_A.M. 2982. B.C. 1022._ A new rebellion raised by Sheba, 2 Samuel 20:1; 2 Samuel 20:2. David confines his ten concubines for life, 2 Samuel 20:3. Joab murders Amasa, 2 Samuel 20:4. Pursues Sheba to Abel, 2 Samuel 20:13. He is delivered up, 2 Samuel 20:16. David's great officers, 2 Samuel 20:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
_There happened to be there_, &c. His presence was casual in itself, though ordered by God's providence. _A man of Belial_ A wicked and lawless person, one who attempted to shake off the yoke of civil authority. _A Benjamite_ And therefore grieved at the translation of the kingdom from Saul and that... [ Continue Reading ]
_So every man of Israel went up from after David_ Instead of going home, the generality of those Israelites who were present followed their seditious incendiary. _But the men of Judah clave to their king_ None of them stirred from him, but conducted him from Jordan to Jerusalem. Nor is it to be supp... [ Continue Reading ]
_But went not in unto them_ He looked upon them as become impure to him, having been defiled by his son. _They were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood_ Being royal wives, it was not proper they should be married to any one else, and therefore David did not give them a bill of div... [ Continue Reading ]
_Assemble me the men of Judah_ David here made good his promise to Amasa, which was a great encouragement to others in the tribe of Judah to adhere to him. And by this means also the seditious Israelites might be the sooner brought to reason, when they saw their old general in the field against them... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then David said to Abishai_ Not to Joab; lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David's fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned. _Now shall Sheba do us more harm than Absalom_ If he have time to gather an army; the people being highly incen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amasa went before them_ As their commander-in-chief. Having gathered some forces, and given due orders for the rest to follow him, he returned to Jerusalem, and by the king's command went after those mentioned 2 Samuel 20:7, and being come up to them at the place where they waited for him, he put h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joab took Amasa by the beard_ As the manner of ancient times was when they saluted one another, and, it appears, is still a custom among some of the eastern people, who take one another by the chin or the beard when they would give a hearty salute. Thevenot says it is often done among the Turks, al... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amasa took no heed to the sword_ Which, falling out, as it seemed, casually, he supposed that Joab intended only to put into its scabbard, and therefore took no care to defend himself against the stroke. _So Joab and Abishai pursued after Sheba_ He boldly and immediately resumed his former place, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_One of Joab's men stood by him_ By the command of his master, who knew that this would occasion disorder among Amasa's soldiers, and therefore left a man there on purpose to deliver the following message: _He that favoureth Joab_ He that would have Joab to be general, rather than such a perfidious... [ Continue Reading ]
_He went through all the tribes_ That is, Sheba, who marched from tribe to tribe to stir them up to sedition. _Unto Abel, and to Beth- maachah_ Or rather, _unto Abel-beth-maachah_, as this place is called in the Hebrew text of the next verse, to distinguish it from other Abels, and to signify that t... [ Continue Reading ]
_They came and besieged him_ Joab and his army pursued him thither. _And cast up a bank_ They raised a very large mound of earth, equal, probably, to the height of the walls, from whence they might either batter the walls, or throw darts, or shoot at those that defended them. _It stood in the trench... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then cried a wise woman_ A woman of great understanding, who also could speak well. Many such there were in Israel, as appears by the woman of Tekoah, by Abigail, and the mother of Lemuel. It seems none of all the men of Abel offered to treat with Joab: no, not when they were reduced to extremity;... [ Continue Reading ]
_He answered, I do hear_ He did not despise her because she was a woman; but, as became a wise man, gave her a favourable audience, and attended to what she said. _They shall surely ask counsel at Abel_ She begins with praising the city of Abel, as famous even to a proverb, time out of mind, for wis... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am one of them that are peaceable_, &c. She speaks in the name of the whole city, which was of a peaceable spirit, and had been faithful to David in the time of the late revolt. _Thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel_ A great city which had many towns depending upon it. Great citi... [ Continue Reading ]
_A man of mount Ephraim_ He is said before, 2 Samuel 20:1, to be of the tribe of Benjamin. Either, therefore, he lived in mount Ephraim, or a place in Benjamin is here called so, probably because it was upon the borders of Ephraim, or for some notable action or event of the Ephraimites in that place... [ Continue Reading ]
_The woman went unto the people in her wisdom_ Prudently treated with them about it, representing to them the certainty and nearness of their ruin, if they did not speedily comply with her desires, and certain deliverance if they did. They immediately complied, and cut off the head of Sheba. _He ble... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joab was over all the host_ The king continued him in the chief command of the army, because the good success of this, and of the former expedition under his conduct, had so fixed his interest with the soldiers, and others of David's fastest friends, that he could not be displaced without danger. _... [ Continue Reading ]