2 Samuel 20:4 - Meaning and Application

Here we see Amasa fall just as he was beginning to rise. He was David’s nephew (2 Samuel 17:25) and had been Absalom’s commander over the rebel army. After Absalom’s defeat, he came over to David because David had promised to make him commander in Joab’s place. Sheba’s rebellion gave David a reason to carry out that promise sooner than he may have wanted, but Joab’s jealousy made the outcome bad for both Amasa and David.

Amasa receives a command to gather troops and move quickly to stop Sheba’s rebellion (2 Samuel 20:4). It seems the men of Judah were eager to celebrate David’s victory, but not so eager to fight for him. If they were all already together escorting the king to Jerusalem, they might have gone at once after Sheba and crushed that danger before it grew. Many people want loyalty, or religion, as long as it costs them little. Many claim to belong to Christ, yet they are slow to risk anything for him.

Amasa is told to gather the men of Judah within three days, but he cannot do it in time (2 Samuel 20:5). This delay is surprising, because David had shown great kindness by promoting Amasa, even though he had served under Absalom. That promotion should have pleased Judah and shown the mercy of David’s rule.

Because Amasa delays, Abishai, Joab’s brother, is ordered to take the king’s guards and standing troops and pursue Sheba at once (2 Samuel 20:6-7). David knows that giving Sheba time would be dangerous. He gives this order to Abishai because he wants to humble Joab and take him out of command, not so much because of the blood of Abner, which Joab had shed cruelly, as because of the blood of Absalom, which Joab had shed in battle, though David may still have felt it was too harshly done. As Bishop Hall says, Joab now suffers for a loyal act of disobedience. Earthly honor is unstable and always changing. Those are truly happy who have favor with the Lord, in whom there is no change.

Joab goes along without orders, even though he is out of favor. He may have thought he could still help the public cause, or he may already have been planning to remove his rival.

Near Gibeon, Joab meets Amasa and murders him in a cruel and wicked way (2 Samuel 20:8-10). The great stone in Gibeon seems to have been the place for the army to gather. There the two rivals met. Amasa, trusting his commission, went before the forces, leading both the new troops he had gathered and the veteran soldiers Abishai had brought. But Joab seized the moment and killed him with his own hand.

Joab did it with planning, not in a sudden burst of anger. He arranged his clothing so his sword would be easy to reach. He even put it in a sheath that was too large, so it could seem to slip out by accident. Then he could take it up without suspicion, as if he were simply returning it to its place, while he intended to drive it into Amasa’s body. The more planning there is in a sin, the worse that sin becomes.

He also did it by deceit, pretending friendship so Amasa would not be on guard. He called him “brother,” since they were cousins. He asked after his health and took him by the beard like a close friend, as if to kiss him. Meanwhile, he had a drawn sword ready in his other hand and was aiming at Amasa’s heart. That was no act of a gentleman, a soldier, or a commander. It was the act of a villain, a coward. He had done the same kind of thing to Abner before and gone unpunished, and that likely encouraged him to do it again.

Joab did this openly, not in secret, but in front of his troops. He was neither ashamed nor afraid. He had become so hardened by bloodshed that he could no longer blush or tremble. He struck Amasa once, but with enough force to be fatal. He also did it in open defiance of David and of David’s commission to Amasa. In effect, he was saying that he would be commander no matter what the king had decided. He chose the worst possible time, too, when they were already on the march against a common enemy and needed unity. His private quarrel could have broken up the army and handed victory to Sheba. Joab was willing to sacrifice the good of both king and kingdom for his own revenge.

Afterward, Joab quickly takes back the role of commander and leads the army after Sheba, hoping to keep the public cause from suffering because of what he had done. He leaves one of his men behind to announce to the troops coming up that they are still serving David, now under Joab’s command (2 Samuel 20:11). Joab knew he had strong support among the soldiers. Many preferred him over Amasa, who had once been a traitor, then changed sides, and had never won success. Joab boldly counted on that and called the men to follow him. It is shocking that a murderer should pursue a traitor, and even more shocking that he should go into danger with such guilt on his conscience. Surely his conscience had been hardened.

Then care is taken to move Amasa’s body out of the road, because the soldiers had stopped when they saw it, just as they had once stopped over Abner’s body (2 Samuel 2:23). The body is covered with a cloth (2 Samuel 20:12-13). Wicked people often think they are safe if they can hide their sin from human eyes. If others do not see it, they act as if it never happened. But covering blood with a cloth does not silence its cry before God for judgment.

Still, this was no time to stop and bring Joab to account. The safety of the people required speed, so the obstacle was removed and the army went on after Joab. David would likely hear of this tragedy soon enough, and he could not help regretting that he had not already brought Joab to justice for Abner’s death. He had also now exposed Amasa to danger by promoting him in Joab’s place. Perhaps David’s conscience also reminded him that he had once used Joab in the murder of Uriah, and that earlier sin had helped harden Joab’s cruelty.