Class notes
2 samuel 20
A song.
“We have no share in David,
no part in Jesse’s son!
Every man to his tent, Israel!”
2 Soall the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But
the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to
Jerusalem.
3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten
concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a
house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations
with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death,
living as widows.
4 Thenthe king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to
me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 But when Amasa went to
summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm
than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will
find fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 So Joab’s men and the
Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under
the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue
Sheba son of Bikri.
8 Whilethey were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet
them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his
waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it
dropped out of its sheath.
9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took
Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on
his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his
belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being
stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued
Sheba son of Bikri.
11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors
Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay
wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that
all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who
came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field
and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from
the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and
through the entire region of the Bikrites,[b] who gathered together and
followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in
Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood
against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to
bring it down, 16 a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell
Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and
she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’
and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are
trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to
swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or
destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from
the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king,
against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the
wall.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and
they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he
sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each
returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23 Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over
the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram[c] was in charge of forced
labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary;
Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite[d] was David’s
priest.
