2 Samuel 20

David's Response and Amasa's Delay 2 Samuel 20:3–6

³Verse 3. David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood. ⁴Verse 4. Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.” ⁵Verse 5. So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he stayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him. ⁶Verse 6. David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”

Joab's Ruthless Action 2 Samuel 20:7–10

⁷Verse 7. Joab’s men went out after him, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸Verse 8. When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his waist in its sheath; and as he went along it fell out. ⁹Verse 9. Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

¹⁰Verse 10. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So he struck him with it in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

Declaring Loyalty to Joab 2 Samuel 20:11–13

¹¹Verse 11. One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!” ¹²Verse 12. Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. ¹³Verse 13. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

Siege of Abel and Negotiation 2 Samuel 20:14–22

¹⁴Verse 14. He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. They were gathered together, and went also after him. ¹⁵Verse 15. They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down. ¹⁶Verse 16. Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with you.’” ¹⁷Verse 17. He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”

¹⁸Verse 18. Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel;’ and so they settled a matter. ¹⁹Verse 19. I am among those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up Yahweh’s inheritance?” ²⁰Verse 20. Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. ²¹Verse 21. The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

²²Verse 22. Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

David's Leadership Structure 2 Samuel 20:23–26

²³Verse 23. Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites, ²⁴Verse 24. Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder, ²⁵Verse 25. Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests, ²⁶Verse 26. and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.