Chapter 20: The rebellion of Sheva Ben Bichri
1. Sheva Ben Bichri gathers the people of Israel to rebel against Dovid:
- [At the time of the controversy between the people of Israel and the people of Judah, as described in the end of the previous chapter[1]] there was a certain rebel by the name of Sheva Ben Bichri from the tribe of Benjamin [who had animosity against Dovid who took the kingship from Shaul who was from his tribe[2]].
- The shofar of rebellion is sounded: He sounded the shofar [as a sign of rebellion[3]] and proclaimed [to the people present both from the tribe of Judah and the rest of Israel] that they do not have a portion amongst Dovid and they do not have an inheritance with the son of Yishaiy, and each man of Israel is for himself and should return to his own tent.
- The people of Judah remained loyal to Dovid: When the people of Israel heard this, they left from following Dovid and began to follow Sheva Ben Bichri, however the tribe of Judah remained loyal to their king and traveled with him from the Jordan until Jerusalem.
2. Dovid segregates his concubines until the day of their death:
- Dovid returned back to his home in Jerusalem. Upon his return, the king took his ten concubines which he had left in the castle to guard the home and he had them placed in a segregated area under guard, and he provided them with all their sustenance while there. He was not intimate with them any longer [since they had relations with his son Avshalom[4]], and they became living widows until the day of their death [as they were not allowed to marry any other men being that they were the concubines of the king[5]].
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[1] Metzudos Dovid 20:1
[2] Pirush Rav Yosef Karo 20:1
[3] Metzudos Dovid 20:1
[4] See Radak 20:3; Metzudos Dovid 20:3; Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 2:3
[5] See Ralbag 20:3
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