2 Samuel

2 Samuel 20:1–3

1Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted:

“We have no share in David,

no inheritance in Jesse’s son.

Every man to his tent,

O Israel!”

2So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.

Read all of 2 Samuel 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Samuel 20:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now a worthlessבְּלִיַּ֗עַלbə·lî·ya·‘alNoun - masculine singularH1100 worthlessness
manאִ֣ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singular constructH376 man
namedוּשְׁמ֛וֹū·šə·mōwConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH8034 name
Shebaשֶׁ֥בַעše·ḇa‘Noun - proper - masculine singularH7652 Sheba
sonבֶּן־ben-Noun - masculine singular constructH1121 son
of Bichriבִּכְרִ֖יbiḵ·rîNoun - proper - masculine singularH1075 Bikri
a Benjamiteיְמִינִ֑יyə·mî·nîNoun - proper - masculine singularH3228 Jeminite
happenedנִקְרָ֜אniq·rāVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7122 encounter, befall
to be thereוְשָׁ֨םwə·šāmConjunctive waw; AdverbH8033 there, thither
and he blewוַיִּתְקַ֣עway·yiṯ·qa‘Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH8628 thrust, clap, give a blow, blast
the ram’s hornבַּשֹּׁפָ֗רbaš·šō·p̄ārPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH7782 horn
and shoutedוַ֠יֹּאמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
We have noאֵֽין־’ên-AdverbH369 nothing, nought
shareחֵ֜לֶקḥê·leqNoun - masculine singularH2506 portion, tract, territory
in Davidבְּדָוִ֗דbə·ḏā·wiḏPreposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
noוְלֹ֤אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
inheritanceנַֽחֲלָה־na·ḥă·lāh-Noun - feminine singularH5159 possession, property, inheritance
in Jesse’sיִשַׁ֔יyi·šayNoun - proper - masculine singularH3448 Jishai
sonבְּבֶן־bə·ḇen-Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH1121 son
Every manאִ֥ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
to his tentלְאֹהָלָ֖יוlə·’ō·hā·lāwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH168 tent
O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃yiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

2 Samuel 20:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the menאִ֤ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singular constructH376 man
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙yiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
desertedוַיַּ֜עַלway·ya·‘alConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5927 go up, ascend, climb
Davidדָוִ֔דḏā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
to followאַחֲרֵ֖י’a·ḥă·rêPrepositionH310 behind
Shebaשֶׁ֣בַעše·ḇa‘Noun - proper - masculine singularH7652 Sheba
sonבֶּן־ben-Noun - masculine singular constructH1121 son
of Bichriבִּכְרִ֑יbiḵ·rîNoun - proper - masculine singularH1075 Bikri
But the menוְאִ֤ישׁwə·’îšConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH376 man
of Judahיְהוּדָה֙yə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
stayed byדָּבְק֣וּdā·ḇə·qūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH1692 cling, cleave, keep close
their kingבְמַלְכָּ֔םḇə·mal·kāmPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH4428 king
all the wayוְעַד־wə·‘aḏ-Conjunctive waw; PrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
fromמִן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the Jordanהַיַּרְדֵּ֖ןhay·yar·dênArticle; Noun - proper - feminine singularH3383 Jordan
to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃yə·rū·šā·limNoun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem

2 Samuel 20:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When Davidדָוִ֣דḏā·wiḏNoun - proper - masculine singularH1732 David
returnedוַיָּבֹ֨אway·yā·ḇōConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
his palaceבֵּיתוֹ֮bê·ṯōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1004 house
in Jerusalemיְרֽוּשָׁלִַם֒yə·rū·šā·limNoun - proper - feminine singularH3389 Jerusalem
heהַמֶּ֡לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
tookוַיִּקַּ֣חway·yiq·qaḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH3947 take
the tenעֶֽשֶׂר־‘e·śer-Number - feminine singular constructH6235 ten
concubinesפִּלַגְשִׁ֡יםpi·laḡ·šîmNoun - feminine pluralH6370 concubine
he had leftהִנִּיחַ֩hin·nî·aḥVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5117 rest
to take care ofלִשְׁמֹ֨רliš·mōrPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH8104 keep, watch, preserve
the palaceהַבַּ֜יִתhab·ba·yiṯArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1004 house
and he placed themוַֽיִּתְּנֵ֤םway·yit·tə·nêmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
in a houseבֵּית־bêṯ-Noun - masculine singular constructH1004 house
under guardמִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙miš·me·reṯNoun - feminine singularH4931 guard, watch
He provided for themוַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔םway·ḵal·kə·lêmConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH3557 comprehend, contain
but he no longerלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
slept withוַאֲלֵיהֶ֖םwa·’ă·lê·hemConjunctive waw; Preposition; third person masculine pluralH413 motion to
themבָ֑אḇāVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
They wereוַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָהwat·tih·ye·nāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
confinedצְרֻר֛וֹתṣə·ru·rō·wṯVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine pluralH6887 bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped
untilעַד־‘aḏ-PrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the dayי֥וֹםyō·wmNoun - masculine singular constructH3117 day
of their deathמֻתָ֖ןmu·ṯānVerb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine pluralH4191 die
livingחַיּֽוּת׃סḥay·yūṯNoun - feminine singularH2424 life
as widowsאַלְמְנ֥וּת’al·mə·nūṯNoun - feminine singular constructH491 widowhood

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Samuel 20:1 1 Kings 12:16 · Deuteronomy 13:13 · 2 Chronicles 10:16

2 Samuel 20:2 Acts 11:23 · John 6:66–68

2 Samuel 20:3 2 Samuel 16:21–22 · 2 Samuel 15:16

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.