The Meaning of 2 Samuel 20:1 Explained

2 Samuel 20:1

KJV: And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

YLT: And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name is Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'

Darby: And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, Israel.

ASV: And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there happened  to be there a man  of Belial,  whose name  [was] Sheba,  the son  of Bichri,  a Benjamite:  and he blew  a trumpet,  and said,  We have no part  in David,  neither have we inheritance  in the son  of Jesse:  every  man  to his tents,  O Israel. 

What does 2 Samuel 20:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 20:1-13 - Pursuing Another Rebel
Like Shimei, Sheba belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. The old Saul-faction was always breaking out in rebellion, and Nathan's prediction that the sword would never cease from David's house was literally fulfilled. We must always watch against the return of our old sins.
Amasa's appointment was a mistake. He had already proved his incompetence under Absalom, and now his delay threatened disaster. David had chosen him only because he wished, at any cost, to rid himself of Joab. He could not forgive that general for slaying Absalom. The proud spirit of the old leader, however, would not brook the division of the military command, and Joab treated Amasa as he had treated Abner. An attempt was afterward made to justify the deed by casting suspicion on Amasa's loyalty. See 2 Samuel 20:11. But jealousy will catch at a straw to justify its crimes.
We turn from these deeds of blood, mindful that the heart of man is still capable of them. We are daily taught in the present European crisis, to what lengths men will go. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Only God knows it, only God can cleanse it, and only God can create a clean heart and renew a right spirit. [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 20:1 mean?

And there there happened to be a man a rebel and whose name [was] Sheba son of Bichri man a Benjamite and he blew a trumpet and said no we have share in David nor inheritance do have we in the son of Jesse every man to his tents Israel
וְשָׁ֨ם נִקְרָ֜א אִ֣ישׁ בְּלִיַּ֗עַל וּשְׁמ֛וֹ שֶׁ֥בַע בֶּן־ בִּכְרִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ יְמִינִ֑י וַיִּתְקַ֣ע בַּשֹּׁפָ֗ר וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אֵֽין־ לָ֨נוּ חֵ֜לֶק בְּדָוִ֗ד וְלֹ֤א נַֽחֲלָה־ לָ֙נוּ֙ בְּבֶן־ יִשַׁ֔י אִ֥ישׁ לְאֹהָלָ֖יו יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וְשָׁ֨ם  And  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
נִקְרָ֜א  there  happened  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to encounter, befall, meet.
אִ֣ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּלִיַּ֗עַל  a  rebel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּלִיַּעַל  
Sense: worthlessness.
וּשְׁמ֛וֹ  and  whose  name  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
שֶׁ֥בַע  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.
בִּכְרִ֖י  of  Bichri 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּכְרִי  
Sense: a Benjamite, father of Sheba adj.
אִ֣ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יְמִינִ֑י  a  Benjamite 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָמִינִי  
Sense: the descendants of Jamin.
וַיִּתְקַ֣ע  and  he  blew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תֹּוקְעִים 
Sense: to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast.
בַּשֹּׁפָ֗ר  a  trumpet 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁופָר  
Sense: horn, ram’s horn.
וַ֠יֹּאמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵֽין־  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
לָ֨נוּ  we  have 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
חֵ֜לֶק  share 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶק 
Sense: portion, share, part, territory.
בְּדָוִ֗ד  in  David 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וְלֹ֤א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נַֽחֲלָה־  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
לָ֙נוּ֙  do  have  we 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
בְּבֶן־  in  the  son 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשַׁ֔י  of  Jesse 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישַׁי 
Sense: son of Boaz and the father of king David.
אִ֥ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְאֹהָלָ֖יו  to  his  tents 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.