2 Samuel 20

1-3 4-13 14-22 23-26

1-3

After the end of the argument in chapter 19 Sheba, who is unknown to this point but must have been a person of influence and considerable power to sway all the people there except for Judah, yells out that the people are not cared for by David.

So everyone except Judah that were with David on his journey back to Jerusalem departs with Sheba in rebellion.

One of the first thing David does on his return to Jerusalem is remove the 10 concubines that he left in Jerusalem and Absalom had relations with in front of everyone on the rooftop from the kings house and place in a dwelling of their own like they were widows. He did provide for them for the remainder of their lives but he nor anyone else had any intimate relations with them again.

4-13

Amasa, whom David put over the army from Joab last chapter, is tasked with mustering the army to pursue Sheba within three days time.

Amasa either did not, waited to long or had reservations about it, or could not, the men refused to obey him, within the alloted time so David told Abishai, Joab’s brother, to get the army and go out because he wanted Sheba’s rebellion taken care of quickly because he thought Sheba’s rebellion would be worse and than what Absalom had done. After Amasa’s failure David did not turn to Joab but to Abishai.

Abishai was able to get the men together and set out to pursue Sheba, Joab joins the party but he was not wearing generals clothing but was dressed as a normal soldier.

When the men came near Gibeon Amasa, who was in Gibeon, probably gathering some men there but not as quickly as David wanted, came out to meet them to resume command of the army.

Joab seeing Amasa coming “lets his sword fall from the sheath”, perhaps to be able to pick it up and not arouse any suspicion in Amasa as to why Joab has his sword in his hand when approaching him. Joab then pretends to greet Amasa as a friend and brother with a kiss but instead stabs him in the stomach and disembowels him with one blow then leaves him bleeding and dying in the road.

Joab and Abishai leave to continue pursuing Sheba. One of the young men loyal to Joab stands by the dying Sheba and tells the passing troops that if they are loyal to Joab and to David follow Joab on in the pursuit. What is not said is the implications that Amasa’s fate would be the result if they did not, so the men of the army reinstate Joab as their general, not David. This further shows how much power Joab has that he could murder in cold blood the man David put over the army and they would still follow him.

After a while the young man saw that the men were stopping and watching Amasa die he carries Amasa into a field and covers him with a cloak or spare robe to die out of sight. After that all of the men follow Joab and Abishai in pursuit of Sheba his followers.

14-22

Sheba and his followers went to Abel of Beth-maacah which is about 25 miles north of the sea of Galilee, or around 60 miles north of Jerusalem. Abel of Beth-maacah is a specially honored city or a recognized capital of the region which is why the woman referred to it as “a mother in Israel”.

As Joab and the army begin to seige the city and tear down the walls to get to Sheba and the rebels a wise woman, a woman of renown and stature from the city, she could have been a judge or a governess, calls out to Joab and requests an audience with him.

Joab agrees to meet the woman to hear what she has to say. She tells Joab that Abel is known for wise and prudent men and that Abel is a mother in Israel so why is Joab seeing to destroy the city and not asking them if they wanted peace instead of war per Deut 20:10 ““When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.”

Joab who at heart was a patriot of Israel and not wanting excess bloodshed so soon after dealing with Absalom tells the woman that if they give up Sheba alone he will stop the seige and depart.

The woman goes even further than agreeing to turn over Sheba saying that his head will be cut off and thrown over the wall to Joab. The woman then goes back into the city to discuss it with the people. All of the people of the city, with the exception of Sheba probably, agrees with her counsel. So Sheba’s head is severed from his body and thrown out of the city over the wall to Joab.

Joab keeps to his word and calls off the seige. All of the gathered men return to their homes and Joab returns to Jerusalem as the commander of the army of David.

23-26

Even though David probably hated Joab and wanted him gone could not get rid of him and had to recognize him as the commander of the army.

The rest of the list is similar to the list of David’s court described in chapter 8.

This is the list of his court after his return to Jerusalem after fleeing the city until his death.