2 Samuel 20:1-6

1 There happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheva, the son of Bikhri, a Binyamini: and he blew the shofar, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Yishai: every man to his tents, Yisra'el.

2 So all the men of Yisra'el went up from following David, and followed Sheva the son of Bikhri; but the men of Yehudah joined with their king, from the Yarden even to Yerushalayim.

3 David came to his house at Yerushalayim; 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.

4 Then said the king to `Amasa, Call me the men of Yehudah together within three days, and be here present.

5 So `Amasa went to call [the men of] Yehudah together; but he stayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

6 David said to Avishai, Now will Sheva the son of Bikhri do us more harm than did Avshalom: take your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.

2 Samuel 20:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 20

This chapter gives an account of a new rebellion raised by Sheba, 2Sa 20:1,2; of David's shutting up his concubines unto the day of their death, whom Absalom had lain with, 2Sa 20:3; of Amasa being ordered to assemble the men of Judah to crush the rebellion, but being dilatory, Abishai is sent out with David's servants, and was followed by Joab with the men under him, 2Sa 20:4-7; and of the murder of Amasa by Joab, 2Sa 20:8-13; and of Sheba being shut up in the city Abel, 2Sa 20:14,15; whose head, by the means of a wise woman, was delivered to Joab, and so an end was put to the rebellion, 2Sa 20:16-22; and, lastly, of the chief officers in David's camp and court, 2Sa 20:23-26.