2 Samuel 20:15
New International Version
All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,

New Living Translation
When Joab’s forces arrived, they attacked Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town’s fortifications and began battering down the wall.

English Standard Version
And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.

Berean Standard Bible
And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

King James Bible
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

New King James Version
Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

New American Standard Bible
And they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they built up an assault ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall.

NASB 1995
They came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall.

NASB 1977
And they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to topple the wall.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction in order to cause the wall to fall.

Amplified Bible
And the army of Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth-maacah, and they built up an assault ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were wreaking destruction to make the wall fall.

Christian Standard Bible
Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built an assault ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse,

American Standard Version
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

Contemporary English Version
Joab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.

English Revised Version
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mount against the city, and it stood against the rampart: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Joab's army came and attacked him in Abel (Beth Maacah). They put up a dirt ramp against the city, and it stood level with the outer wall. All the troops with Joab were trying to destroy the wall and tear it down.

Good News Translation
Joab's men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down.

International Standard Version
All of the men who had accompanied Joab arrived and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They threw up a siege ramp against the city rampart and began to batter the wall to demolish it.

Majority Standard Bible
And Joab?s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

NET Bible
So Joab's men came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city which stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab's soldiers were trying to break through the wall so that it would collapse,

New Heart English Bible
And all the people who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. And they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall so that it would collapse.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

World English Bible
They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mound against the city, and it stands in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

Young's Literal Translation
and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are are with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will come and besiege against him in Abel of the house of oppression, and they will pour out a mound against the city, and it will stand in the fortification: and all the people which were with Joab laying waste to throw down the wall.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so, they went and besieged him at Abel and Bethmaacah. And they surrounded the city with siege works, and the city was blockaded. Then the entire crowd who were with Joab strove to destroy the walls.

New American Bible
So all Joab’s troops came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah. They built up a mound against the city, so that it stood against the rampart, and were battering the wall to knock it down.

New Revised Standard Version
Joab’s forces came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah; they threw up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart. Joab’s forces were battering the wall to break it down.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they came and besieged him in Abel and in Beth-maachah, and they set ambushes against the city, and the city was in distress; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they entered and they camped against him in Abel and in Bayth Maaka, and they set ambushes against the city, and it stood in distress, and all the people that were with Yuab were provoked to throw down the wall
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood in the moat; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sheba's Rebellion
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him. 15And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it, 16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”…

Cross References
2 Kings 19:32-34
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city, declares the LORD. / I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

Isaiah 37:33-35
So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. / He will go back the way he came, and he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. / ‘I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”

2 Samuel 11:1
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 15:22
Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

2 Chronicles 32:1
After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.

Jeremiah 6:6
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.

Ezekiel 4:2
Then lay siege against it: Construct a siege wall, build a ramp to it, set up camps against it, and place battering rams around it on all sides.

Luke 19:43
For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

Isaiah 29:3
I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you.

2 Kings 25:1
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it.

Jeremiah 32:24
See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!

Ezekiel 21:22
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.

Matthew 24:2
“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Mark 13:2
“Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Luke 21:6
“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”


Treasury of Scripture

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

cast up

2 Kings 19:32
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.

Jeremiah 32:24
Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.

Jeremiah 33:4
For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;

a bank So LXX.

battered, etc.

Jump to Previous
Abel Bank Battered Besieged Best Beth Beth-Maacah Bethmaachah Beth-Maachah Built Cast City Destruction Earthwork Joab Jo'ab Joab's Maacah Moat Mound Order Outer Ramp Rampart Sheba Siege Stood Throw Trench Wall
Jump to Next
Abel Bank Battered Besieged Best Beth Beth-Maacah Bethmaachah Beth-Maachah Built Cast City Destruction Earthwork Joab Jo'ab Joab's Maacah Moat Mound Order Outer Ramp Rampart Sheba Siege Stood Throw Trench Wall
2 Samuel 20
1. By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3. David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4. Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14. Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16. A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23. David's officers














And Joab’s troops came
The mention of "Joab’s troops" highlights the military leadership of Joab, King David's commander. Joab was a seasoned warrior, known for his strategic acumen and loyalty to David, albeit with a ruthless streak. The Hebrew root for "troops" (חַיִל, chayil) often denotes strength and valor, emphasizing the formidable nature of Joab's forces. Historically, Joab's leadership was crucial in maintaining the stability of David's kingdom during times of internal strife.

and besieged Sheba
The act of besieging Sheba signifies a military strategy to isolate and capture a rebellious leader. Sheba, son of Bichri, had incited a revolt against King David, representing a significant threat to the unity of Israel. The Hebrew word for "besieged" (צָרַר, tsarar) conveys the idea of binding or confining, illustrating the intent to cut off Sheba's escape and resources. This reflects the seriousness with which Joab and David viewed the rebellion.

in Abel Beth-maacah
Abel Beth-maacah was a fortified city in the northern part of Israel, strategically significant due to its location. The city's name, meaning "meadow of the house of oppression," suggests a place of both fertility and potential conflict. Archaeological findings indicate that Abel Beth-maacah was a well-established settlement, which would have made it a suitable refuge for Sheba. The city's historical and geographical context underscores the importance of Joab's mission to quell the rebellion there.

They built a siege ramp
The construction of a "siege ramp" was a common ancient military tactic used to breach city walls. The Hebrew term for "ramp" (סֹלְלָה, solelah) implies a mound or embankment, crafted to enable attackers to reach the top of the walls. This demonstrates the determination and resourcefulness of Joab's forces. The use of such technology reflects the advanced military strategies employed during the time of David.

up to the city
The phrase "up to the city" indicates the strategic positioning of the siege ramp to directly confront the city's defenses. The Hebrew preposition (עַד, ad) suggests movement towards a goal, emphasizing the focused intent of Joab's troops to capture Sheba. This action symbolizes the relentless pursuit of justice and order within the kingdom, as Joab sought to restore peace under David's reign.

and it stood against the outer rampart
The "outer rampart" refers to the defensive walls protecting Abel Beth-maacah. The Hebrew word for "rampart" (חֵיל, cheyl) denotes a fortified structure, highlighting the city's preparedness for defense. Joab's siege ramp standing against this barrier signifies the imminent threat to the city's security. This imagery serves as a reminder of the spiritual battles believers face, where perseverance and faith are required to overcome obstacles.

As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall
The collective effort of "all the troops with Joab" underscores the unity and determination of David's forces. The Hebrew verb for "battering" (נָקַשׁ, naqash) conveys a sense of striking or pounding, illustrating the intensity of the assault. This relentless attack on the wall symbolizes the spiritual warfare Christians engage in, where persistence in prayer and faith can break down the barriers of sin and rebellion.

to bring it down
The ultimate goal "to bring it down" reflects the mission to dismantle the stronghold of rebellion led by Sheba. The Hebrew phrase (לְהַפִּילָהּ, le-hapilah) implies a decisive action to overthrow or demolish. This mirrors the Christian call to tear down spiritual strongholds and establish God's kingdom on earth. Joab's determination to bring down the wall serves as an inspiration for believers to remain steadfast in their pursuit of righteousness and justice.

(15)Abel of Beth-maachah.--Omit the preposition "of." (See 2Samuel 20:14.)

Stood in the trench.--The "trench" is the space between the wall of the city and the lower outer wall. When the besiegers had succeeded in planting the mounds for their battering engines in this space they had already gained an important advantage.

Verse 15. - It stood in the trench. This is a literal translation, and yet gives a wrong sense. The Hebrew "stood" means "rose up to," "stood level with;" and the "trench" is what in modern fortifications is called "the glacis," and includes the outer wall of defence. The Revised Version renders, "it stood against the rampart." The usual way of capturing cities in ancient times was to cast up a bank or mound of earth against them (Isaiah 29:3; Isaiah 37:33; Jeremiah 6:6); and Joab's work had advanced so far as to be level with the outer line of defence. The name of the city in the Hebrew is not Abel of Beth-Maachah, but Abel-beth-Maachah. Battered. This is a word taken from Roman warfare. The Hebrew says, "And all the people that were with Joab were destroying the wall to make it fall," most probably by undermining it. Ewald even asserts that this is the meaning of the verb, and translates, "were digging pits under the wall." The Revised Version adopts this for the margin, where it gives "undermined." The Septuagint and Chaldee have a different and probable reading, "And all Joab's people were devising (contriving) means to throw down the wall." This would be the next operation after the mound had been carried up to a level with it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Joab’s troops came
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and besieged
וַיָּצֻ֣רוּ (way·yā·ṣu·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

[Sheba]
עָלָ֗יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

in Abel-Beth-Maacah
בְּאָבֵ֙לָה֙ (bə·’ā·ḇê·lāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 59: Abel -- 'meadow', two places in Palestine

and built
וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּ (way·yiš·pə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8210: To spill forth, to expend, to sprawl out

a siege ramp
סֹֽלְלָה֙ (sō·lə·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5550: A military mound, rampart of besiegers

against the outer rampart
בַּחֵ֑ל (ba·ḥêl)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2426: An army, an intrenchment

of the city.
הָעִ֔יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

As all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the troops
הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

Joab
יוֹאָ֔ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

were battering
מַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם (maš·ḥî·ṯim)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin

the wall
הַחוֹמָֽה׃ (ha·ḥō·w·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

to topple it,
לְהַפִּ֥יל (lə·hap·pîl)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT History: 2 Samuel 20:15 They came and besieged him in Abel (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 20:14
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