2 Samuel 20
1 There happened to be there a worthless fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!”
2 So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 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 confinement, and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living as widows.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.” 5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.” 7 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 came to meet them. Joab was clothed in his clothing of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his loins in its sheath; and as he went forward, it fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So he struck him with it in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.
13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites; and they were gathered together, and went also after him. 15 They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, ‘Come here near, that I may speak with you.’” 17 He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I hear.”
18 Then she spoke, saying, “They used to speak in old times, saying, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel’; and so they settled a matter. 19 I am of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up Yahweh’s inheritance?”
20 Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 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.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 Now Joab was over all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24 and Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.
2 Samuel 20 Commentary
Chapter Overview
2 Samuel 19 ended with the men of Israel and Judah arguing over who had the greater claim on David. Sheba son of Bichri immediately blows a trumpet and declares that Israel has no share in David. Israel abandons the returning king, while Judah remains with him. David has regained Jerusalem, but the speed of the revolt reveals how fragile the reunion is.
Back in Jerusalem, David confines the ten concubines whom Absalom had publicly violated, providing for them but never again living with them as wives. He orders Amasa, his newly appointed commander, to assemble Judah within three days. Amasa misses the deadline, so David sends Abishai after Sheba. Joab joins the pursuit, greets Amasa as a brother at Gibeon, and murders him. He then resumes command as though David had never replaced him.
The pursuit reaches Abel Beth Maacah, where Joab’s forces begin battering the city wall. An unnamed wise woman confronts him, insists that the city is peaceable and important within Israel, and negotiates an end to the siege. The city delivers Sheba’s head, Joab withdraws, and the chapter closes with a list of officials. The rebellion ends and government continues, yet Joab remains in power after another unlawful killing. That outward order carries unresolved moral tension into 2 Samuel 21.
Key Themes
Unresolved division creates an opening for destructive leadership. Sheba does not create Israel’s resentment from nothing. He exploits the fierce argument already recorded at the end of the previous chapter. His trumpet turns wounded pride into revolt, showing how quickly grievance can be weaponized when communities neglect reconciliation.
Persuasive slogans can conceal a selfish cause. Sheba announces, “We have no portion in David,” language designed to sound like a defense of Israel’s rights. Yet the narrator calls him a worthless fellow, identifying the moral character behind the appeal. A memorable slogan is not trustworthy merely because it gives disappointed people a simple explanation and enemy.
The concubines bear lasting consequences for another person’s abuse of power. Absalom used these women publicly in 2 Samuel 16 to strengthen his claim to the throne. Nothing in the narrative portrays them as willing participants in his political act. David provides for them, but their confinement and widow-like existence show the enduring human cost of the royal sins described in the preceding chapters.
Urgent leadership still requires dependable execution. David understands that Sheba may become more dangerous than Absalom if he reaches fortified cities and gathers support. Amasa’s delay places the kingdom at risk, although the text does not explain why he was late. The episode shows that political appointments must be accompanied by capacity, communication, and accountability.
Joab repeatedly protects the kingdom through methods that corrupt it. Joab recognizes military danger and pursues Sheba effectively, but he removes Amasa by deceitful murder. His greeting, embrace, and kiss disguise violence just as his earlier private meeting concealed the killing of Abner in 2 Samuel 3. Usefulness does not erase guilt, and successful outcomes do not make treacherous methods righteous.
Institutional loyalty can become confused with loyalty to a powerful individual. Joab’s young man calls the troops to follow anyone who favors both Joab and David, as though support for the king necessarily requires support for Joab. That claim helps Joab regain command after killing the man David appointed over him. Organizations become dangerous when loyalty to their mission is treated as loyalty to an unaccountable leader.
Wise mediation can limit violence without denying justice. The woman of Abel does not ignore Sheba’s rebellion, nor does she accept the destruction of her city as inevitable. She clarifies Joab’s actual objective, distinguishes one guilty man from the wider population, and persuades the citizens to act. Her wisdom narrows the conflict and prevents a whole community from being consumed by one person’s cause.
Political stability can coexist with serious moral disorder. The closing list resembles the administrative summary in 2 Samuel 8, indicating that David’s government is functioning again. Yet Joab is still commander after murdering Amasa, and Adoram’s role over forced labor introduces another burden within the kingdom. Scripture does not ask readers to confuse a working administration with a fully just one.
Important Verse Questions
Who was Sheba son of Bichri, and why is he called worthless? Sheba was a Benjamite who seized the moment of tribal anger to lead Israel away from David. “Worthless fellow” translates an expression describing a corrupt or lawless troublemaker; it is a moral assessment, not evidence that he belonged to a formal group. The chapter gives him no legitimate appointment or claim to kingship.
Why did so many Israelites follow Sheba so quickly? David’s restoration had not healed the rivalry between Israel and Judah. Israel felt slighted because Judah took the leading role in escorting the king across the Jordan, and the fierce exchange in 19:41–43 left that resentment active. Sheba offered an immediate outlet for it, revealing that the renewed loyalty to David was still shallow among many.
Why did David confine the ten concubines? Because Absalom had taken them publicly, David no longer resumed marital relations with them. He placed them in a guarded household and supplied their needs, but they lived as widows until death. The text reports David’s response without calling the women guilty; their restricted lives should be read as another tragic consequence of Absalom’s abuse and the collapse within David’s family.
Why did Amasa fail to return within three days? The narrator does not say. He may have struggled to mobilize Judah, faced distrust because he had commanded Absalom’s army, or encountered ordinary logistical delay, but none of these explanations is certain. What the text emphasizes is the result: David loses confidence in the timetable and acts before Sheba can secure a stronger position.
Why did David think Sheba could do more harm than Absalom? Absalom’s rebellion had ended, but Sheba could draw strength from the still-unresolved division between the tribes. If he entered fortified cities, he could turn a brief revolt into a prolonged regional conflict. David’s statement concerns the danger of the present opportunity, not a claim that Sheba possessed greater fame, resources, or personal influence than Absalom.
Was Joab’s killing of Amasa accidental or premeditated? The scene is presented as calculated deception. Joab approaches with a sword available, addresses Amasa warmly, takes his beard in a familiar greeting, and strikes when Amasa is unsuspecting. Details about exactly how the sword came into Joab’s hand are difficult, but Joab’s prior hostility toward his replacement and his deliberate use of trust leave little reason to treat the death as an accident.
Why did Joab take Amasa by the beard and kiss him? Such actions could express kinship, respect, and peaceful greeting. Joab calls Amasa “my brother,” which was also literally appropriate because both men belonged to David’s extended family. He turns customary signs of welcome into a weapon, making the murder especially treacherous and showing how religious or social gestures can be exploited to lower another person’s defenses.
Why did the troops stop when they saw Amasa’s body? The corpse of their newly appointed commander lying in the road created shock and uncertainty. The soldiers may have hesitated over who now held authority or simply been disturbed by the violent scene. Joab’s supporter removes and covers the body so the army will continue, an action that restores movement without resolving the crime that caused the hesitation.
Who was the wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah? Scripture does not give her name or official title. Her access to Joab and her ability to persuade the city suggest that she was a respected local leader whose judgment carried public weight. Calling Abel “a city and a mother in Israel” presents it as an established community that protected and influenced the surrounding region, not a disposable obstacle in Joab’s campaign.
Does the death of Sheba justify killing anyone whose presence endangers a community? No universal rule should be drawn from this emergency account. Sheba had openly raised rebellion and brought the siege upon Abel, while Joab agreed to withdraw if the city delivered the rebel alone. The narrative emphasizes limiting destruction, but it does not authorize private groups today to execute suspected wrongdoers. Modern justice requires lawful evidence, due process, and legitimate authority.
Practical Applications
Address legitimate grievances before an opportunist controls the story. Israel’s sense of exclusion becomes fuel for Sheba because the tribes answer one another with competition rather than reconciliation. Leaders should listen early, explain decisions clearly, and correct unfairness without rewarding threats. Ignored resentment rarely remains neutral; it is often gathered and redirected by whoever offers the simplest enemy.
Protect people harmed by another person’s misuse of power. David’s concubines remind readers that political and sexual wrongdoing can leave victims carrying consequences they did not choose. Churches, families, and institutions should resist blaming those who were exploited. Practical care should include safety, material support, truthful naming of the abuse, access to professional help, and as much restored agency as circumstances allow.
Do not excuse a leader’s violence because that leader produces results. Joab ends the rebellion, but he also murders Amasa and manipulates the army’s loyalty. Competence, courage, or past service cannot substitute for character and accountability. When an organization protects a productive person from consequences, it may preserve short-term efficiency while teaching everyone that power stands above its stated values.
Use wisdom to narrow conflict and protect innocent people. The woman of Abel asks what Joab actually wants and challenges the destruction of an entire city for the act of one rebel. Before escalating a dispute, identify the specific wrong, the responsible parties, and the least harmful lawful remedy. Collective punishment, vague accusations, and unlimited retaliation usually multiply injustice rather than resolve it.
Evaluate restored order by justice, not merely by continued operation. David’s administration is functioning at the chapter’s end, yet Joab’s crime remains unanswered and forced labor is part of the system. A ministry, business, family, or government may appear stable while serious wrongdoing remains embedded within it. Genuine restoration requires more than returning to routine; it requires truth, accountability, protection for the vulnerable, and reform of the conditions that allowed abuse.