SEV Biblia, Chapter 20:15
Y vinieron y lo cercaron en Abel de Bet-maaca, y pusieron baluarte contra la ciudad; y el pueblo se puso al muro; y todo el pueblo que estaba con Joab trabajaba por derribar la muralla.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 20:15
Verse 15. They cast up a bank against the city] The word hlls solelah, which we render bank, means, most probably, a battering engine of some kind, or a tower overlooking the walls, on which archers and slingers could stand and annoy the inhabitants, while others of the besiegers could proceed to sap the walls. That it cannot be a bank that stood in the trench, is evident from the circumstance thus expressed.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah , etc.] That is, Joab and Abishai, with the forces under them, who pursued him hither: and they cast up a bank against the city ; which some understand of a warlike machine or engine, with which stones were cast; but it rather seems to be a bank of earth thrown up, for the better working of such engines to more advantage against the city, by throwing from thence darts into the city, or stones against the walls of it, to batter it down; such banks were used in sieges, as that Caesar’s soldiers raised in twenty five days, which was three hundred thirty feet broad, and eighty feet high f343 ; Kimchi interprets this of filling up the ditches round about the city with dust and earth, and so making it level, whereby they could come the more easily to the walls and batter them, or scale them, and take the city by storm: and it stood in the trench ; the army under Joab stood where the trench round the city had been, now filled up: and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall to throw it down ; with their engines, or whatever battering instruments they had; so, often, as Hesiod says, a whole city suffers for one bad man.
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
ויבאו 935 ויצרו 6696 עליו 5921 באבלה 59 בית המעכה 1038 וישׁפכו 8210 סללה 5550 אל 413 העיר 5892 ותעמד 5975 בחל 2426 וכל 3605 העם 5971 אשׁר 834 את 854 יואב 3097 משׁחיתם 7843 להפיל 5307 החומה׃ 2346
