SEV Biblia, Chapter 20:14
¶ Y él pasó por todas las tribus de Israel hasta Abel y Bet-maaca y todo Barim; y se juntaron, y lo siguieron también.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 20:14
Verse 14. Unto Hebel] This is supposed to have been the capital of the district called Abilene in St. Luke's Gospel, Luke iii. 1. Beth-maachah] Is supposed to have been in the northern part of the Holy Land, on the confines of Syria, and probably in the tribe of Naphtali.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. And he went through all the tribes of Israel , etc.] That is, Sheba the son of Bichri, last mentioned, ( 2 Samuel 20:13), who passed through all the tribes of Israel to get as many to be of his party as he could, and to be proclaimed their king; or finding himself pursued, he passed on as fast as he could from place to place, through all the tribes, until at length he fixed for safety in a place later named; though Josephus understands this of Joab pursuing Sheba through all the tribes of Israel with the forces under him; and to this sense the Syriac and Arabic versions, and so R.
Isaiah interprets it; but the first sense is more generally received, that Sheba is meant, who passing through various tribes, came unto Abel, and unto Bethmaachah ; which were two places very near one another, if not one and the same place; since Abel is in ( 2 Samuel 20:15) called Abel of Bethmaachah, to distinguish it from any other place: it was a city that lay to the north of Israel near Syria; and from ( 2 Kings 15:29), it appears to be in the tribe of Naphtali. There was one city of this name of Abel, six miles from Philadelphia, another twelve miles from Gadara, and a third between Paneas and Damascus, which, of the three, Reland thinks f341 , is most eligible to be the place here meant; though he rather chooses to look for it in Galilee, to the west or south of Paneas, than to the east or north in the way to Damascus; and so Adrichomius calls it a city of upper Galilee, sixty furlongs or seven and an half miles from Jordan; and though he also places it in the tribe of Naphtali, in the plain of the country of Berim (from whence perhaps were the Berites next mentioned), not far from Caesarea Philippi; (see 1 Kings 15:20); and all the Berites ; the inhabitants of Beeroth, in the tribe of Benjamin, of which tribe Sheba was, they followed him hither, as in the next clause: and they were gathered together, and went also after him ; unto Abel; of these, (see Joshua 18:25 2 Samuel 4:2,3); though perhaps these Berim or Berites were nearer to Abel; or rather that was in their country, as has been observed by Adrichomius.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-22 - Justly is that place attacked, which dares to harbour a traitor; no will the heart fare better which indulges rebellious lusts, that wil not have Christ to reign over them. A discreet woman, by her pruden management, satisfied Joab, and yet saved the city. Wisdom is no confined to rank or sex; it consists not in deep knowledge; but in understanding how to act as matters arise, that troubles may be turne away and benefits secured. A great deal of mischief would be prevented if contending parties would understand one another. Let both sides be undeceived. The single condition of peace is, the surrender of the traitor. It is so in God's dealing with the soul, when besieged by conviction and distress; sin is the traitor; the beloved lust is the rebel: part with that, cast away the transgression, and all shall be well. There is no peace on any other terms.
Original Hebrew
ויעבר 5674 בכל 3605 שׁבטי 7626 ישׂראל 3478 אבלה 59 ובית מעכה 1038 וכל 3605 הברים 1276 ויקלהו 7035 ויבאו 935 אף 637 אחריו׃ 310
