2 Samuel 20:15

15 Therefore they came, and fought against him in Abel, and in Bethmaachah, and (en)compassed the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the company, that was with Joab, enforced to destroy the walls. (And then Joab and his men came, and fought against him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and surrounded the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the men who were with Joab endeavoured to destroy the walls.)

2 Samuel 20:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 20:15

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah
That is, Joab and Abishai, with the forces under them, who pursued him hither:

and they cast up a bank against the city;
which some understand of a warlike machine or engine, with which stones were cast; but it rather seems to be a bank of earth thrown up, for the better working of such engines to more advantage against the city, by throwing from thence darts into the city, or stones against the walls of it, to batter it down; such banks were used in sieges, as that Caesar's soldiers raised in twenty five days, which was three hundred thirty feet broad, and eighty feet high ^F26; Kimchi interprets this of filling up the ditches round about the city with dust and earth, and so making it level, whereby they could come the more easily to the walls and batter them, or scale them, and take the city by storm:

and it stood in the trench;
the army under Joab stood where the trench round the city had been, now filled up:

and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall to throw it
down;
with their engines, or whatever battering instruments they had; so, often, as Hesiod ^F1 says, a whole city suffers for one bad man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Caesar. Comment. l. 7. c. 24.
F1 Opera & Dies, l. 1. ver. 236.

2 Samuel 20:15 In-Context

13 Therefore when he was removed from the way, each man passed forth, following Joab to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.

14 Forsooth Sheba had passed by all the lineages of Israel till into Abel, and into Bethmaachah; and all the chosen men were gathered to him. (And Sheba passed through the territories of all the tribes of Israel unto Abel of Bethmaachah; and all the men of Bichri/and all the Berites were gathered to him, and followed him.)

15 Therefore they came, and fought against him in Abel, and in Bethmaachah, and (en)compassed the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the company, that was with Joab, enforced to destroy the walls. (And then Joab and his men came, and fought against him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and surrounded the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the men who were with Joab endeavoured to destroy the walls.)

16 And a wise woman of the city cried (out from) on high, Hear ye! hear ye! say ye to Joab, Nigh thou hither (Come thou here), and I shall speak with thee.

17 And when he had nighed to her, she said to him, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. To whom she spake thus, Hear thou the words of thine handmaid. Joab answered, I hear (And Joab answered, I am listening).