2 Samuel 20
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3And 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 ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
7And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
12And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
17And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
19I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
24And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
25And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
26And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- יוֹאָבYôwʼâbH309718× in this chapter
Joab, the name of three Israelites
- אֵלʼêlH41315× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- אָמַרʼâmarH55915× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- בֵּןbênH112111× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- אִישׁʼîyshH37611× in this chapter
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
- עַלʻalH592111× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- אַחַרʼacharH31010× in this chapter
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
- כֹּלkôlH360510× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8349× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- בִּכְרִיBikrîyH10758× in this chapter
Bikri, an Israelite
- עֲמָשָׂאʻĂmâsâʼH60218× in this chapter
Amasa, the name of two Israelites
- שֶׁבַעshebaʻH76528× in this chapter
Sheba, the name of a place in Palestine, and of two Israelites
- דָּוִדDâvidH17327× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- אֵתʼêthH8537× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9357× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34786× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- מִןminH44806× in this chapter
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
- עִירʻîyrH58926× in this chapter
a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
- אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָהʼÂbêl Bêyth-MăʻakâhH626× in this chapter
Abel of Beth-maakah, a place in Palestine
- לֹאlôʼH38085× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- מֶלֶךְmelekH44285× in this chapter
a king
- עָמַדʻâmadH59755× in this chapter
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
- אִשָּׁהʼishshâhH8025× in this chapter
a woman
- אַתָּהʼattâhH8595× in this chapter
thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you
- יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםYᵉrûwshâlaimH33894× in this chapter
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
- רָדַףrâdaphH72914× in this chapter
to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80854× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
- בַּיִתbayithH10043× in this chapter
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
- דָבַרdâbarH16963× in this chapter
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâhH30633× in this chapter
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
- יָצָאyâtsâʼH33183× in this chapter
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
- מוּתmûwthH41913× in this chapter
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
- מְסִלָּהmᵉçillâhH45463× in this chapter
a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase
- עַדʻadH57043× in this chapter
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
- עַםʻamH59713× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- שָׁלַךְshâlakH79933× in this chapter
to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively)
- בָּלַעbâlaʻH11042× in this chapter
to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroy
- אֹהֶלʼôhelH1682× in this chapter
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
- דָּבָרdâbârH16972× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause