So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

2 SAMUEL 20:2KJV
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2 Samuel 20:2 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 20:2 mean?

2 Samuel 20:2 describes how the people of Israel stopped following David and instead chose to follow Sheba, the son of Bichri, while the people of Judah remained loyal to David as their king, accompanying him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. This verse shows a division between the tribes of Israel and Judah during a time of political unrest.

The setting is after Absalom’s rebellion, when David is returning to Jerusalem. Sheba, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, calls for a revolt against David. The verse highlights that the northern tribes of Israel (often called "Israel") abandon David to follow Sheba, while only the tribe of Judah stays faithful to David, escorting him on his journey back to the capital.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 20:2

  • יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el, "Israel"): This word refers to the northern tribes distinct from Judah, emphasizing the split and tension within the nation.
  • דָּבַק (davaq, "clave"): This verb means to cling or stick closely. The men of Judah are not just following David; they are deeply loyal and attached to him as their king.
  • מֶלֶךְ (melekh, "king"): The use of this word for David underlines his recognized authority, at least among Judah, despite the rebellion.

Why 2 Samuel 20:2 matters

  • The verse clarifies that Israel and Judah were already experiencing significant division, which would later become a major theme in Israel’s history.
  • It shows that David’s kingship was not universally accepted at this moment, highlighting the fragile nature of his rule after Absalom’s revolt.
  • The loyalty of Judah to David sets the stage for the ongoing rivalry and eventual split between the northern and southern kingdoms in later biblical history.

Where else these words appear

“Bichri” Hebrew H1075 · used in 8 verses

  • 2 Samuel 20:1 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.
  • 2 Samuel 20:7 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
  • 2 Samuel 20:13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

“Sheba” Hebrew H7652 · used in 10 verses

  • Joshua 19:2 And they had in their inheritance Beersheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,
  • 2 Samuel 20:7 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
  • 2 Samuel 20:21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

“clave” Hebrew H1692 · used in 52 verses

  • Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
  • Judges 20:42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
  • Job 31:7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;