New English Translation
2 Samuel 20:21
21That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute his head will be thrown over the wall to you!”
2 Samuel 20:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, 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.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall."
- New King James Version (NKJV)That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
Context of 2 Samuel 20:21
19I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city in Israel. Why should you swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?” 20Joab answered, “Get serious! I don’t want to swallow up or destroy anything! That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute his head will be thrown over the wall to you!” 22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. Joab blew the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem. 23Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites.
Read all of 2 Samuel 202 Samuel 20:21 word by word
לֹא־כֵ֣ן הַדָּבָ֗ר כִּ֡י אִישׁ֩ מֵהַ֨ר אֶפְרַ֜יִם שֶׁ֧בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִ֣י שְׁמ֗וֹ נָשָׂ֤א יָדוֹ֙ בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ בְּדָוִ֔ד תְּנֽוּ־אֹת֣וֹ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל הָעִ֑יר וַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב הִנֵּ֥ה רֹאשׁ֛וֹ מֻשְׁלָ֥ךְ אֵלֶ֖יךָ בְּעַ֥ד הַחוֹמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- not so: but a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of mountהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
- Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
- Shebaשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ · ShebaH7652
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Bichriבִּכְרִיbikrîy · BichriH1075
- by nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- hath lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: fightH5375
- his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- against the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- against Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him only, and I will departיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- from the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- And the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
- Behold, his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- shall be thrownשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- to thee overבַּ֫עַדbe‛ad · about/through/forH1157
- the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:21
- 2 Samuel 20:1Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said, “We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, O Israel!”
- Judges 2:9The people buried him in his allotted land in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
- Judges 7:24Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the Ephraimite hill country who announced, “Go down and head off the Midianites. Take control of the fords of the streams all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.” When all the Ephraimites had assembled, they took control of the fords all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan River.
- 2 Kings 5:22He answered, “Everything is fine. My master sent me with this message, ‘Look, two servants of the prophets just arrived from the Ephraimite hill country. Please give them a talent of silver and two suits of clothes.’”
- Jeremiah 4:15For messengers are coming, heralding disaster, from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim.
- Jeremiah 50:19But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture. They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan. They will eat until they are full on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead.
- 2 Samuel 23:18Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three. He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three.
- 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “May the Lord keep me far away from doing such a thing to my lord, who is the Lord’s chosen one, by extending my hand against him. After all, he is the Lord’s chosen one.”
- 1 Samuel 26:9But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one and remain guiltless?”
- 2 Samuel 17:2When I catch up with him he will be exhausted and worn out. I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king
- 2 Kings 10:7When they received the letter, they seized the king’s sons and executed all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to him in Jezreel.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21His head shall be thrown to thee - Thus it appears she had great sway in the counsels of the city; and that the punishment of a state rebel was then, what it is now in this kingdom, beheading.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 Justly is that place attacked, which dares to harbour a traitor; nor will the heart fare better which indulges rebellious lusts, that will not have Christ to reign over them. A discreet woman, by her prudent management, satisfied Joab, and yet saved the city. Wisdom is not confined to rank or sex; it consists not in deep knowledge; but in understanding how to act as matters arise, that troubles may be turned away and benefits secured. A great…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 20:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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