Reflections on 2 Samuel 20

2 Samuel 20 (Contemporary English Version)

1. A troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, "People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home."
   
2. So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
   
3. David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.
   
4. David said to Amasa, "Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!"
   
5. Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days.
   
6. So David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us."
   
7. Abishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard and best troops.
   
8. They had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa.
   
9. Joab said, "Amasa, my cousin, how are you?" Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss.
   
10. Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying. Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba.
    
11. One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, "If any of you like Joab, and if you are for David, then follow Joab!"
    
12. Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket.
    
13. After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.
    
14. Sheba had gone through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. All of his best soldiers met him there and followed him into the town.
    
15. Joab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.
    
16. A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, "Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!"
    
17. When he came, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" "Yes, I am," he answered. She said, "Please, listen to what I have to say." "All right," he said. "I'll listen."
    
18. She said, "Long ago people used to say, 'If you want good advice, go to the town of Abel to get it.' The answers they got here were all that was needed to settle any problem.
    
19. We are Israelites, and we want peace! You can trust us. Why are you trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel? Why do you want to wipe out the LORD's people?"
    
20. Joab answered, "No, no! I'm not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town!
    
21. That's not it at all. There's a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone." The woman told Joab, "We will throw his head over the wall."
    
22. She went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it to Joab. Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.
    
23. Joab was the commander of Israel's entire army. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of David's bodyguard.
    
24. Adoram was in charge of the slave-labor force. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept government records.
    
25. Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.
    
26. Ira from Jair was David's priest.
    

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    The quarrel that flared up at Gilgal between the troops of Judah and those of Israel as David was returning to reclaim the throne in Jerusalem was suddenly escalated by "a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba," (20:1) who blew the ram's horn and announced that "We (Israel) have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse's son. Each man to his tent, Israel!" (20:1) Just like that, the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba. Although the text says that "all the men of Israel" deserted David, in the end it appears that it was only a small contingent that followed Sheba. Nevertheless, this rebellion presented a rather large concern as David pointed out, "Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom." (20:6)
    
    David ordered Amasa, his replacement of Joab as commander of the army, to "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself." (20:4) One has to wonder at the wisdom of David appointing Amasa in place of Joab without addressing the situation with Joab. He reportedly made the appointment of Amasa to gain the support of Judah for his return to the throne but it may also have been motivated by anger at Joab for killing Absalom and/or speaking angrily with David about his mourning Absalom's death instead of encouraging his troops. Whatever his reasons for appointing Amasa he apparently dealt with Joab by ignoring him. But Joab was too strong a personality to simply fade into the background while someone else took his place.
    
    When Amasa did not return from summoning the men of Judah within the appointed three days, David placed Abishai, Joab's brother, in charge of the elite troops and sent them to deal with Sheba and his followers. Time was of the essence if they were to stop Sheba before he retreated to a fortified city and eluded them. David was a man of action in his dealings with others but seemed unable to take action with those close to him as was the case with his sons and now with Joab who was also related to him.
    
    Joab was among those following Abishai in pursuit of Sheba. When they met Amasa and the men he had gathered at Gibeon Joab approached him as if to speak with him. As he approached Amasa his sword fell from his belt and he picked it up, which placed it in his hand without alarming Amasa. Then he grabbed Amasa by the beard as if to kiss him and instead thrust the sword into him, killing him.
    
    After Joab killed Amasa all the men suddenly followed Joab as if that were the plan all along. It would seem there should have been confusion since first Amasa and then Abishai had been appointed to lead. But with Amasa dead it was Joab they turned to apparently without question. So Joab and the army resumed their pursuit of Sheba and found him holed up in the city of Abel. They built an assault ramp against the outer wall in preparation to lay siege to the city, but a "wise woman" called out from the city asking to speak with Joab. She told Joab that the city of Abel was known as a place for settling disputes and she was a peaceful person, so why was he trying to destroy the city. He assured her that his intent was only to capture Sheba. If they would deliver him to Joab they would withdraw from the city. The woman said they would throw Sheba's head over the wall to them and delivered on this promise. Joab was also good on his word to withdraw, and the rebellion was ended as suddenly as it was begun. The time period from beginning to end was approximately a week.
    
    The closing verses of the chapter list the officials of David's administration with Joab as the commander of the whole army of Israel as if nothing had changed.