Daily Tanach Monday Shmuel 2 Chapter 20 Part 3: The rebellion of Sheva Ben Bichri

1. The battle against Sheva Ben Bichri:

• Sheva Ben Bichri gathers followers: Sheva Ben Bichri traveled amongst all the tribes of Israel to seduce them to join the rebellion and crown him as king. He traveled until the city of Aveila, and Beis Macha [which were near each other^[1]], and all the towns that were near the wells. He managed to gather all the people, and they followed after him.^[2]
• The siege of the cities of Sheva Ben Bichri by Yoav: Yoav and his men came and placed a siege on the city of Aveila and Beis Macha. They poured sand and earth opposite the walls of the city in order to be able to climb over the wall and battle the people. They managed to break through the external wall and were standing by the inner wall of the city, thus threatening the total capture of the city. The men of Yoav were destroying the walls of the city through the use of stone balls which were propelled towards the wall.
• A dialogue begins between a woman in the city and Yoav: There was a certain wise woman in the city [i.e. Search Bas Asher^[3]] who called and asked to meet with Yoav. She yelled towards the men of her city and said, “listen, listen, please tell Yoav that he should come here so I could speak to him.” So, Yoav came towards her, and the woman said to him, “Are you indeed Yoav?” and he answered that indeed he is. The woman then said to him, “please listen to the words of your servant,” and he replied that he is ready to hear. She said to him as follows, “You should have first tried to seek peace with the city prior to waging war against it. If you would have done so, they would’ve immediately made peace with you. I am from amongst the members of the city, and I can tell you that the members of the city are loyal to the king and his servants, and you nonetheless desire to destroy the city and annihilate a great multitude of people from amongst Israel? Why would you destroy an inheritance of G-d?”
• A deal is reached to hand over Sheva Ben Bichri and have the city be saved: Yoav replied to her, “Heaven forfend that I would do such a thing, to annihilate and destroy a city amongst Israel. The issue is that there is a rebel from the mountain of the Efraim by the name of Sheva Ben Bichri who has raised his hand against the king, Dovid. I will give you an ultimatum, hand him over to us and we will leave the city alone.” The woman replied to Yoav that, “behold his head will be thrown to you over the city walls.”
• Sheva Ben Bichri is killed, and his head is handed to Yoav: The woman came to the nation with her wisdom and managed to decapitate Sheva Ben Bichri. His head was then thrown to Yoav.
• The Army of Yoav disperses from the city: After the above occurred, the shofar was blown [as a signal to end the siege[4]] and the soldiers left the city and returned each man to their home. Yoav returned back to Jerusalem to the king.

[1] Radak 20:14

[2] See the various Mefarshim, of which some interpret the verses as we wrote above [i.e. Rashi and Ralbag 20:14] while others interpret it going on Yoav, that he is the one who traveled all these places and gathered the Jewish people to follow after him in the chase. [Metzudos Dovid 20:14] See also Radak ibid

[3] Rashi 20:19

[4] Metzudos Dovid 20:22