What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 20:1? Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there • “Worthless” (lit. son of Belial) marks Sheba as morally corrupt (Deuteronomy 13:13; 1 Samuel 2:12). • A Benjamite—Saul’s tribe—still smarting from the loss of royal privilege (2 Samuel 19:43; 1 Samuel 9:1). • He “happened to be there,” yet God’s providence manages even chance meetings (Proverbs 16:9; 2 Samuel 17:14). and he blew the ram’s horn • The shofar summoned troops or signaled revolt (Judges 6:34; 2 Samuel 2:28; Jeremiah 4:5). • Public, audible defiance against the king, spreading unrest (Proverbs 6:19). and shouted: “We have no share in David, • Rejects the God-ordained Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 5:3; Psalm 2:1-2). • Echoes later northern rebellion under Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:16; 2 Samuel 19:41-43). no inheritance in Jesse’s son. • “Inheritance” speaks to covenantal land and blessing (Numbers 18:20). • Calling David merely “Jesse’s son” belittles his royal stature (1 Samuel 20:31; 2 Samuel 23:1). Every man to his tent, O Israel!” • A cry to abandon national unity (1 Kings 12:16; 2 Chronicles 10:16). • Civil war looms, yet God will foil the plot (2 Samuel 20:22; Proverbs 19:21). summary Sheba, a discontented Benjamite, seizes a moment of post-Absalom tension to spark rebellion. His shofar blast and divisive slogan reject God’s chosen king, echoing future schisms in Israel. The verse warns that one “worthless” voice can fracture a nation, yet the Sovereign Lord remains in control, preserving His covenant with David. |
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