Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
2 Kings (2 Samuel) Chapter 20
Overview
Sa2 20:1, By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba makes a party in Israel; Sa2 20:3, David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life; Sa2 20:4, Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab; Sa2 20:14, Joab pursues Sheba unto Abel; Sa2 20:16, A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head; Sa2 20:23, David's officers.
And there: Sa2 19:41-43; Psa 34:19
a man: Sa2 23:6; Deu 13:13; Jdg 19:22; Sa1 2:12, Sa1 30:22; Psa 17:13; Pro 26:21; Hab 1:12, Hab 1:13
he blew: Sa2 15:10; Jdg 3:27; Pro 24:21, Pro 24:22, Pro 25:8
We have: Sa2 19:43; Kg1 12:16; Ch2 10:6; Luk 19:14, Luk 19:27
every man: Sa2 19:41; Psa 62:9, Psa 118:8-10; Pro 17:14
the men: Joh 6:66-68; Act 11:23
from Jordan: Sa2 19:15, Sa2 19:40, Sa2 19:41; Ch2 10:17
ten women: Sa2 15:16, Sa2 16:21, Sa2 16:22
and put: The confinement and retired maintenance of these women was the only measure which in justice and prudence could be adopted. In China, when an emperor dies, all his women are removed to an edifice called the palace of chastity, situated within the palace, in which they are shut up for the remainder of their lives.
ward: Heb. an house of ward, Gen 40:3
shut: Heb. bound
living in widowhood: Heb. in widowhood of life
Amasa: Sa2 17:25, Sa2 19:13; Ch1 2:17
Assemble: Heb. Call
So Amasa: Sa2 19:13
tarried: Sa1 13:8
Abishai: Sa2 2:18, Sa2 3:30, Sa2 3:39, Sa2 10:9, Sa2 10:10, Sa2 10:14, Sa2 18:2, Sa2 18:12, Sa2 21:17, Sa2 23:18; Sa1 26:6; Ch1 11:20, Ch1 18:12
do us: Sa2 19:7
thy lord's: Sa2 11:11; Kg1 1:33
escape us: Heb. deliver himself from our eyes
Sa2 20:23, Sa2 8:16, Sa2 8:18, Sa2 15:18, Sa2 23:22, Sa2 23:23; Kg1 1:38, Kg1 1:44
Art thou: Psa 55:21; Pro 26:24-26; Mic 7:2
took Amasa: Thevenot says, that among the Turks it is a great affront to take one by the beard, unless it be to kiss him, in which case they often do it. D'Arvieux, describing an assembly of Arab emirs at an entertainment, says, "After the usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard, and of the hand, which every one gave and received according to his rank and dignity, they sat down upon mats." The doing this by the Arab emirs corresponds with the conduct of Joab, and illustrates this horrid assassination.
to kiss him: Mat 26:48, Mat 26:49; Luk 22:47, Luk 22:48
in Joab's: Sa2 20:9; Jdg 3:21; Ch1 12:2
he smote: Sa2 2:23, Sa2 3:27; Gen 4:8; Kg1 2:5, Kg1 2:6, Kg1 2:31-34
struck him not again: Heb. doubled not his stroke, Sa1 26:8
He that: Sa2 20:6, Sa2 20:7, Sa2 20:13, Sa2 20:21
Sa2 17:25; Psa 9:16, Psa 55:23; Pro 24:21, Pro 24:22
the highway: Sa2 20:12, Sa2 20:13; Num 20:19; Jdg 21:19; Sa1 6:12; Kg2 18:17; Pro 16:17; Isa 7:3; Isa 36:2, Isa 62:10; Jer 31:21; Mar 10:46
Abel: Or rather, probably, Abel of Beth-Maachah, as in the next verse. It appears, from Joab having marched "through all the tribes of Israel," to have been situated in the northern confines of the land of Israel, and in the half tribe of Manasseh, east of Jordan, as that was the situation of Maachah, to which it belonged. This agrees with the situation of the Abila which Eusebius and Jerome place between Paneas, or Cesarea Philippi, and Damascus. Josephus says it was a fortified city, and a metropolis of the Israelites; and also that it belonged to the ten tribes, having been taken from the king of Damascus. Kg1 15:20; Kg2 15:29; Ch2 16:4
Berites: Jos 18:25, Beeroth
cast up: Kg2 19:32; Jer 32:24, Jer 33:4; Luk 19:43
a bank: So LXX generally render solelah, by προσχωμα or χωμα; which latter is described by Potter as "a mount, which was raised so high as to equal, if not exceed, the top of the besieged walls. The sides were walled in with bricks or stones, or secured with strong rafters; the fore part only, being by degrees to be moved near the walls, remained bare."
it stood in the trench: or, it stood against the outmost wall
battered: etc. Heb. marred to throw down
Sa2 14:2; Sa1 25:3, Sa1 25:32, Sa1 25:33; Ecc 9:14-18
Hear the words: Sa2 14:12; Sa1 25:24
They were wont: etc. or, They plainly spake in the beginning, saying, Surely they will ask of Abel, and so make an end. Deu 20:10, Deu 20:11
peaceable: Gen 18:23; Rom 13:3, Rom 13:4; Ti1 2:2
a mother: Jdg 5:7; Eze 16:45-49
swallow: Sa2 17:16; Num 16:32, Num 26:10; Psa 124:3; Jer 51:34, Jer 51:44; Lam 2:2, Lam 2:5, Lam 2:16; Co1 15:54; Co2 5:4
the inheritance: Sa2 21:3; Exo 19:5, Exo 19:6; Deu 32:9; Sa1 26:19
Far be it: Sa2 23:17; Job 21:16, Job 22:18
that I should: Sa2 20:10; Pro 28:13; Jer 17:9; Luk 10:29
a man: Sa2 20:1; Jdg 2:9, Jdg 7:24; Kg2 5:22; Jer 4:15, Jer 50:19
by name: Heb. by his name
lifted: Sa2 23:18; Sa1 24:6, Sa1 26:9
his head: Sa2 17:2, Sa2 17:3; Kg2 10:7; Jdg 18:4-8
in her wisdom: Ecc 7:19, Ecc 9:14-18
he blew: Sa2 20:1, Sa2 2:28, Sa2 18:16
retired: Heb. were scattered
And Joab: Sa2 3:28-39, 11:6-21; Ecc 8:11
Now Joab: Sa2 8:16-18; Ch1 18:15-17
and Benaiah: Sa2 20:7
recorder: or, remembrancer, Kg1 4:3
Sheva: Sa2 8:17; Kg1 4:4; Ch1 18:16, Shavsha
Ira: Sa2 23:38; Ch1 11:40, Ithrite
chief ruler: or, prince, Sa2 8:18; Gen 41:43, Gen 41:45; Exo 2:14, Exo 2:16; The Hebrew is cohen ledawid, which might be rendered, a priest of David; and so the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic. The Chaldee has rav, a chief or prince. Probably he was a kind of domestic chaplain or seer to the king. Sa2 24:11; Ch2 35:15