2 Samuel 20:13

20:4-13 Joab barbarously murdered Amasa. The more plot there is in a sin, the worse it is. Joab contentedly sacrificed the interest both of the king and the kingdom to his personal revenge. But one would wonder with what face a murderer could pursue a traitor; and how, under such a load of guilt, he had courage to enter upon danger: his conscience was seared.

When he was removed out of the highway,.... Into the field, and covered over with a cloth, that he could not be seen: all the people went on after Joab; made no stop at all, knowing nothing of the matter, or what had happened: to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri; these were the troops that Amasa had been assembling, which followed one another after him; for Joab and Abishai, with their men, were at Gibeon first.

All the people ... - i. e., the levies which Amanda had been leading to Jerusalem; they were irresolute as to what they should do, and the stoppage at Amasa's body very nearly led to their refusing to follow Joab. But upon the prompt removal and hiding of the body they passed on and followed Joab, their old captain.

11-13. He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab—It is a striking proof of Joab's unrivalled influence over the army, that with this villainous murder perpetrated before their eyes they unanimously followed him as their leader in pursuit of Sheba. A soldier conjoined his name with David's, and such a magic spell was in the word "Joab," that all the people "went on"—Amasa's men as well as the rest. The conjunction of these two names is very significant. It shows that the one could not afford to do without the other—neither Joab to rebel against David, nor David to get rid of Joab, though hating him.

CHAPTER 13 2Sa 13:1-5. Amnon Loves Tamar. 1. Tamar—daughter of David by Maachah (2Sa 3:3).Ammon loveth his sister Tamar; ravisheth her; then hateth and driveth her away, 2 Samuel 13:1-19. Absalom entertaineth and revengeth her with Amnon’s death, 2 Samuel 13:20-29. David is grieved: Absalom fleeth to Geshur, 2 Samuel 13:30-39. A fair sister; his sister by father and mother: see 2 Samuel 3:3.

4–13. The pursuit of Sheba. Amasa murdered by Joab 4 . to Amasa ] The commission was given to Amasa in fulfilment of the promise privately made to him (ch. 2 Samuel 19:13 ). Assemble me the men of Judah ] Clearly then “the men of Judah” in 2 Samuel 20:2 were only a small body of representatives.