Commentary - 2 Samuel 20:1-2

Bird's-eye view

Just as the embers of Absalom’s rebellion are cooling, another fire is kindled. This chapter opens on the heels of a squabble between the men of Israel and the men of Judah over who had the greater claim to king David (2 Sam. 19:41-43). The northern tribes felt slighted, their pride was wounded, and the ground was therefore fertile for mischief. Into this tinderbox steps a man named Sheba, a man of Belial, which is to say, a worthless man with a cause. He blows a trumpet, not for assembly to the king, but for secession from him. His rebellion is an explicit rejection of the house of David, and it reveals the deep fissures that still ran through the nation. The northern tribes, with the exception of Judah, abandon David to follow this new rabble-rouser. This is a stark reminder that political unity, especially when centered on a man, is a fragile thing. The Lord’s anointed is once again on the run, not from his son this time, but from a spirit of populist discontent. The men of Judah, however, remain steadfast, clinging to their king. Their loyalty provides the backbone for what is to come, and sets the stage for the conflict that must be resolved if the kingdom is to have any peace.

This episode serves as a crucial hinge in the latter part of David's reign. It demonstrates that the sin with Bathsheba and Uriah continues to bear its bitter fruit, as the sword does not depart from his house. The Absalom affair was a direct consequence, and this rebellion by Sheba is an aftershock. It shows the lingering instability and the constant need for vigilance. The central issue is one of covenant loyalty. Who is the Lord's anointed? To whom is allegiance owed? Sheba's cry is the cry of every rebel against God's ordained authority: "We have no portion in David." This is the language of apostasy, a formal cutting of ties. The response of the tribes reveals their heart, and it is a sad commentary on their spiritual state that they are so easily swayed. Yet, in the midst of this chaos, God's purpose to establish the throne of David remains unshaken. This rebellion, like all others, will ultimately fail, but not before it tests the faithful and reveals the hearts of many.

Outline

Context In 2 Samuel

This chapter is strategically placed. David has just returned to Jerusalem after the defeat of Absalom. The nation is attempting to stitch itself back together. The previous chapter ended with a heated dispute between Israel and Judah, a jurisdictional tiff over the king. The men of Israel complained that Judah had "stolen" the king away, and Judah retorted that the king was their near kinsman. The argument grew hot, with the words of Judah being fiercer than the words of Israel. This is the immediate backdrop. Sheba's rebellion is not a bolt from the blue; it is a lightning strike from a storm cloud that was already dark and threatening.

Thematically, this event continues the outworking of God's judgment on David's house announced by Nathan in chapter 12. The sword, turmoil, and rebellion are the new normal for David's reign. This is not to say God has abandoned him, far from it. God is chastening His beloved son. He is purging and refining him, and through all this, He is securing the Davidic line through which the Messiah will come. This incident, therefore, must be read in the light of both God's judgment and His unshakeable covenant faithfulness. It is a messy, bloody chapter in a messy, bloody history, but it is all moving toward the enthronement of the Prince of Peace.

Key Issues

Verse by Verse Commentary

2 Samuel 20:1

Now a vile fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!”

Now a vile fellow happened to be there whose name was Sheba... The Hebrew calls him a "man of Belial," which is to say, a worthless man. This is not simply a pejorative insult; it is a theological diagnosis. A man of Belial is one who has thrown off the yoke of God's law and authority. He is a son of chaos, a man whose character is defined by rebellion. And notice the language: he "happened to be there." In a world governed by a sovereign God, there are no true accidents. This man was an opportunist, and God in His providence allowed the opportunity. The unresolved anger between Israel and Judah was the dry grass, and Sheba was the lit match that "happened" to fall on it.

the son of Bichri, a Benjamite... His tribal identity is significant. The tribe of Benjamin was the tribe of Saul, the first king. There was likely some lingering resentment in Benjamin over the transfer of the kingdom to David of Judah. Sheba is tapping into old tribal rivalries and grievances. He represents the faction that never fully accepted the legitimacy of David's rule. His rebellion is not just personal ambition; it is fueled by a long-simmering tribal jealousy.

and he blew the trumpet... The trumpet was the instrument for calling an assembly, for sounding an alarm, for summoning men to war. It was a tool of leadership. Sheba usurps this symbol of authority. He is not just whispering dissent in corners; he is making a public, formal declaration of insurrection. He is calling for a new alignment, a new gathering, in direct opposition to the king.

“We have no portion in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse...” This is the heart of the rebellion, its manifesto. This is the language of divorce, of covenant-breaking. To have a "portion" and an "inheritance" in someone was to be bound to them in loyalty, to share in their destiny and their blessings. Sheba is formally renouncing any such connection. He is saying that the covenant that binds the tribes to David is null and void. Notice the dismissive reference to David as "the son of Jesse." This is a deliberate slight, reducing the Lord's anointed to his humble origins, denying his royal status. It is the same kind of contempt that Goliath showed, and it is a direct challenge to God who chose and exalted the son of Jesse.

Every man to his tents, O Israel! This was a traditional cry for dispersal, a call to break ranks and abandon a common cause. It was the signal to dissolve the national army and for every man to go home. In this context, it means "abandon the king." It is a call for national disintegration. Sheba's solution to the perceived slight from Judah is not to seek reconciliation but to shatter the kingdom. This is the fruit of pride. Wounded pride does not build; it only knows how to tear down.

2 Samuel 20:2

So all the men of Israel went up from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

So all the men of Israel went up from following David and followed Sheba... The poison worked, and it worked quickly. "All the men of Israel" is likely a hyperbole, meaning the vast majority of the fighting men from the ten northern tribes who were present. Their loyalty to David was shown to be paper-thin. Just moments before, they were arguing that they had "ten parts" in the king, a greater share than Judah. But their professed loyalty was based on pride and political calculation, not on a covenantal commitment to God's anointed. When their pride was pricked, their "loyalty" evaporated. They were willing to trade the shepherd-king chosen by God for a worthless man with a trumpet. This is a picture of the fickle human heart, easily swayed by demagogues and driven by selfish ambition rather than by principle.

but the men of Judah clung to their king... Here is the contrast. The word "clung" is a strong one. It is the same word used in Genesis to describe a husband clinging to his wife. It speaks of a deep, unbreakable, covenantal bond. Why did Judah remain loyal? Partly, of course, because David was one of their own. Tribal affinity was a powerful force. But we should also see in this a remnant of faithfulness. Judah, for all its faults, understood that their destiny was tied to the house of David. They were clinging not just to a man, but to the promise of God that was attached to that man and his throne.

from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. This geographical note shows the extent of Judah's loyalty. As David made his way from his temporary exile back to his capital, the men of Judah formed a loyal escort, a human shield around him. Their loyalty was not just a verbal profession; it was demonstrated in their actions. They put themselves on the line for their king. This is the essence of true allegiance. It is not a matter of feeling or convenience; it is a steadfast commitment that holds firm when the winds of rebellion begin to blow.

Application

The spirit of Sheba is alive and well. It is the spirit of rebellion that chafes under any authority that is not its own. It is the spirit that says, "We have no portion in Christ," when His demands become inconvenient. We see it in the church when people forsake their covenant vows over petty grievances, tribal squabbles, or wounded pride. A man gets his feelings hurt, and suddenly he decides he has "no inheritance" in the fellowship and goes off to find his own tent, or to blow his own trumpet and start his own movement. This story is a warning against such fickle-heartedness.

Our loyalty is to be to King Jesus. And like the men of Judah, we are called to "cling" to Him. This is not a passive thing. It is an active, resolute, and sometimes costly commitment. It means we stick with Him when others are peeling off to follow the latest theological fad or the most charismatic Sheba. It means our identity is found in Him, not in our tribe, our political party, or our personal preferences. When the culture blows the trumpet of rebellion, shouting "Every man to his tents!", the faithful are those who close ranks around their King and follow Him all the way to Jerusalem.

Finally, we see that God uses even the rebellions of worthless men to accomplish His purposes. Sheba's insurrection provided the occasion for Joab to deal with his rival Amasa, and for the kingdom to be further consolidated under David. God is never caught off guard. He weaves the dark threads of human sin into the grand tapestry of His redemptive plan. Our job is not to understand every twist and turn of His providence, but to remain loyal, to cling to the true Son of David, knowing that His kingdom cannot be shaken.