Sheba

1A troublemaker was there named Sheba son of Bichri. He came from the family group called Benjamin. He blew a ram's horn, a loud call to gather people. He shouted, "We want no part of David! We get nothing from Jesse's son! Israel, everyone go home!"

And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Each one came from a son of a man named Jacob. Benjamin was one of them. Jesse was David's father. Calling the king "Jesse's son" instead of "the king" was a rude way to talk about him.

2So the men of Israel left David and followed Sheba. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They stayed with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.

So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

NoteJudah was one of the twelve family groups. It was the biggest one in the south, and David came from it. Here "Israel" means all the other family groups. They often did not get along with Judah.

4Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah to come to me. Do it within three days. Be here yourself too."

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

NoteAmasa had been the leader of Absalom's army. After Absalom died, David forgave him and made him leader of his own army instead.

5So Amasa went to call the men of Judah. But he took longer than the king had told him.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

6David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom did. Take my servants and go after him. If he reaches strong walled cities, he will get away from us."

And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

NoteAbishai was Joab's brother. Both of them were David's soldiers and had fought for him for years. A walled city had thick high walls all around it. Once a man got inside one, it was very hard to catch him.

7So Joab's men marched out after Sheba. The Cherethites and the Pelethites went too. All the best fighters went with them. They left Jerusalem to chase Sheba son of Bichri.

And 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.

NoteThe Cherethites and the Pelethites were David's own guards. They came from other lands and were paid to protect the king.

8They stopped at the big rock near the town of Gibeon. Amasa came out to meet them there. Joab was wearing his soldier clothes and a belt. A sword in its cover was tied to the belt. As Joab stepped forward, the sword slipped out into his hand.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

NoteGibeon was a town a few miles north of Jerusalem. The big rock there was a landmark everyone knew, a good place to meet.

9Joab said to Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard to kiss him.

And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

NoteTaking hold of a man's beard and kissing his cheek was a warm hello between friends. It was like giving someone a hug today. So Amasa was not expecting any trouble.

10Amasa was not watching the sword in Joab's hand. Joab pushed it into his belly. Amasa's insides spilled onto the ground. Joab did not have to strike him again. Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on chasing Sheba son of Bichri.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

NoteThe King James says Joab struck him "in the fifth rib." That means the soft part of the belly, just under the ribs.

11One of Joab's young men stood near the body. He called out, "Everyone who likes Joab and stands with David, follow Joab!"

And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

12Amasa lay in his own blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all the soldiers stopped there to look. So he pulled the body off the road into a field. Then he threw a cloth over it.

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

NotePeople stopped and stared at the body lying in the road. Covering a dead person with a cloth was the kind and respectful thing to do. It also let the soldiers keep walking.

13Once the body was off the road, all the men went on with Joab. They kept chasing Sheba son of Bichri.

When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14Sheba went through all the family groups of Israel. He came to the town of Abel Beth Maacah. He passed through the whole land of the Berites. Those people came together and followed him.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

NoteAbel Beth Maacah was a town far in the north of Israel. Sheba ran about as far from Jerusalem as he could get.

15Joab's soldiers came and shut Sheba inside that town. They piled up dirt into a ramp against the outer wall. All of Joab's men pounded the wall to knock it down.

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

NoteWhen an army shut a town inside its own walls, no food or water could get in. That was called a siege. The soldiers piled dirt into a long ramp so they could reach the top of the wall.

16Then a wise woman called out from inside the town. "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him."

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.

NoteA wise woman was someone the town trusted for good advice. When she spoke, people listened, even the soldiers outside.

17Joab came close to her. The woman asked, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." She said, "Listen to what I have to say." He said, "I am listening."

And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

NoteIn the King James she calls herself "thine handmaid," which means your servant. It was a polite way to talk to an important man.

18Then she said, "Long ago people had a saying. They said, 'Go ask for advice at Abel.' That is how arguments were settled.

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

NoteThis town of Abel was famous for wise people. When two towns argued, they would come here and ask what to do. The woman is reminding Joab that her town helps people, it does not fight them.

19I am one of the peaceful, faithful people of Israel. You are trying to destroy a town that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up what belongs to the LORD?"

I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

NoteCalling a town "a mother in Israel" meant it was old and important. Smaller towns nearby looked up to it, the way children look up to a mother. "Swallow up" means to wipe out completely. "What belongs to the LORD" means the land God gave to his people.

20Joab answered, "No, never! I do not want to swallow up or destroy anything.

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

21That is not what this is about. A man from the hills of Ephraim has turned against the king. His name is Sheba son of Bichri. He raised his hand against David. Just hand him over, and I will leave the town." The woman said to Joab, "We will throw his head to you over the wall."

The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

NoteEphraim was another of the twelve family groups. Its land was a hilly place north of Jerusalem. To "raise your hand" against the king means to fight him.

22Then the woman went and spoke wisely to all the people in the town. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. Joab blew the ram's horn. His men left the town and each one went home. Then Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.