- 1. And 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.
- 2. So 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.
- 3. And 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.
- 4. Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
- 5. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
- 6. And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord
- 7. And there went out after him Joab
- 8. When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab
- 9. And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
- 10. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab
- 11. And one of Joab
- 12. And 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.
- 13. When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
- 14. And 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.
- 15. 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.
- 16. Then 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.
- 17. And 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.
- 18. Then 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.
- 19. I 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?
- 20. And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
- 21. The 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.
- 22. Then 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.
- 23. Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
- 24. And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
- 25. And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
- 26. And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
3.См. (2Цар 16:20-22) Давид постыдным и "законопреступным почитал иметь общение с ними после гнусного общения их с сыном; не сочетал же их ни с кем другим, дабы это не послужило предлогом к похищению верховной власти" (блаж. Феодорит, толк. на 2 Цар, вопр. 38), так как по восточным взглядам того времени обладание женой или наложницей царя означало уже некоторое фактическое вступление в права самого царя.4-7.- "Давид дал поручение Амессаю созвать ополчение в три дня для подавления мятежа, и этим фактически поставил Амессая главнокомандующим вместо Иоава (2Цар 19:13). Но Амессай оказался ниже положения, в которое был поставлен.
По отсутствию ли распорядительности и энергии, или по холодному приему, сделанному ему народом, как человеку менее авторитетному, чем Иоав, но он не мог выполнить поручения в назначенное время. Между тем медлить было невозможно. И Давид поневоле должен был обратиться к брату Иоава Авессе, чтобы послать его с наличными военными силами за Савеем". К преследующим Савея самовольно примкнул и Иоав. Впрочем Иоав не столько думал об уничтожении мятежа Савея, сколько об устранении из списка живых своего нового соперника при Давиде - Амессая (Я. Богородский, "Еврейские цари", с. 244).14.Авел-Беф-Мааха - город в северных пределах Палестины, вблизи горы Большой Ермон.19.Мать городов в Израиле. См. ст. 18.23.И был Иоав поставлен над всем войском Израильским. "Давид не повторил более попытки лишить его поста главнокомандующего, потому что он был и незаменим, и защищал этот пост с таким демоническим упорством, что лучше было уступить во избежание нового пролития крови" (Я. Богородский, "Еврейские цари", с. 246).
О хелефеях и фелефеях см. прим. к (2Цар 8:18)24.Иосафат - дееписателем. См. (2Цар 8:16)25.См. (2Цар 8:17)26.Выражение Иаритянин некоторые понимают в смысле "из селений Иаира", сына Манассии, лежавших в восточном Заиорданье (см. "Опыт Библейского Словаря собственных имен" протопопа Солярского). - Был священником у Давида, т. е. лицом, через посредство которого престарелый царь совершал многие из своих, религиозных обязанностей при скинии и вне скинии (Блаж. Феодорит, Calmet и др.).
