וְשָׁם נִקְרָא אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל וּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי אִישׁ יְמִינִי וַיִּתְקַע בַּשֹּׁפָר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין לָנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד וְלֹא נַחֲלָה לָנוּ בְּבֶן יִשַׁי אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל

There happened to be there an unscrupulous man, whose name was Sheva son of Bikhri, a Benjamite; he sounded the shofar and said: We have no portion in David, nor an inheritance in the son of Yishai. Each man to his tents, Israel. We have no ties binding us to David; let us return to our homes. If the children of Judah are so interested in David, and he wants them, we want no share in such a king. It is likely that the people of Benjamin, Saul’s tribe, did not fully support David, and the statement of Sheva the son of Bikhri expressed the feelings of many other members of his tribe.

וַיַּעַל כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַחֲרֵי דָוִד אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה דָּבְקוּ בְמַלְכָּם מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן וְעַד יְרוּשָׁלִָם

All the men of Israel listened to Sheva, and indeed abandoned following David, following Sheva son of Bikhri. This was not a full-fledged rebellion; rather, Sheva misled the people by saying that David was the king of Judah alone, as was in fact the case when he first ascended to the throne. Similar uprisings occurred in later generations. The men of Judah held fast to their king, and accompanied him from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל בֵּיתוֹ ירוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּקַּח הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת עֶשֶׂר נָשִׁים פִּלַגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הִנִּיחַ לִשְׁמֹר הַבַּיִת וַיִּתְּנֵם בֵּית מִשְׁמֶרֶת וַיְכַלְכְּלֵם ואֲלֵיהֶם לֹא בָא וַתִּהְיֶינָה צְרֻרוֹת עַד יוֹם מֻתָן אַלְמְנוּת חַיּוּת

David came to his house in Jerusalem. In his first act upon his return, the king took the ten concubine wives whom he had left to keep the house, those whom Avshalom had raped, and placed them in a guarded house where he cared for them, and he supported them, but he did not consort with them. He never again engaged in sexual relations with them, as the king was forbidden to return to those women after Avshalom had slept with them. They were bound, left alone, unable to be with David or to marry other men, until the day of their death, in a status of living widowhood, widows whose husbands are alive.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל עֲמָשָׂא הַזְעֶק לִי אֶת אִישׁ יְהוּדָה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים ואַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד

David faced a new problem: His abandonment by the people of Israel. Even if no war had been declared, the king had to deal with this fresh revolt. The king said to Amasa, his newly-appointed captain of the army: Mobilize the men of Judah within three days, and present yourself here. You must come back here after you have drafted an army from the men of Judah in order to impose my authority over the rest of Israel.

וַיֵּלֶךְ עֲמָשָׂא לְהַזְעִיק אֶת יְהוּדָה וַיּוֹחֶר מִן הַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר יְעָדוֹ

Amasa went to mobilize Judah, but he was late for the appointed time that he, David, had set for him. He was unable to fulfill the task within the designated time. It is unclear whether this was due to a lack of willingness on the part of the members of the tribe, Amasa’s ineffectiveness, or even an understated act of betrayal on his part. Whatever the reason, considering the tense situation of the time, this was a real failure.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל אֲבִישַׁי עַתָּה יֵרַע לָנוּ שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי מִן אַבְשָׁלוֹם אַתָּה קַח אֶת עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנֶיךָ וּרְדֹף אַחֲרָיו פֶּן מָצָא לוֹ עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת וְהִצִּיל עֵינֵנוּ

David said to Avishai: Now Sheva son of Bikhri will harm us more than Avshalom. Avshalom had received his authority from the king, and his seizing the throne was in essence an internal matter within the royal household. By contrast, Sheva the son of Bikhri is a stranger who claims to represent the entire people, and therefore his insurgence might become a sweeping national revolt. Consequently, we must act: Take your lord’s servants, my servants, and pursue him, Sheva, lest he find himself fortified cities and escape our eyes. If he has not yet taken up a firm position, it will be relatively easy to catch him, but if he has managed to entrench himself inside a city, the operation will be far more complicated.

וַיֵּצְאוּ אַחֲרָיו אַנְשֵׁי יוֹאָב והַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי וְכָל הַגִּבֹּרִים וַיֵּצְאוּ מִירוּשָׁלִַם לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי

Yoav’s men, the military officers and soldiers who were loyal to Yoav, went out after him, and the troops of the Keretites and the Peletites, King David’s foreign legion, and all the renowned mighty men loyal to David, who are listed by name at the end of the book (23:8–39); they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheva son of Bikhri. David had not spoken directly to Yoav, but only to Avishai, who had not been removed from his post. Yoav, by contrast, had been deposed from his position as captain of the army, at least in theory. Nevertheless, he too joined the chase, and even took charge of the mission.

הֵם עִם הָאֶבֶן הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן וַעֲמָשָׂא בָּא לִפְנֵיהֶם וְיוֹאָב חָגוּר מִדּוֹ לְבֻשׁוֹ וְעָלָיו חֲגוֹר חֶרֶב מְצֻמֶּדֶת עַל מָתְנָיו בְּתַעְרָהּ וְהוּא יָצָא וַתִּפֹּל

They were at the great stone that is in Givon, and Amasa came before them. Amasa had finally returned, presumably with his men. Yoav was girded with his battle garments, and upon him there was a belt with a sword attached close on his waist, placed in a scabbard, and he came forward, and it, the sword, fell from the scabbard. It seems that he positioned the sword in such a fashion that it fell out easily, so that it was now no longer in its place but loose in his hand.

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לַעֲמָשָׂא הֲשָׁלוֹם אַתָּה אָחִי וַתֹּחֶז יַד יְמִין יוֹאָב בִּזְקַן עֲמָשָׂא לִנְשָׁק לוֹ

Yoav said to Amasa: Is all well with you, my brother? As well as being relatives, officially they were now allies. Yoav’s right hand grabbed Amasa by the beard as though to kiss him.

וַעֲמָשָׂא לֹא נִשְׁמַר בַּחֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד יוֹאָב וַיַּכֵּהוּ בָהּ אֶל הַחֹמֶשׁ וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ מֵעָיו אַרְצָה וְלֹא שָׁנָה לוֹ וַיָּמֹת וְיוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי אָחִיו רָדַף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי

Amasa was not vigilant of the sword that had fallen and was still in Yoav’s hand, and he, Yoav, smote him with it in the lower stomach, and he spilled his innards to the ground. The sword pierced Amasa so deeply that his innards spilled out. He did not do it to him again; there was no need for Yoav to strike him twice. And he, Amasa, died from that single thrust. Yoav and Avishai his brother pursued Sheva son of Bikhri. They immediately returned to fulfill their mission.

וְאִישׁ עָמַד עָלָיו מִנַּעֲרֵי יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בְּיוֹאָב וּמִי אֲשֶׁר לְדָוִד אַחֲרֵי יוֹאָב

A man from Yoav’s lads stood over him, Amasa’s corpse, and said to those congregating around the body: Anyone who wants Yoav, and who is for David, after Yoav. Do not tarry here, but continue on your mission.

וַעֲמָשָׂא מִתְגֹּלֵל בַּדָּם בְּתוֹךְ הַמְסִלָּה וַיַּרְא הָאִישׁ כִּי עָמַד כָּל הָעָם וַיַּסֵּב אֶת עֲמָשָׂא מִן הַמְסִלָּה הַשָּׂדֶה וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ עָלָיו בֶּגֶד כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה כָּל הַבָּא עָלָיו וְעָמָד

Amasa, his corpse, wallowed in his blood in the middle of the highway, in the spot where he had met Yoav. The man saw that, despite his efforts, all the people stopped there, and so he moved Amasa from the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him in order to conceal him from prying eyes, when he, that young man of Yoav, saw that everyone who came to him had stopped still.

כַאֲשֶׁר הֹגָה מִן הַמְסִלָּה עָבַר כָּל אִישׁ אַחֲרֵי יוֹאָב לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי

When he, Amasa, was removed from the highway, all the people passed after Yoav to pursue Sheva son of Bikhri.

וַיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבֵלָה וּבֵית מַעֲכָה וְכָל הַבֵּרִים וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אַף אַחֲרָיו

He, Yoav, passed through all the tribes of Israel, to gather people to join the fight against Sheva, until he came to the city of Avel, and Beit Maakha, and all the Berites, the places near Beerot, in the portion of Benjamin; and they, all the residents of these places gathered, and they too came after him. Some commentaries explain that the subject of this verse is Sheva son of Bikhri and not Yoav.

וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיָּצֻרוּ עָלָיו בְּאָבֵלָה בֵּית הַמַּעֲכָה וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ סֹלְלָה אֶל הָעִיר וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּחֵל וְכָל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אֶת יוֹאָב מַשְׁחִיתִם לְהַפִּיל הַחוֹמָה

They came and they besieged him, the entrenched Sheva, at Avel of Beit Maakha. Since there were several places in Israel and the surrounding lands called Avel, other names were added to them in order to distinguish them from one another. And they erected a ramp of dirt against the city, upon which they could climb to approach and go over the wall, and it, the mound, stood against the rampart, or the surrounding fortifications, and all the people who were with Yoav were doing damage in an attempt to topple the wall from all sides. Avel of Beit Maakha was an average-sized walled city, not a large fortress, and its wall could be knocked down.

וַתִּקְרָא אִשָּׁה חֲכָמָה מִן הָעִיר שִׁמְעוּ שִׁמְעוּ אִמְרוּ נָא אֶל יוֹאָב קְרַב עַד הֵנָּה וַאֲדַבְּרָה אֵלֶיךָ

A wise woman, presumably a resident of Avel who was not among Sheva’s supporters, called from the city: Hear, hear; Please say to Yoav: Approach here and I will speak to you.

וַיִּקְרַב אֵלֶיהָ וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַאַתָּה יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר אָנִי וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי אֲמָתֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר שֹׁמֵעַ אָנֹכִי

He approached her, and the woman said: Are you Yoav? He said: I am. She said to him: Hear the words of your maidservant. He said: I hear. This was a standard polite exchange to begin a conversation.

וַתֹּאמֶר לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר יְדַבְּרוּ בָרִאשֹׁנָה לֵאמֹר שָׁאֹל יְשָׁאֲלוּ בְּאָבֵל וְכֵן הֵתַמוּ

She stated, saying: Once they would talk, saying; in the past they would say: They will inquire in Avel. When a problem arose, people would bring it to our city. And they would thereby conclude the matter by following the advice of the residents of the city, or in accordance with our local custom. Even if Avel is not a large city, it is an important, respected town, whose inhabitants are known for their integrity and wisdom.

אָנֹכִי שְׁלֻמֵי אֱמוּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לְהָמִית עִיר וְאֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה תְבַלַּע נַחֲלַת ה'

We townsfolk, whom I represent, are the peaceful and loyal of Israel; why do you seek to destroy a significant city in Israel? When an army besieges and conquers a city, it cannot but cause widespread destruction, and there are inevitably many casualties. Why will you ruin the inheritance of the Lord?

וַיַּעַן יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמַר חָלִילָה חָלִילָה לִי אִם אֲבַלַּע וְאִם אַשְׁחִית

Yoav answered and he said: Far be it, far be it from me that I would ruin or destroy. I have no desire to destroy the city, as I know its inhabitants are not rebels.

לֹא כֵן הַדָּבָר כִּי אִישׁ מֵהַר אֶפְרַיִם שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי שְׁמוֹ נָשָׂא יָדוֹ בַּמֶּלֶךְ בְּדָוִד תְּנוּ אֹתוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְאֵלְכָה מֵעַל הָעִיר וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל יוֹאָב הִנֵּה רֹאשׁוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַד הַחוֹמָה

The matter is not so. I have no intention of harming the city; rather, there is merely a man of the highlands of Ephraim, Sheva son of Bikhri is his name, who raised his hand against the king, against David. Although Sheva was from the tribe of Benjamin, he apparently lived in the hill country of Ephraim. Yoav explained: When he came among the tribes of Israel to welcome the king, he rebelled. Give him alone, and I will go from upon the city. I do not wish to capture or damage the city in any way. The woman’s wisdom was displayed in her addressing Yoav to understand what he wanted. Yoav might have harmed the residents of the city for sheltering Sheva, and perhaps for supporting him. Now, after the woman’s appeal, Yoav declared that his only interest was the rebel himself. Consequently, the woman said to Yoav: If Sheva is all you are seeking, then behold, his head is thrown to you over the wall.

וַתָּבוֹא הָאִשָּׁה אֶל כָּל הָעָם בְּחָכְמָתָהּ וַיִּכְרְתוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֶל יוֹאָב וַיִּתְקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיָּפֻצוּ מֵעַל הָעִיר אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וְיוֹאָב שָׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ

The woman came to all the people, in her wisdom. She successfully persuaded them that there was no reason to fight and endanger the city merely for the sake of a stranger who had taken refuge there. And they severed the head of Sheva son of Bikhri and threw it to Yoav. Once Yoav was sure that the rebel had been killed, he sounded the shofar to signal the end of the operation, a mode of communication that he used on several occasions, and they dispersed from upon the city, each man to his tent. Yoav returned to Jerusalem, to the king.

וְיוֹאָב אֶל כָּל הַצָּבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל; וּבְנָיָה בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע עַל הַכְּרֵתִי וְעַל הַפְּלֵתִי

The text describes the key figures in David’s regime, which was reestablished after the conclusion of all the intrigues and rebellions: Yoav was commander over the entire army of Israel, and Benaya son of Yehoyada, one of David’s mighty warriors, was the direct commander over the Keretites and over the Peletites. It is made clear below that Benaya maintained a personal loyalty to David that was unconnected to Yoav.

וַאֲדֹרָם עַל הַמַּס; וִיהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן אֲחִילוּד הַמַּזְכִּיר

Adoram was appointed over the levy; Yehoshafat son of Ahilud was the chancellor, who would bring before the king all matters that required decision-making in the various areas of his government;

וּשְׁוָא סֹפֵר וְצָדוֹק וְאֶבְיָתָר כֹּהֲנִים

Sheva was a scribe, a kind of foreign minister, as he would write letters in foreign languages and maintain diplomatic contacts with other states; Tzadok and Evyatar were priests. Evyatar was one of Eli’s grandsons, from the house of Itamar, while Tzadok was from the house of Elazar. Since there was no Temple at the time, it was not necessary to decide which of them was in charge as High Priest, and therefore they functioned as equals;

וְגַם עִירָא הַיָּאִרִי הָיָה כֹהֵן לְדָוִד

in addition to the priests who served God, Ira the Yairite, too, was a priest for David, a kind of private priest. He was perhaps named for his place of origin, Havot Ya’ir, east of the Jordan. Others maintain, based on the list of names that appears below (23:26, 38), that he was from Tekoa or Yatir.