The Meaning of 2 Samuel 20:21 Explained

2 Samuel 20:21

KJV: The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

YLT: The matter is not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim -- Sheba son of Bichri his name -- hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, 'Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

Darby: The matter is not so; but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give up him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

ASV: The matter is not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The matter  [is] not so: but a man  of mount  Ephraim,  Sheba  the son  of Bichri  by name,  hath lifted up  his hand  against the king,  [even] against David:  deliver  him only, and I will depart  from the city.  And the woman  said  unto Joab,  Behold, his head  shall be thrown  to thee over  the wall. 

What does 2 Samuel 20:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 20:14-26 - One Head Saves Many
This wise woman, by her intervention, saved many lives, and reminds us of the value of presence of mind in a great crisis. She gave Joab to understand, first, that he ought to have given the inhabitants of Abel the opportunity of saying whether or not they intended to fight for Sheba, Deuteronomy 20:10, etc.; and, secondly, that he ought to have taken into account the peaceableness and fidelity of the citizens of that city. A great deal of misunderstanding and bloodshed would be prevented if contending parties would only confer with each other. There is crying and universal need for boards of compulsory arbitration.
Sheba's head saved the city. Bishop Hall says: "Spiritually the case is ours; every man's breast is a city enclosed; every sin is a traitor that lurks within the walls. If we love the head of one traitor above the life of our soul, we shall justly perish. We cannot be more willing to part with our sin than our merciful God is to withdraw His judgments." Oh, that every reader of these lines would heed the command of the Savior, Matthew 5:29-30, so as to enter into everlasting life! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 20:21 mean?

Not so that [is] but a man from the mountains of Ephraim Sheba son of Bichri by name has raised his hand against the king against David Deliver him only and I will depart from the city So said the woman to Joab Watch his head will be thrown to you over the wall
לֹא־ כֵ֣ן הַדָּבָ֗ר כִּ֡י אִישׁ֩ מֵהַ֨ר אֶפְרַ֜יִם שֶׁ֧בַע בֶּן־ בִּכְרִ֣י שְׁמ֗וֹ נָשָׂ֤א יָדוֹ֙ בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ בְּדָוִ֔ד תְּנֽוּ־ אֹת֣וֹ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל הָעִ֑יר וַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־ יוֹאָ֔ב הִנֵּ֥ה רֹאשׁ֛וֹ מֻשְׁלָ֥ךְ אֵלֶ֖יךָ בְּעַ֥ד הַחוֹמָֽה

כֵ֣ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
הַדָּבָ֗ר  that  [is] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אִישׁ֩  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מֵהַ֨ר  from  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֶפְרַ֜יִם  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
שֶׁ֧בַע  Sheba 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע 
Sense: Benjamite, son of Bichri and one who led a rebellion against David.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בִּכְרִ֣י  of  Bichri 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּכְרִי  
Sense: a Benjamite, father of Sheba adj.
שְׁמ֗וֹ  by  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
נָשָׂ֤א  has  raised 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
יָדוֹ֙  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ  against  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בְּדָוִ֔ד  against  David 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
תְּנֽוּ־  Deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְבַדּ֔וֹ  only 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
וְאֵלְכָ֖ה  and  I  will  depart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הָעִ֑יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָֽאִשָּׁה֙  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
יוֹאָ֔ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
הִנֵּ֥ה  Watch 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
רֹאשׁ֛וֹ  his  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
מֻשְׁלָ֥ךְ  will  be  thrown 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אֵלֶ֖יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּעַ֥ד  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
הַחוֹמָֽה  the  wall 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.