with his brother Abishai at the head of his own men
to which he was
obliged by virtue of his commission; or went of himself to serve the common
cause
and perhaps chiefly with a design to murder Amasa
whom he envied
because he was put into his post as general
and therefore accoutred himself
for it; he put on
not a coat of mail
but a common garment which he girt about
him
that it might be no incumbrance to him or hinderance of him
in doing what
he intended
but that he might more expeditiously execute it:
and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins
in the sheath thereof; the sword in the belt was not on his thigh
but on his loins
on
the outside of his clothes
and was put into a sheath too large
and placed in
such a position
that with the least motion
when he pleased
it would easily
drop out of it
without drawing it
and so give no suspicion of his design:
and as he went forth; to meet Amasa
just as
he came to him:
it fell out; the sword fell out of the sheath to the ground.
2 Samuel 20:9 9 Then Joab said to Amasa
“Are
you in health
my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right
hand to kiss him.
YLT
9And Joab saith to Amasa
`Art thou [in] peace
my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on
the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;
And Joab said to Amasa
.... In a friendly
manner
with all the air of pleasantry and good humour:
art thou in health
my
brother? this looked like a friendly salutation to ask of his health
and
wish him it
and a loving appellation to call him brother; though they were
near of kin
sisters' children
and so own cousins; thus he addressed him
to
cover his design:
and Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him: as was usual
for the eastern people to do when they addressed and saluted one another in an
affectionate way
and as the Turks and Arabs do to this day
as travellers
relate. BarthiusF20Animadv. ad Claudian. de Raptu Proserp. l. 1.
ver. 50. vid. Homer. Iliad. ver. 500
501. Iliad. 8. ver. 371. & Alex. ab
Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 19. has collected passages from the Greek poets
which show it to be a custom
that when a man asked a favour of another
he
caught hold of his beard with the right hand
and of his knee with the left;
and in such a posture Joab might easily do what follows.
2 Samuel 20:10 10 But Amasa did not notice
the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the
stomach
and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike
him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the
son of Bichri.
YLT
10and Amasa hath not been
watchful of the sword that [is] in the hand of Joab
and he smiteth him with it
unto the fifth [rib]
and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth
and he hath not
repeated [it] to him
and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have
pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand
.... In his
left hand
for with his right hand he took him by the beard; he might see the
sword drop out of the scabbard
and Joab take it up
which he supposed he did
in order to put it into its sheath again
having no suspicion of his wicked
design
and therefore not at all upon his guard to prevent it:
so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib; in the same
place where Abner smote Asahel
and Joab Abner; See Gill on 2 Samuel 2:23 and
See Gill on 2 Samuel 3:27
he
must strike him
as some observe
on the left side
because he was embracing
him; and the stroke must be deadly
because he struck him in the pericardium
which surrounds the heart round with water
to refrigerate it; for the lower
part of the heart reaches to the fifth rib; see John 19:34 F21Weemse's
Portrait of Man
p. 25. :
and shed out his bowels to the ground; which fell
out through the incision made by the sword:
and struck him not again: he gave him such a home
thrust
there was no need to repeat it
he dispatched him at once:
and he died; and thus
though he was pardoned by David
and promoted to
honour by him
yet the providence of God would not suffer him to go unpunished
for joining with Absalom in an unnatural rebellion against his uncle:
so Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of
Bichri: for Amasa being slain
Joab without any ceremony reassumed his
post as general
and
with his brother Abishai under him
made all the haste
they could in pursuit of the rebel.
2 Samuel 20:11 11 Meanwhile one of Joab’s
men stood near Amasa
and said
“Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for
David—follow Joab!”
YLT
11And a man hath stood by
him
of the young men of Joab
and saith
`He who hath delight in Joab
and he
who [is] for David -- after Joab!'
And one of Joab's men stood by him
.... By the body of
Amasa; no doubt by the order of Joab
to satisfy the people as they came up
and reconcile them to this fact
and to exhort them not to stop
but to follow
after Joab; for though Amasa their general was dead
Joab had taken the command
of the army
and the pursuit was carried on with as much rigour as ever:
and said
he that favoureth Joab
and he that is for David
let him go after Joab: he that likes Joab should be general
and
is in the interest of David
let him make no stay here
but follow after Joab;
Joab and David are put together
as if their interests were the same; though
there seems to be an indecency in placing Joab first.
2 Samuel 20:12 12 But Amasa wallowed in his
blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people
stood still
he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment
over him
when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted.
YLT
12And Amasa is rolling
himself in blood
in the midst of the highway
and the man seeth that all the
people have stood still
and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the
field
and casteth over him a garment
when he hath seen that every one who
hath come by him -- hath stood still.
And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway
.... By which
it seems
that though the wound was mortal
and of which he died
that as yet
there was life in him
and through the pain he was in
and the pangs of death
on him
he rolled himself about in his own blood in the high road
where the
fact was committed:
and when the man saw that all the people stood still; gazing at the
shocking sight
and could not be prevailed upon to go on:
he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field; which was
adjoining to it:
and cast a cloth upon him; that the body might not
be seen:
when he saw that everyone that came by him stood still; and so
retarded the people in their march
to prevent which he took the above method
and it was a very prudent one.
2 Samuel 20:13 13 When he was removed from
the highway
all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of
Bichri.
YLT
13When he hath been removed
out of the highway
every man hath passed on after Joab
to pursue after Sheba
son of Bichri.
When he was removed out of the highway
.... Into the
field
and covered over with a cloth
that he could not be seen:
all the people went on after Joab; made no stop at all
knowing nothing of the matter
or what had happened:
to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri; these were
the troops that Amasa had been assembling
which followed one another after
him; for Joab and Abishai
with their men
were at Gibeon first.
2 Samuel 20:14 14 And he went through all
the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were
gathered together and also went after Sheba.[b]
YLT
14And he passeth over through
all the tribes of Israel to Abel
and to Beth-Maachah
and to all the Berites
and they are assembled
and go in also after him
And he went through all the tribes of Israel
.... That is
Sheba the son of Bichri
last mentioned
2 Samuel 20:13
who
passed through all the tribes of Israel to get as many to be of his party as he
could
and to be proclaimed their king; or finding himself pursued
he passed
on as fast as he could from place to place
through all the tribes
until at
length he fixed for safety in a place later named; though JosephusF23Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7.) understands this of Joab pursuing Sheba
through all the tribes of Israel with the forces under him; and to this sense
the Syriac and Arabic versions
and so R. Isaiah interprets it; but the first
sense is more generally received
that Sheba is meant
who passing through
various tribes
came
unto Abel
and unto Bethmaachah; which were two places
very near one another
if not one and the same place; since Abel is in 2 Samuel 20:15
called Abel of Bethmaachah
to distinguish it from any other place: it was a
city that lay to the north of Israel near Syria; and from 2 Kings 15:29
it
appears to be in the tribe of Naphtali. There was one city of this name of
Abel
six miles from Philadelphia
another twelve miles from Gadara
and a
third between Paneas and Damascus
which
of the three
Reland thinksF24Palestina
Illustrata
tom. 2. p. 519.
is most eligible to be the place here meant;
though he rather chooses to look for it in Galilee
to the west or south of
Paneas
than to the east or north in the way to Damascus; and so AdrichomiusF25Theatrum
Terrae S. p. 101. calls it a city of upper Galilee
sixty furlongs or seven and
an half miles from Jordan; and though he also places it in the tribe of
Naphtali
in the plain of the country of Berim (from whence perhaps were the
Berites next mentioned)
not far from Caesarea Philippi; see 1 Kings 15:20
and all the Berites; the inhabitants of
Beeroth
in the tribe of Benjamin
of which tribe Sheba was
they followed him
hither
as in the next clause:
and they were gathered together
and went also after him; unto Abel; of
these
see Joshua 18:25;
though perhaps these Berim or Berites were nearer to Abel; or rather that was
in their country
as has been observed by Adrichomius.
2 Samuel 20:15 15 Then they came and
besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against
the city
and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with
Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
YLT
15and they go in and lay
siege against him
in Abel of Beth-Maachah
and cast up a mount against the
city
and it standeth in a trench
and all the people who are [are] with Joab
are destroying
to cause the wall to fall.
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah
.... That is
Joab and Abishai
with the forces under them
who pursued him hither:
and they cast up a bank against the city; which some
understand of a warlike machine or engine
with which stones were cast; but it
rather seems to be a bank of earth thrown up
for the better working of such
engines to more advantage against the city
by throwing from thence darts into
the city
or stones against the walls of it
to batter it down; such banks were
used in sieges
as that Caesar's soldiers raised in twenty five days
which was
three hundred thirty feet broad
and eighty feet highF26Caesar.
Comment. l. 7. c. 24. ; Kimchi interprets this of filling up the ditches round
about the city with dust and earth
and so making it level
whereby they could
come the more easily to the walls and batter them
or scale them
and take the
city by storm:
and it stood in the trench; the army under Joab
stood where the trench round the city had been
now filled up:
and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall to
throw it down; with their engines
or whatever battering instruments they had;
so
often
as HesiodF1Opera & Dies
l. 1. ver. 236. says
a
whole city suffers for one bad man.
2 Samuel 20:16 16 Then a wise woman cried
out from the city
“Hear
hear! Please say to Joab
‘Come nearby
that I may
speak with you.’”
YLT
16And a wise woman calleth
out of the city
`Hear
hear; say
I pray you
unto Joab
Come near hither
and
I speak unto thee.'
Then cried a wise woman out of the city
.... And such
an one as the woman of Tekoah
supposed by some to be the governess of the
city; but whoever she was
she well deserved the character of a wise woman; her
conduct in this affair shows it: she cried with a loud voice
upon the wall of
the city
to Joab's men
who were underneath battering it:
hear
hear; which she repeated to make them hear:
say
I pray you
unto Joab
come near hither
that I may speak
with thee; tell your general I desire to speak with him; which was wisely
done
to have nothing to say but to the general himself.
2 Samuel 20:17 17 When he had come near to
her
the woman said
“Are you Joab?” He answered
“I am.” Then
she said to him
“Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he answered
“I am
listening.”
YLT
17And he cometh near unto
her
and the woman saith
`Art thou Joab?' and he saith
`I [am].' And she
saith to him
`Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith
`I am hearing.'
And when he was come near unto her
.... As he did
upon the
information of his men
that a woman on the wall had something to say to him:
the woman said
art thou Joab? she was
willing to be satisfied that he was really the general
before she would impart
her mind to him:
and he answered
I am he; the very person you ask
after:
and she said unto him
hear the words of thine handmaid; though a
woman
vouchsafe to hear what I have to say:
and he answered
I do hear: am ready to hear
and
shall patiently and attentively hear whatever may be spoken; which was giving
her leave and encouragement to proceed.
2 Samuel 20:18 18 So she spoke
saying
“They used to talk in former times
saying
‘They shall surely seek guidance
at Abel
’ and so they would end disputes.
YLT
18and she speaketh
saying
`They spake often in former times
saying
Let them diligently ask at Abel
and
so they finished.
Then she spake
saying
they were wont to speak in old time
.... It was a
common saying
a proverbial expression among the ancient sages:
saying
they shall surely ask counsel at Abel
and so they
ended the matter. Abel
it seems
had been a city so famous for wise and prudent
men
that it was common for the inhabitants of other cities
in the several
parts of the kingdom
when any controversy arose among them
to say to one
another
since we cannot agree this matter among ourselves
let us go to Abel
and take advice there
and leave it to their arbitration; and so they did
and
things were presently brought to an issue
and happily concluded; nay
when the
king had a mind to make a decree or law
as R. Isaiah observes
he used to send
to Abel to know whether they would submit to it; and if they agreed to it
then
he proceeded in it; for other cities followed their example
so famous was this
city
and of so great account: now the woman argues from hence
that surely
such a renowned city should not hastily be destroyed; but the Targum directs to
another sense
and which perhaps is best
and is followed by Jarchi
Kimchi
and others
paraphrasing the words thus
"she spake
saying
I remember now
what is written in the book of the law
to ask a city first
saying
(will ye
make peace?) so shouldest thou have asked of Abel
will ye make peace
or
receive terms of peace?'referring to the law in Deuteronomy 20:10;
signifying
if that had been attended to as it ought (for if such methods were
to be taken with Heathen cities
much more with a city of Israel
as Abel was)
things would soon have been agreed and issued; had Joab upon approaching the
city proposed his terms of peace
they would have immediately yielded to them
and so the matter would have ended at once; for they were a peaceable people
as it follows: though Dr. LightfootF2Works
vol. 2. p. 367. gives
another sense of these words
that Sheba and his party when they came to the
city
"they at first certainly said thus
that they would ask Abel of its
peace (or on whose side it was)
and so they made the matter entire
or made a
show of their own integrity:'by which this woman assured Joab
that the men of
Abel had not invited
nor willingly received Sheba and his rebels into the
city
but they had deceived them by fawning and false words
pretending only to
inquire about the peace and welfare of their city.
2 Samuel 20:19 19 I am among the
peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a
mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?”
YLT
19I [am] of the peaceable --
faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city
and a mother in
Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?
I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in
Israel
.... Her meaning is
that she was of a city which consisted of peaceable
and faithful men
that were peaceable among themselves
and faithful to their
king
who never were concerned in any insurrection or rebellion
not in the
late one under Absalom:
thou seekest to destroy a city
and a mother in Israel; a metropolitan
city
which had several towns and villages under its jurisdiction
which were
as daughters to it. Some think she means herself
because very old
supposedF3Jarchi
& Kimchi in loc. Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2Reg. fol. 79. L. to be Serah
the
daughter of Asher
a son of Jacob
which is improbable:
wilt why thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord? a city which
is a part of the land
that is the Lord's inheritance.
2 Samuel 20:20 20 And Joab answered and
said
“Far be it
far be it from me
that I should swallow up or destroy!
YLT
20And Joab answereth and
saith
`Far be it -- far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.
And Joab answered and said
far be it from me
far be it from me
.... He
repeats these words
to show how detestable it was to him to do what she
suggested:
that I should swallow up or destroy; any in a violent and
unrighteous manner
and especially a city of which she had given such a
character for its greatness and worth
and for the peaceableness and fidelity
of its inhabitants.
2 Samuel 20:21 21 That is not so. But
a man from the mountains of Ephraim
Sheba the son of Bichri by name
has
raised his hand against the king
against David. Deliver him only
and I will
depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab
“Watch
his head will be
thrown to you over the wall.”
YLT
21The matter [is] not so; for
a man of the hill-country of Ephraim -- Sheba son of Bichri his name -- hath
lifted up his hand against the king
against David; give ye up him by himself
and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab
`Lo
his head is
cast unto thee over the wall.'
The matter is not so
.... I am not come with
the army against this city with any ill will to it
and with an intention to
destroy it: the case is this:
but a man of Mount Ephraim
Sheba the son of Bichri by name; for though he
was by birth a Benjaminite
his dwelling was in Mount Ephraim in that tribe;
unless there was a place of this name in the tribe of Benjamin
so called from
any memorable event there
as the wood of Ephraim
2 Samuel 18:6. This
same man
says Joab:
hath lifted up his hand against the king
even against
David; is in rebellion against the king
even so great and good a king
as David; he has lifted up his hand
and blown a trumpet to draw off men from
David
and after himself; he has committed acts of hostility and treason; he
has drawn his sword
and raised an insurrection and rebellion in the nation:
deliver him only
and I will depart from the city: he did not
desire any of his followers to be delivered up
only himself
knowing the
rebellion would cease upon the delivery of him; and being unwilling that the
blood of any Israelite should be shed
whom he had unawares drawn into this
rebellion
and who he knew would return to their own cities upon this:
and the woman said unto Joab
behold
his head shall be thrown to
thee over the wall; she knew the fright the inhabitants of the city were in
and how
disposed they were to do anything to save their city; she knew what influence
she had among them
and how weak Sheba's party was
and therefore could assure
Joab that this should be done.
2 Samuel 20:22 22 Then the woman in her
wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of
Bichri
and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet
and they
withdrew from the city
every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at
Jerusalem.
YLT
22And the woman cometh unto
all the people in her wisdom
and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri
and cast [it] unto Joab
and he bloweth with a trumpet
and they are scattered
from the city
each to his tents
and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto
the king.
Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom
.... Went from
the wall of the city into it
and convened the principal inhabitants together
and made so wise a speech to them
and represented things in such a light
and
so prudently conducted
that they unanimously agreed to her motion:
and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri
and cast it
out to Joab; whose face Joab knew full well
and was satisfied it was his
head that was thrown over:
and he blew a trumpet; as a sign of retreat:
and they retired from the city
every man to his tent; the army
under Joab broke up the siege
and departed
every man to his own city
as the
Targum:
and Joab returned unto Jerusalem unto the king; to give him
an account of his success
and how the rebellion was crushed; and this gave him
courage and boldness to appear before the king
which one would wonder else he
should have
when he had killed his general in cold blood
the king had sent
out
and without his leave had reassumed his post as general of the army; but
he was a bold daring man
a man of blood
and hardened in sin
and had power in
the army
and over David himself
that he could not do what he would with him
but was obliged to be silent
and overlook things
and even to reestablish him
in his office
as appears by what follows.
2 Samuel 20:23 23 And Joab was over
all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the
Cherethites and the Pelethites;
YLT
23And Joab [is] over all the
host of Israel
and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the Cherethite
and over
the Pelethite
Now Joab was over all the host of Israel
....
Established in the post in which he formerly was; either having been never
displaced
which though David thought to do
he was not able to effect it
because of his power and influence with the people; or if he had displaced him
which by some things in this chapter seemed to be the case
yet Amasa being
dead
and the rebellion crushed by Joab
which still made him more haughty
and
increased his popularity
David saw it most advisable to replace him; and
because mention is made of him
as established in his office as general over
the whole army
an account is given of the rest of David's officers; and the
rather
as it was a sort of beginning his reign anew
after quelling the above
rebellions:
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites
and over the Pelethites; was continued in his post
see 2 Samuel 8:18.
2 Samuel 20:24 24 Adoram was in
charge of revenue; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
YLT
24and Adoram [is] over the
tribute
and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] the remembrancer
And Adoram was over the tribute
.... Or over
those that collected and brought it
as the Targum; this was a new office
and
which respected both the revenue he received from his own people
and the
tribute brought him from the nations conquered by him:
and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; who was in
this office before
and now continued and established in it
2 Samuel 8:16.
2 Samuel 20:25 25 Sheva was scribe;
Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;
YLT
25and Sheva [is] scribe
and
Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests
And Sheva was scribe
.... Either the same with
Benaiah
or he was dead or removed
and Sheva was put in his place
see 2 Samuel 8:17
and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; as before;
See Gill on 2 Samuel 8:17.
2 Samuel 20:26 26 and Ira the Jairite was a
chief minister under David.
YLT
26and also
Ira the Jairite
hath been minister to David.
And Ira also the Jairite
.... Which some take to
be the same with Ira the Ithrite
2 Samuel 23:38; a
son of Jether or Ithra the Israelite
2 Samuel 17:25;
though others suppose he was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite
2 Samuel 23:26; and
so the Targum here calls him Ira the Jairite
which was of Tekoah; and Tekoah
being the chief place in Israel for oil oliveF4Misn. Menachot
c. 8.
sect. 3.
with which the lamps were lighted
Jarchi thinks he had the name of
Jairite from Jair
which signifies to enlighten; but rather he was a descendant
from Jair the Gileadite
and perhaps was a great friend to David when in
Gilead
and from whence he brought him and promoted him: for he
was a chief ruler about David; a prime minister
an
intimate friend
the chief of his privy council; perhaps he succeeded
Ahithophel; it is much we hear nothing of Hushai.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)