2 Samuel 20:15

_AND THEY CAME AND BESIEGED HIM IN ABEL OF BETH-MA'ACHAH, 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._ Abel of Beth-maachah - or Abel-maim (the meadow of waters) (cf. 1 Kings 15:20; 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Chronicles 16:4). A verdant place-the addition of "maachah" betokening that it belonged to the district Maachah, which lay far up the Jordan, at the foot of Lebanon. The first preparation for a siege was the construction of a causeway or embankment for wheeling the battering rams and other military machines close to the wall. These consisted sometimes simply of immense mounds of earth, at other t

14-22 Justly is that place attacked, which dares to harbour a traitor; nor will the heart fare better which indulges rebellious lusts, that will not have Christ to reign over them. A discreet woman, by her prudent management, satisfied Joab, and yet saved the city. Wisdom is not confined to rank or sex; it consists not in deep knowledge; but in understanding how to act as matters arise, that troubles may be turned away and benefits secured. A great deal of mischief would be prevented, if contending parties would understand one another. Let both sides be undeceived. The single condition of peace is, the surrender of the traitor. It is so in God's dealing with the soul, when besieged by conviction and distress; sin is the traitor; the beloved lust is the rebel: part with that, cast away the transgression, and all shall be well. There is no peace on any other terms....

Verse 2 Samuel 20:15. _THEY CAST UP A BANK AGAINST THE CITY_] The word סללה _solelah_, which we render _bank_, means, most probably, a _battering_ _engine_ of some kind, or a _tower_ overlooking the walls, on which archers and slingers could stand and annoy the inhabitants, while others of the besiegers could proceed to sap the walls. That it cannot be a _bank that stood in the trench_, is evident from the circumstance thus expressed....

CAST UP A BANK - See the marginal references. The throwing up of mounds against the walls of besieged places by the besiegers is well illustrated in the Assyrian sculptures. THE TRENCH - The “pomoerium,” or fortified space outside the wall. When the mound was planted in the pomoerium the battering engines were able to approach close to the wall to make a breach....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 20:1 THERE HAPPENED TO BE THERE A MAN OF BELIAL. The fierce words of the men of Judah led to evil results. It was a time when all wise and thoughtful persons would have laboured for peace, and tried to soothe and appease the angry passions fomented by the late war. Instead of this, the men of Judah irritated the Israelites with insult and contumely, and the day, intended as one of rejoicing and of the restoration of David to his throne by common consent, saw the rebellion break forth afresh. Among those who had taken part in the discussion with Judah was Sheba, a man of Belial, that is, a worthless fellow, but possibly possessed of rank and influence; for, according to many commentators, _ben-Bichri _does not mean THE SON OF BICHRI, but "a descendant of Becher," the second son of Benjamin ...

AND THEY CAME AND BESIEGED HIM IN ABEL OF BETHMAACHAH,.... That is, Joab and Abishai, with the forces under them, who pursued him hither: AND THEY CAST UP A BANK AGAINST THE CITY; which some understand of a warlike machine or engine, with which stones were cast; but it rather seems to be a bank of earth thrown up, for the better working of such engines to more advantage against the city, by throwing from thence darts into the city, or stones against the walls of it, to batter it down; such banks were used in sieges, as that Caesar's soldiers raised in twenty five days, which was three hundred thirty feet broad, and eighty feet high z; Kimchi interprets this of filling up the ditches round about the city with dust and earth, and so making it level, whereby they could come the more easily to the walls and batter them, or scale them, and take the city by storm: AND IT STOOD IN THE TRENCH;...

10. THE REVOLT OF SHEBA CHAPTER 20 _ 1. Sheba's revolt (2 Samuel 20:1)_ 2. The ten concubines shut up (2 Samuel 20:3) 3. Amasa's failure (2 Samuel 20:4) 4. Joab and the death of Amasa (2 Samuel 20:7) 5. Joab, the wise woman and the death of Sheba (2 Samuel 20:14) 6. David's officials (2 Samuel 20:23) The final revolt in David's reign was headed by a wicked man, whose name was Sheba. Israe

1 SAMUEL 20. THE REVOLT OF SHEBA (J). 2 SAMUEL 20:1 F. The result of this altercation was a fresh rebellion under a Benjamite, Sheba ben Bichri. 2 SAMUEL 20:3. The members of the king's harem whom he had left in Jerusalem are condemned to pass the rest of their days in seclusion (_cf._ 2 Samuel 16:21). 2 SAMUEL 20:4. David bade his new commander-in-chief, Amasa, assemble the general levy of Judah by a given day; the day came, but Amasa and the army did not appear. A few days before Amasa had been in command of an army fighting against Judah, and the men of Judah might be slow to tru

BANK. mound. TRENCH. rampart....

Sheba besieged in Abel-Beth-Maachah 14. _And he went_ Joab marched rapidly northward, gathering forces as he went. _unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah_ Abel was apparently near Beth-Maachah, which is not elsewhere mentioned as a distinct place, and was commonly called Abel-beth-Maachah to distinguish it from other places named Abel (_meadow_). It was also known as Abel Maim = _meadow of waters_(2 Chronicles 16:4). It was one of the towns which fell a prey to Benhadad (1 Kings 15:20), and afterwards to Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15:29). The name Maachah may point to some connexion with the Syrian kingdom of that name (ch....