sheba the benjamite Summary and Overview

1. Son of Bichri a Benjamite, a man of Belial (2 Samuel 20:1-22). The tribe of Benjamin through Sheba sought to regain the ascendancy which it lost at Saul's fall. Judah alone remained faithful to David "from Jordan even to Jerusalem"; the rest of Israel followed Sheba. The division between Israel and Judah already had shown itself under Ishbosheth (2 Samuel 2:4-9), again at the close of Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 19:41-43), David felt the greatness of the crisis, "now shall Sheba do us more harm than did Absalom." Sheba traversed the country gathering followers, and finally aimed at fortifying himself in Abel Beth Maachah in the far N., which was probably connected with Absalom's rebellion through Maacah his mother, and was famed for worldly wisdom. frontABEL BETH MAACHAH.) A woman in it saved the city by cutting off and casting Sheba's head to Joab (see Ecclesiastes 9:14-15). (See AMASA; JOAB.) 2. 1 Chronicles 5:13.