2 Samuel 20:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.

NIV: All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,

NASB: And they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they built up an assault ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall.

CSB: Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse,

NLT: When Joab’s forces arrived, they attacked Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town’s fortifications and began battering down the wall.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

Second Samuel 20:14–22 explains another rebellion against David, which ends much more quickly than Absalom's coup (2 Samuel 18). Joab has killed Absalom and stopped his rebellion against David (2 Samuel 18:14). While David is trying to reconcile the broken nation, a Benjaminite, Sheba, starts a new, ill-fated rebellion (2 Samuel 20:1–2). Joab and the army chase him to a fortified city and threaten to break down its walls. A wise woman offers Sheba's head, instead, successfully bargaining to preserve the historic city. This is the last account of a rebellion in David's time, but the nation does split shortly after his grandson Rehoboam becomes king (2 Chronicles 10).

David's men strike down one last rebellion. Absalom is dead (2 Samuel 18), and David is trying to reunite the nation (2 Samuel 19). After bickering with Judah over who loves David more (2 Samuel 19:41–43), the ten northern tribes give up and follow a new rebel leader, Sheba. David sends his new general, Amasa, after Sheba. But along the way, Joab murders Amasa and resumes command of the army. Sheba hides in a city. The army of Judah tries to tear down the walls. A wise woman offers Sheba's head, instead. The tribes will not rebel against David again, but they will break from his grandson Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10).

In 2 Samuel 20, David tries to hold everything together. During David's flight from his son's invasion of Jerusalem, a Benjaminite cursed him, claiming he stole Saul's throne (2 Samuel 15:1–14; 16:5–8). The rebellion is over, but the ten northern tribes quickly follow another Benjaminite. Sheba claims that David only cares about Judah and rallies people to follow him, instead. Joab takes care of Sheba, and the rebellion ends. Sadly, David's involuntary offenses against Benjamin aren't finished. He must give seven of Saul's sons and grandsons to the Gibeonites as recompense for something Saul did (2 Samuel 21:1–14). We're never told what, but the struggles between David and Benjamin seem to end.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.