2 Samuel 20:1
in 2 Samuel 20Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 20
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The son of Bichri ... - Rather, “a Bichrite,” formed like the names “Ahohite,” “Hachmonite,” etc. 2Sa 23:8-9, and so called from Becher, the son of Benjamin Gen 46:21; 1Ch 7:6-8 Saul was also of this family. It is evident that the transfer of the royalty from their tribe to that of Judah still rankled in the hearts of many Benjamites (2Sa 16:8 note).
This site's exposition
a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba
on 2 Samuel 20:1-2
Sheba is named a man of Belial, worthless, at the first line, and his trumpet call turns the tribal grievance from Absalom's failed revolt into open secession. His cry, we have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse, is not a fresh complaint; it answers the men of Judah's claim that the king is near of kin to them, twisted into an insult. The same clause returns almost word for word when the kingdom actually splits at 1 Kings 12:16, so Sheba's one-man rebellion previews the division Rehoboam will make permanent. Judah alone stays with David from Jordan to Jerusalem, while all Israel follows a man named for worthlessness.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Commentary on Chapter XX 1. Happened - His presence was casual in itself, though ordered by God's providence. No part - The tribe of Judah have monopolized the king to themselves, and will not allow us any share in him; let them therefore enjoy him alone, and let us seek out a new king.
), who probably was a man of note, and had been active in Absalom's rebellion; the disgusted Israelites took the hint, and went up from after David to follow Sheba (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And there happened to be a man of Belial,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
This was the usual watchword of national insurrection, and from the actual temper of the people, it was followed by effects beyond what he probably anticipated.
Sheba, the son of Bichri - As this man was a Benjamite, he probably belonged to the family of Saul; and he seems to have had considerable influence in Israel to raise such an insurrection: but we know nothing farther of him than what is related in this place. We have no part in David - We of Israel, we of the ten tribes, are under no obligation to the house of David. Leave him, and let every man fall into the ranks under his own leader.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
There, he invited. Invited Language like that of "He invited his guests." 1 Tsaphania:7. "Avsholom invited all the king's children." 2 Shmuel II,:23. Language denoting "inviting".
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁ֨ם | vesham | and there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| נִקְרָ֜א | nikra' | he was met | H7122 → | 139 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּלִיַּ֗עַל | beliyaal | worthlessness | H1100 → | 27 times |
| וּשְׁמ֛וֹ | ushemo | and name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שֶׁ֥בַע | sheva' | [was] Sheba | H7652 → | 10 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בִּכְרִ֖י | bikhri | Bicri | H1075 → | 8 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יְמִינִ֑י | yemini | a Jaminite | H3228 → | |
| וַיִּתְקַ֣ע | vaiyitka' | and he gave a blast | H8628 → | 69 times |
| בַּשֹּׁפָ֗ר | bashofar | on the trumpet | H7782 → | 72 times |
| וַ֠יֹּאמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לָ֨נוּ | lanu | [belongs] to <the> us | ||
| חֵ֜לֶק | chelek | a portion | H2506 → | |
| בְּדָוִ֗ד | bedavid | in David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נַֽחֲלָה־ | nachalah- | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לָ֙נוּ֙ | lanu | [belongs] to <the> us | ||
| בְּבֶן־ | beven- | in [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשַׁ֔י | yishai | Jesse | H3448 → | |
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | everyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לְאֹהָלָ֖יו | leohalav | to tents his | H168 → | 345 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | O Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וְשָׁ֨םand there
veshamH8033 →834 times
נִקְרָ֜אhe was met
nikra'H7122 →139 times
אִ֣ישׁa man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בְּלִיַּ֗עַלworthlessness
beliyaalH1100 →27 times
וּשְׁמ֛וֹand name his
ushemoH8034 →864 times
שֶׁ֥בַע[was] Sheba
sheva'H7652 →10 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בִּכְרִ֖יBicri
bikhriH1075 →8 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יְמִינִ֑יa Jaminite
yeminiH3228 →
וַיִּתְקַ֣עand he gave a blast
vaiyitka'H8628 →69 times
בַּשֹּׁפָ֗רon the trumpet
bashofarH7782 →72 times
וַ֠יֹּאמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
לָ֨נוּ[belongs] to <the> us
lanu
חֵ֜לֶקa portion
chelekH2506 →
בְּדָוִ֗דin David
bedavidH1732 →999 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
נַֽחֲלָה־an inheritance
nachalah-H5159 →222 times
לָ֙נוּ֙[belongs] to <the> us
lanu
בְּבֶן־in [the] son of
beven-H1121 →4930 times
יִשַׁ֔יJesse
yishaiH3448 →
אִ֥ישׁeveryone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לְאֹהָלָ֖יוto tents his
leohalavH168 →345 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃O Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who…
it leads to
- Genesis 19:4–5
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Judges 20:5
And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.
- Romans 1:26–27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
- Genesis 19:4–5
Through
Deuteronomy 13:13that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),
it leads to
- 1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…
- 2 Corinthians 6:15
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
- Deuteronomy 13:2
and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,”
- 1 John 2:19
Through
2 Chronicles 10:16When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 10:19
So to this day Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David.
- 2 Chronicles 10:19
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.