What does Joab require before he will leave the besieged city?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He tells the wise woman to deliver Seba alone, because Seba has raised his hand against David. She says his head will be thrown from the wall; the people cut it off and cast it to Joab, who sounds the trumpet and leaves.

Chapter breakdown

A man of Belial named Seba, son of Bochri, a man of Jemini, is there. He sounds the trumpet and declares that Israel has no part in David or inheritance in the son of Isai, calling Israel back to its dwellings. All Israel leaves David and follows Seba, while Juda’s men stay with their king from the Jordan to Jerusalem. At his house in Jerusalem, David takes the ten concubines he left to keep the house and puts them in confinement, providing for them. He does not go in to them; they remain shut up until death, living in widowhood.

David tells Amasa to assemble all Juda’s men by the third day and be present himself. Amasa goes to gather them but delays beyond the appointed time. David then tells Abisai that Seba will do them more harm than Absalom did. He orders him to take his lord’s servants and pursue Seba before he finds fortified cities and escapes. Joab’s men go out with him, along with the Cerethi, the Phelethi and all the valiant men, leaving Jerusalem to pursue Seba.

At the great stone in Gabaon, Amasa meets them. Joab wears a close coat of the same length as his clothing, with a sword girded over it at his flank. The scabbard is made so that the sword can come out with the least movement and strike. Joab greets Amasa as his brother and takes his chin in his right hand to kiss him. Amasa does not notice Joab’s sword. Joab strikes him in the side, spilling his bowels onto the ground. He gives no second wound, and Amasa dies. Joab and his brother Abisai continue pursuing Seba.

Some of Joab’s company stop at Amasa’s body and point him out as the man who would have been in Joab’s place, David’s companion. Amasa lies bloodied in the middle of the way. Seeing that everyone stops to look, a man moves him off the highway into the field and covers him with a garment so those passing will not stop because of him. Once he is removed, everyone follows Joab in pursuit of Seba. The account then describes the passage through all Israel’s tribes to Abela and Bethmaacha, where all the chosen men gather to him.

Challoner’s separate note identifies Abela and Bethmaacha as cities of the tribe of Nephtali.

They besiege Seba in Abela and Bethmaacha, build works around the city, and Joab’s people labour to throw down the walls. A wise woman calls from the city, asking that Joab come near so she can speak. She asks whether he is Joab; he says he is. She asks him to hear his handmaid’s words, and he agrees. She recalls the old proverb that those who inquire should inquire in Abela, and so they made an end. She asks whether she is not one who answers truth in Israel, and why he seeks to destroy the city, overthrow a mother in Israel and throw down the Lord’s inheritance.

Joab twice says God forbid and denies that he throws down or destroys. He says the matter is Seba, son of Bochri, a man of mount Ephraim, who has raised his hand against David. If they deliver him alone, Joab and his people will leave the city. The woman says his head will be thrown to Joab from the wall. She goes to all the people and speaks wisely. They cut off Seba’s head and cast it out to Joab. He sounds the trumpet; the people depart to their homes, and Joab returns to the king in Jerusalem.

Joab is over all Israel’s army. Banaias, son of Joiada, is over the Cerethites and Phelethites. Aduram is over the tributes, and Josaphat, son of Ahilud, is recorder. Siva is scribe; Sadoc and Abiathar are priests. Ira the Jairite is David’s priest.

The story inside

Seba’s trumpet call is followed by Israel’s departure from David. David orders a rapid muster, but Amasa misses the appointed time, so Abisai is told to pursue before Seba can escape into fortified cities. At Gabaon, Joab greets Amasa and then kills him with one wound. The body interrupts the march until it is moved from the road. The pursuit leads to a siege, where a wise woman questions Joab’s attack and hears his specific condition for withdrawal. She speaks to the people, Seba’s head is delivered, and Joab leaves. The chapter closes by naming the officers and their work, without explaining Joab’s private motive or claiming permanent stability.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The delayed muster explains the next order. David gives Amasa a third-day deadline; after Amasa misses it, David sends Abisai to pursue because he fears Seba may reach fortified cities. The chapter supplies that chain but does not say why Amasa is late.
2
Amasa’s body changes the movement of the people. They stop to look at him in the road; a man moves and covers him to prevent further stops. The march resumes afterward. This concrete detail should remain rather than an invented rallying speech or Joab’s unspoken motive.
3
The withdrawal has a specific condition and recorded result. Joab says to deliver Seba alone; the woman promises his head, and the people supply it. His trumpet and departure follow. The account does not need a hypothetical description of what would have happened if the city refused.

Test your recall

How does the wise woman’s exchange with Joab establish the condition that ends the siege, and what do the people do next?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 33907–33926
2 Kings Chapter 20 Seba’s rebellion. Amasa is slain by Joab. Abela is besieged, but upon the citizens casting over the wall the head of Seba, Joab departeth with all his army. 20:1. And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, O Israel. 20:2. And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto Jerusalem. 20:3. And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them inward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.
Lines 33928–33940
20:4. And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here present. 20:5. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him. 20:6. And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us. 20:7. So Joab’s men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
Lines 33942–33954
20:8. And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike. 20:9. And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him. 20:10. But Amasa did not take notice of the sword, which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.
Lines 33956–33969
20:11. In the mean time some men of Joab’s company stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab’s stead the companion of David. 20:12. And Amasa imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might, not stop on his account. 20:13. And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri. 20:14. Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto him.
Lines 33971–33971
Abela and Bethmaacha.... Cities of the tribe of Nephtali.
Lines 33973–33989
20:15. And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls. 20:16. And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee. 20:17. And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear. 20:18. And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end. 20:19. Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?
Lines 33991–34002
20:20. And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should, I do not throw down, nor destroy. 20:21. The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall. 20:22. So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
Lines 34004–34012
20:23. So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites, 20:24. But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. 20:25. And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests. 20:26. And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.