Sheba’s Rebellion
Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: 1Ki 12:162Ch 10:16Deu 13:131Sa 2:121Sa 22:7-81Sa 30:222Ch 10:62Sa 15:10
“We have no share in David,
no inheritance in Jesse’s son.
Every man to his tent,
O Israel!”
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. Act 11:23Jhn 6:66-682Ch 10:172Sa 19:152Sa 19:40-41Pro 17:14Psa 118:8-10Psa 62:9
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows. 2Sa 16:21-222Sa 15:16Gen 40:3
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 2Sa 17:252Sa 19:131Ch 2:17
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. 1Sa 13:82Sa 19:13
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, or he will find fortified cities and elude us. 1” 1Ki 1:332Sa 11:112Sa 21:171Ch 11:201Ch 18:121Sa 26:62Sa 10:142Sa 10:9-10
So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri. 2Sa 8:181Ki 1:382Sa 15:182Sa 20:231Ki 1:442Sa 23:22-232Sa 8:16 And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. 2Sa 3:302Sa 2:132Sa 20:4-5
Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath. 2 “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. Luk 22:47-48Mat 26:48-49Mic 7:2Pro 26:24-26Psa 55:21
Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. 2Sa 2:232Sa 3:27Jdg 3:211Ch 12:21Ki 2:31-341Ki 2:5-61Sa 26:82Sa 20:9
One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 2Sa 20:132Ki 9:322Sa 20:212Sa 20:42Sa 20:6-7 But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it. Pro 24:21-22Psa 9:162Sa 17:25Psa 55:23 As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. 1Sa 6:122Ki 18:172Sa 20:12-13Isa 36:2Isa 62:10Isa 7:3Jdg 21:19Jer 31:21
Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah 3and through the entire region of the Berites, 4 who gathered together and followed him. 2Ki 15:291Ki 15:202Ch 16:4Jos 18:25Num 21:16
And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. 2Ki 19:32Jer 32:241Ki 15:202Ki 15:29Ezk 4:2Isa 37:33Jer 33:4Jer 6:6
As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it, a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.” 2Sa 14:2Ecc 9:14-181Sa 25:31Sa 25:32-33
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” 1Sa 25:242Sa 14:12
“I am,” he replied.
“Listen to the words of your servant,” she said.
“I am listening,” he answered.
Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled. Deu 20:10-11 I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?” 1Sa 26:192Sa 21:31Ti 2:22Sa 17:161Co 15:542Co 5:4Deu 32:9Exo 19:5-6
“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 2Sa 20:102Sa 23:17Jer 17:9Job 21:16Job 22:18Luk 10:29Pro 28:13 That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” 1Sa 24:61Sa 26:92Ki 10:72Ki 5:222Sa 17:2-32Sa 20:12Sa 23:18Jdg 18:4-8
“Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem. 2Sa 20:1Ecc 7:192Sa 11:6-212Sa 18:162Sa 2:282Sa 20:162Sa 3:28-39Ecc 8:11
Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; 2Sa 8:16-181Ch 18:15-171Ki 4:3-6 Adoram 5 was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 1Ki 12:181Ki 4:31Ki 4:6 Sheva 6was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 1Ki 4:42Sa 8:171Ch 18:16 and Ira the Jairite 7was David’s priest. 2Sa 23:38Exo 2:141Ch 11:402Ch 35:152Sa 8:18Exo 2:16Exo 24:11Gen 41:43