2 Samuel 20:9

_AND JOAB SAID TO AMASA ART THOU IN HEALTH MY BROTHER? AND JOAB TOOK AMASA BY THE BEARD WITH THE RIGHT_ _ 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._ Took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. This act, common with two friends on meeting, when one of them was come from a journey ('kissing of the beard' is always a token of warm greeting), indicates respect as well as kindliness; and the performance of it evinced the deep hypocrisy of Joab, who thereby put Amasa off his guard. No wonder, then, that while this act of friendly words of congratulation, after long absence, occupied Amasa's attention, he did not perceive the sword that was in Joab's left hand. The action of Joab was indeed a high compliment, but neither suspicious nor unusual; and to this compliment, Amasa paying attention, and no dou...

4-13 Joab barbarously murdered Amasa. The more plot there is in a sin, the worse it is. Joab contentedly sacrificed the interest both of the king and the kingdom to his personal revenge. But one would wonder with what face a murderer could pursue a traitor; and how, under such a load of guilt, he had courage to enter upon danger: his conscience was seared....

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 JOAB SAID TO AMASA,.... In a friendly manner, with all the air of pleasantry and good humour: [ART] THOU IN HEALTH, MY BROTHER? this looked like a friendly salutation to ask of his health, and wish him it, and a loving appellation to call him brother; though they were near of kin, sisters' children, and so own cousins; thus he addressed him, to cover his design: AND JOAB TOOK AMASA BY THE BEARD WITH HIS RIGHT HAND TO KISS HIM: as was usual for the eastern people to do when they addressed and saluted one another in an affectionate way, and as the Turks and Arabs do to this day, as travellers relate. Barthius t has collected passages from the Greek poets, which show it to be a custom, that when a man asked a favour of another, he caught hold of his beard with the right hand, and of his knee with the left; and in such a posture Joab might easily do what follows. t Animadv. ad Claudia...

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

ART THOU... ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6....

The pursuit of Sheba. Amasa murdered by Joab 4. _to Amasa_ The commission was given to Amasa in fulfilment of the promise privately made to him (ch. 2 Samuel 19:13). _Assemble me the men of Judah_ Clearly then "the men of Judah" in 2 Samuel 20:2 were only a small body of representatives....

JOAB TOOK AMASA BY THE BEARD—TO KISS HIM— Those, among the Arabs, who are more intimately acquainted, or of equal age and dignity, mutually kiss the _hand,_ the _head,_ or _shoulder_ of each other, says Dr. Shaw; but he makes no mention of their taking hold of the _beard_ in order to kiss. Thevenot, however, assures us, that among the Turks it is a great affront to take one by the beard, unless it be to kiss him, in which case they often do it. Whether he means by kissing _him,_ kissing his _beard,_ or not, I cannot tell; but _Joab's taking Amasa by the beard to kiss him,_ seems designed to express his taking his beard to kiss it; at least this is agreeable to the customs of those who now live in that country; for D'Arvieux, describing the assembling together of several of the petty Arab princes at an entertainment, tells us, that "all the Emirs came together a little time after, accompa...

_Amasa's Indolence._ 2 Samuel 20:4-9 4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. 5 So Amasa went to assemble _the men of_ Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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 she