2 Samuel 20:6

2Sa 20:6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

Ver. 6. Do us more harm than did Absalom.] David’s endless troubles kept his body still in action, his mind in passions, and his prowess in use, as one speaketh of our King John. {a} Affliction, saith another, so held in the Saxon kings in the Danish wars, that, having little outlets and leisure for ease and luxury, they were made the more pious, just, and careful in their government. {b}

Take thou thy lord’s servants.] That is, My guard, and those other that are in readiness, as 2Sa 20:7.

{a} Speed.

{b} Daniel.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 20:6-7. Then David said to Abishai — Not to Joab; lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David’s fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned. Now shall Sheba do us more harm than Absalom — If he have time to gather an army; the people being highly incensed by the provocation which the men of Judah had given them. Take thy lord’s servants — The guards that attended David, and the standing forces which were always kept in readiness. There went out after him Joab’s men — A body of men whom he particularly commanded, with whom Joab also might go in some character, watching an opportunity to do what he designed.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Either them which had been under Joab or David’s men.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(6) David said to Abishai.—David is determined to pass over Joab, and, therefore, when Amasa fails in this crisis, requiring immediate action, he summons Abishai, and puts him in command of such forces as were at hand in Jerusalem, and gives him orders for the rapid pursuit of Sheba. The clause “escape us” is difficult, and doubtful in the original, and the English follows the Vulg. Others translate “pluck out our eye,” i.e., do us great harm; others as the LXX., “over shadow our eye,” meaning either cause us anxiety, or hide where we cannot find him.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. to Abishai] David now gave his orders to Abishai, being determined at any rate to supersede Joab. For the moment Joab seemed to acquiesce, and marched out under his brother’s command (2Sa_20:7), intending to wait his opportunity. This speedily presented itself: without scruple he murdered his rival, and then by Abishai’s consent, resumed his old position as commander-in-chief (2Sa_20:10-11).

thy lord’s servants] The bodies of troops mentioned in 2Sa_20:7, which formed a small standing army.

escape us] A phrase of doubtful meaning, found nowhere else. Either as E. V. following the Vulg. escape us: or pluck out our eye = do us serious injury: or as the Sept. overshadow our eyes = cause us anxiety.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And David said to Abishai,.... For it seems he would have nothing to say to Joab, being displeased with him for slaying Absalom, and having removed him from his posts; and therefore speaks to the next officer in his army, Abishai; though Josephus (p) says, he addressed himself to Joab, contrary to the express words of the text:

now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom; gain a greater party, and give more trouble to subdue him, unless suppressed in time:

take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him; without waiting for Amasa, and the troops he was assembling; delays in such a case as an insurrection being dangerous, which ought to be nipped in the bud, and crushed as soon as possible; in order to which, he bids him take his servants that were about him, his bodyguards, and pursue Sheba:

lest he get him fenced cities; where he may secure himself, and hold out a siege a long time, and give a great deal of trouble:

and escape us; for the present; or "escape our eyes", as the "Keri", or marginal reading is; we shall lose sight of him, and not know which way he is gone, if he is not pursued quickly.

(p) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

To Abishai - Probably, as the king was on bad terms with Joab, and wished to deprive him of his post as Captain of the host, he gave his orders to Abishai, and weakly connived at the execution of them by Joab, which was inevitable.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lord, the king; or perhaps Joab. (Menochius) --- A select company always attended the king; and some of these he sent, for greater expedition, to attack Seba, before he had become too strong.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

David said to Abishai; not to Joab, lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David’s fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned.

Thy lord’s servants, i.e. my guards that attend upon my person, and the other soldiers who are now present with me. He speaks of himself in the third person, as is very frequent. For it is not probable he would now call Joab his lord, whom he had lately deposed; nor Amasa, who had not yet taken actual possession of his place, nor had the command over the king’s guards.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. David said to Abishai — He grew impatient over the slow movements of Amasa, and, knowing that every day might add new strength to the rebellion, he sent forth Joab’s brother; for he could not now safely or consistently send Joab, who had been superseded in office, and might himself be strongly tempted to join the insurgents.

Thy lord’s servants — The mighty men and faithful adherents who had returned to Jerusalem with the king, and ever kept near his person. They are called David’s men in 2Sa_19:41, and included the Cherethites and Pelethites.

Escape us — Margin, correctly: deliver himself from our eyes; that is, elude all our search and effort to overcome him. Keil translates, tear out our eye, that is, do us a serious injury.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

David said to Abishai. David thus gives the command to the younger brother, and we find in ver. 7 that even "Joab"s men," his own special troop, were placed under Abishai"s command. There seems always to have been a firm friendship between the brothers, and at first Joab acquiesces. The king was, in fact, in so grim a humour that he probably felt that he had better keep with his men, who would protect him, instead of remaining at Jerusalem, where he would be in David"s power. When Amasa joined them, Abishai would have to resign to him the command; and David probably expected that, after a successful campaign, and with the aid of the men of Judah, who were rebels like himself, Amasa would be able to crush Joab. But Joab did not intend to wait for this; and immediately on meeting his rival he murders him, and assumes the command. Thy lord"s servants. These are the men enumerated in ver. 7, and formed David"s usual military attendants. When war broke out, they were reinforced by a levy of the people. And escape us. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. It may signify, "and withdraw himself from our eyes," which gives the sense of the Authorized Version, and is supported by the Vulgate. The Septuagint renders, "and overshadow our eyes," which might have the same meaning, but, as others think, may signify, "and cause us anxiety." Many modern commentators render, "and pluck out our eye;" that is, do us painful damage. Either this or the Authorized Version gives a good sense, and, anyhow, rapid action was necessary, or Sheba"s revolt might become dangerous.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Abishai - Not to Joab; lest by this means he should recover his place, and Amasa be discontented, and David's fidelity in making good his promise to Amasa be questioned.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Abishai

This is another commander of David's army. See how you translated his name in 2 Samuel 2:18. (See: How to Translate Names)

do us more harm

"hurt us more"

your master's servants, my soldiers

The phrase "my soldiers" clarifies which "servants." David refers to himself as "your master" as a formal way of speaking to someone with less authority.

pursue after

"chase after"

he will find fortified cities

This means that Sheba and his men will enter these cities to hide from David's army. The word "he" represents Sheba but refers to both him and his men. AT: "he and his men will hide in fortified cities" or "he and his men will take refuge in fortified cities" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information and Synecdoche)

out of our sight

Here David refers to his army by their sight to emphasize that Sheba and his men would be hidden and David's army would be unable to capture them. AT: "from us" (See: Metonymy)

Kerethites ... Pelethites

These are the names of people groups who helped to protect King David. See how you translated this man's name in 2 Samuel 8:18. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Sheba

Absalom

lord

servant

stronghold

Joab

might

soldier

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Take your master's servants. Now that Amosoh, the commanding officer was delayed and had not yet brought the soldiers of Yehudah, you take from the men in my entourage and chase after him.

To escape to out of our sight. And he will escape right before our eyes, this is an abbreviated verse.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.