撒母耳记下 20:18

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

婦人說：“古時人常說：‘只要在亞比拉求問，事就必成全。’

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
妇 人 说 ： 古 时 有 话 说 ， 当 先 在 亚 比 拉 求 问 ， 然 後 事 就 定 妥 。

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites also came together and followed him. ¹⁵ So Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah and surrounded it. They piled dirt up against the city wall, and they began hacking at the walls to bring them down. ¹⁶ But a wise woman shouted out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!" ¹⁷ So Joab came near her. She asked him, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "Yes, I am." Then she said, "Listen to what I say." Joab said, "I'm listening." ¹⁸ Then the woman said, "In the past people would say, ‘Ask for advice at Abel,' and the problem would be solved. ¹⁹ I am one of the peaceful, loyal people of Israel. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why must you destroy what belongs to the Lord ?" ²⁰ Joab answered, "I would prefer not to destroy or ruin anything! ²¹ That is not what I want. But there is a man here from the mountains of Ephraim, who is named Sheba son of Bicri. He has turned against King David. If you bring him to me, I will leave the city alone." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown over the wall to you." ²² Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the wall to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and the army left the city. Every man returned home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

They were wont: etc. or, They plainly spake in the beginning, saying, Surely they will ask of Abel, and so make an end. Deuteronomy 20:10, Deuteronomy 20:11

Reciprocal: Matthew 5:21 - it

Cross-References

Genesis 12:17
But the Lord sent terrible diseases on the king and all the people in his house because of Abram's wife Sarai.

Genesis 16:2
Sarai said to Abram, "Look, the Lord has not allowed me to have children, so have sexual relations with my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her." Abram did what Sarai said.

Genesis 20:7
Give Abraham his wife back. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, you and all your family will surely die."

Genesis 30:2
Jacob became angry with her and said, "Can I do what only God can do? He is the one who has kept you from having children."

1 Samuel 1:6
Peninnah would tease Hannah and upset her, because the Lord had made her unable to have children.

1 Samuel 5:10
Then the Philistines sent the Ark of God to Ekron. But when it came into Ekron, the people of Ekron yelled, "Why are you bringing the Ark of the God of Israel to our city? Do you want to kill us and our people?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then she spake, saying, they were wont to speak in old time,.... It was a common saying, a proverbial expression among the ancient sages:

saying, they shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel, and so they ended [the matter]. Abel, it seems, had been a city so famous for wise and prudent men, that it was common for the inhabitants of other cities, in the several parts of the kingdom, when any controversy arose among them, to say to one another, since we cannot agree this matter among ourselves, let us go to Abel, and take advice there, and leave it to their arbitration; and so they did, and things were presently brought to an issue, and happily concluded; nay, when the king had a mind to make a decree or law, as R. Isaiah observes, he used to send to Abel to know whether they would submit to it; and if they agreed to it, then he proceeded in it; for other cities followed their example, so famous was this city, and of so great account: now the woman argues from hence, that surely such a renowned city should not hastily be destroyed; but the Targum directs to another sense, and which perhaps is best, and is followed by Jarchi, Kimchi, and others, paraphrasing the words thus,

"she spake, saying, I remember now what is written in the book of the law, to ask a city first, saying, (will ye make peace?) so shouldest thou have asked of Abel, will ye make peace, or receive terms of peace?''

referring to the law in Deuteronomy 20:10; signifying, if that had been attended to as it ought (for if such methods were to be taken with Heathen cities, much more with a city of Israel, as Abel was), things would soon have been agreed and issued; had Joab upon approaching the city proposed his terms of peace, they would have immediately yielded to them, and so the matter would have ended at once; for they were a peaceable people, as it follows: though Dr. Lightfoot b gives another sense of these words, that Sheba and his party when they came to the city,

"they at first certainly said thus, that they would ask Abel of its peace (or on whose side it was), and so they made the matter entire, or made a show of their own integrity:''

by which this woman assured Joab, that the men of Abel had not invited, nor willingly received Sheba and his rebels into the city, but they had deceived them by fawning and false words, pretending only to inquire about the peace and welfare of their city.

b Works, vol. 2. p. 367.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This was an old proverb. Abel, like Teman, and some other places, was once famous for the wisdom of its inhabitants 1 Kings 4:30-31. The wise woman was herself a remnant of this traditional wisdom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 20:18. They shall surely ask counsel at Abel — This is a proverb, but from what it originated we know not; nor can we exactly say what it means: much must be supplied to bring it to speak sense. Abel was probably famed for the wisdom of its inhabitants; and parties who had disputes appealed to their judgment, which appears to have been in such high reputation as to be final by consent of all parties. To this the wise woman refers, and intimates to Joab that he should have proceeded in this way before he began to storm the city, and destroy the peaceable inhabitants.