旧约 - 撒母耳记下(2 Samuel)第20章

Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, "We have no share in David, no part in Jesse's son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!"
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself."
But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us."
So Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab's hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!"
Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.
After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. 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,
a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him."
He went toward her, and she asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what your servant has to say." "I'm listening," he said.
She continued, "Long ago they used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it.
We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the LORD'S inheritance?"
"Far be it from me!" Joab replied, "Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from the wall."
Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;
Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.
撒母耳记下第二十章   第 20 章 

  示巴的背叛 

  撒下 20:1> 人与人之间的疑忌,往往损害的不单是自己,还殃及四周的人…… 

  20:1 以色列虽然是统一的国家,却由十二个支派各自为政。这些支派对国家整体的目标,常难达成一致。支派之间的嫉妒,从起初就使他们无法完全征服应许之地(参看约书亚记),现在因为示巴有背叛的行为,支派之间的疑忌又威胁到大卫王朝的安定。 

  撒下 20:7-10> 为什么屡次犯罪的人仍可逃过审判?难道公义的神不再理会吗? 

  20:7-10 约押的杀人罪又被轻易带过,正如他上次杀死押尼珥一样( 3:26-27 ),但是他到最后终于受到公义制裁(参王上 2:28-35 )。表面上奸诈似乎未受刑罚,但是神的公义并不限于今生的报应。即使约押能够白头下阴间,他仍要面对神审判的日子。 

  撒下 20:16-22> 智慧的言语,可成为拯救众人的利器,我有善用口才,传递神的祝福与拯救吗? 

  20:16-22 约押的军队正在围攻示巴所住之城,看起来这城似乎要被摧毁。按当时的习俗来说,妇女在公开场合要保持缄默,但是这个妇人却敢与元帅约押对话。她不是用武器,而是以智慧的言语、果断的行动,阻止约押的攻击。勇敢地讲出几句打动人的话,常常能止住大灾难。 

  撒下 20:23> 比拿雅有何功绩? 

  20:23 比拿雅是大卫的卫队队长,列入“三十个勇士”之中( 23:24 ),是享有殊荣的一位。在押沙龙背叛的时候,他一直忠于大卫,后来协助立所罗门为王(参王上 1:32-40 ; 2:28-34 ),终于代替约押,作了以色列军队的元帅 ( 参王上 2:35) 。──《灵修版圣经注释》