2 Samuel 20:6

6 And David said to ¹Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; ²take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight."

2 Samuel 20:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 20:6

And David said to Abishai
For it seems he would have nothing to say to Joab, being displeased with him for slaying Absalom, and having removed him from his posts; and therefore speaks to the next officer in his army, Abishai; though Josephus ^F16 says, he addressed himself to Joab, contrary to the express words of the text:

now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom;
gain a greater party, and give more trouble to subdue him, unless suppressed in time:

take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him;
without waiting for Amasa, and the troops he was assembling; delays in such a case as an insurrection being dangerous, which ought to be nipped in the bud, and crushed as soon as possible; in order to which, he bids him take his servants that were about him, his bodyguards, and pursue Sheba:

lest he get him fenced cities;
where he may secure himself, and hold out a siege a long time, and give a great deal of trouble:

and escape us;
for the present; or "escape our eyes", as the "Keri", or marginal reading is; we shall lose sight of him, and not know which way he is gone, if he is not pursued quickly.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 6.

2 Samuel 20:6 In-Context

4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself."

5 So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

6 And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight."

7 So Joab's men went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire , and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 21:17
• 2. 2 Samuel 11:11; 1 Kings 1:33