1
2Sa 20:1-9.
英文原文
2Sa 20:1-9.
SHEBA MAKES A PARTY IN ISRAEL.
1. Sheba . . . a Benjamite--Though nothing is known of this man, he must have been a person of considerable power and influence, before he could have raised so sudden and extensive a sedition. He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, where the adherents of Saul's dynasty were still numerous; and perceiving the strong disgust of the other tribes with the part assumed by Judah in the restoration, his ill-designing heart resolved to turn it to the overthrow of David's authority in Israel.
every man to his tents--This proverbial expression may have had its foundation in the fact, that many of the Israelite peasantry adhered to the custom of the patriarchs who tilled land, and yet lived in tents, as Syrian peasants often do still. This was the usual watchword of national insurrection, and from the actual temper of the people, it was followed by effects beyond what he probably anticipated.
2
無標題
2. 從約旦直到耶路撒冷——爭吵是在渡過約旦河後不久，在猶大與其餘支派之間爆發的；其餘支派紛紛退去，以致猶大幾乎獨力護送王回到京都。
英文原文
2. from Jordan even to Jerusalem--The quarrel had broken out shortly after the crossing of the Jordan, between Judah and the other tribes, who withdrew; so that Judah was left nearly alone to conduct the king to the metropolis.
3
無標題
3. 王就把那十個妃嬪帶走——猶太學者說，希伯來君王遺下的王后不許再嫁，必須在嚴格的幽禁中度過餘生。大衛在那十個妃嬪被押沙龍玷污之後，也是這樣待她們。她們並未被休棄，因她們是無辜的；但她們不再被公開承認為他的妻妾；她們被禁閉在幽居之中，這刑罰在那女子向來少有外出的地方，並不算是太重的厄運。
英文原文
3. the king took the ten women his concubines--Jewish writers say that the widowed queens of Hebrew monarchs were not allowed to marry again but were obliged to pass the rest of their lives in strict seclusion. David treated his concubines in the same manner after the outrage committed on them by Absalom. They were not divorced, for they were guiltless; but they were no longer publicly recognized as his wives; nor was their confinement to a sequestered life a very heavy doom, in a region where women have never been accustomed to go much abroad.
4
無標題
4. 王對亞瑪撒說，你要在三日之內將猶大人招聚到我這裏來——如今亞瑪撒被授予了大衛所應許他的統帥之職。十支派的叛變大概加速了這一任命的公開宣布，他指望這任命能得他們的歡心；亞瑪撒受命在三日之內從猶大徵集一支足以平定叛亂的兵力。這一任命是個失策，王不久便察覺了自己的錯誤。所定的期限已過，亞瑪撒卻未能召集齊人馬。王恐怕貽誤時機，便把這項差事交給亞比篩，而不是約押——這是新的輕慢，無疑傷了這位嚴厲而傲慢的老將軍的自尊。但他仍帶著忠於自己的兵士趕去作兄弟的副手，決意要抓住第一個機會向他這位得勢的對手復仇。
英文原文
4. Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days--Amasa is now installed in the command which David had promised him. The revolt of the ten tribes, probably, hastened the public declaration of this appointment, which he hoped would be popular with them, and Amasa was ordered within three days to levy a force from Judah sufficient to put down the insurrection. The appointment was a blunder, and the king soon perceived his error. The specified time passed, but Amasa could not muster the men. Dreading the loss of time, the king gave the commission to Abishai, and not to Joab--a new affront, which, no doubt, wounded the pride of the stern and haughty old general. But he hastened with his attached soldiers to go as second to his brother, determined to take the first opportunity of wreaking his vengeance on his successful rival.
8
無標題
8. 亞瑪撒在他們前頭走——他召集了一些兵馬，急行軍在基遍追上了出征的隊伍，便就任統帥之位；約押也在向他致意的人之中。
約押所穿的衣物，束在身上——是行路人和兵士的裝束。
一把刀……他出來的時候，刀掉了出來——即從鞘中掉出。據約瑟夫所記，他在迎見亞瑪撒時故意讓刀落下，以便彎腰——像是偶然地——去拾刀時，可以手中握著出鞘的刀向這位新元帥致意，而不引起任何對他圖謀的疑心。
他出去——以鄭重的禮節出去迎接如今已任元帥之職的亞瑪撒，為要看似向這位他所視為篡奪己職的軍官致以顯赫的尊榮和敬意。
英文原文
8. Amasa went before them--Having collected some forces, he by a rapid march overtook the expedition at Gibeon, and assumed the place of commander; in which capacity, he was saluted, among others, by Joab.
Joab's garment, that he had put on was girded unto him--in the fashion of travellers and soldiers.
a sword . . . and as he went forth it fell out--that is, out of the scabbard. According to JOSEPHUS, he let it drop on purpose as he was accosting Amasa, that stooping, as it were accidentally, to pick it up, he might salute the new general with the naked sword in his hand, without exciting any suspicion of his design.
He went forth--in a ceremonious manner to meet Amasa, now commander-in-chief, in order to seem to render to that officer, whom he considered as usurping his post, a conspicuous honor and homage.
9
無標題
9. 右手拉住亞瑪撒的鬍鬚與他親嘴——這是兩個朋友久別重逢時常見的舉動，表示尊重與親切；約押藉此行動顯出他極深的虛偽，使亞瑪撒放鬆了戒備。因此不足為奇，當亞瑪撒的注意力被這久別之後友善致意的舉動所佔據時，他並未察覺約押左手中所持的刀。約押的舉動確實是極大的敬意，但既不可疑也非反常；亞瑪撒專注於這份敬意，無疑也以適當的禮節回敬，卻萬萬料不到約押的背信所造成的致命後果。
英文原文
9. took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him--This act, common with two friends on meeting when one of them returns from a journey, indicates respect as well as kindliness, and the performance of it evinced the deep hypocrisy of Joab, who thereby put Amasa off his guard. No wonder, then, that while this act of friendly gratulation after long absence occupied Amasa's attention, he did not perceive the sword that was in Joab's left hand. The action of Joab was indeed a high compliment, but neither suspicious nor unusual and to this compliment, Amasa paying attention and no doubt returning it with suitable politeness, he could little expect the fatal event that Joab's perfidy produced.
10
2Sa 20:10-13.
2Sa 20:10-13.
亞瑪撒被殺。
10. 刺透他的第五肋——即肝臟和臟腑所在之處，傷及此處必死無疑。
沒有再刺——意即一擊斃命。
英文原文
2Sa 20:10-13.
AMASA IS SLAIN.
10. smote him . . . in the fifth rib--the seat of the liver and bowels, where wounds are mortal.
struck him not again--that is, despatched him at the first blow.
11
無標題
11-13. 凡喜悅約押的，凡歸順大衛的，都當跟隨約押——這是約押在全軍中擁有無與倫比影響力的有力證明：在他們眼前犯下如此卑劣的謀殺之後，全軍卻一致地跟隨他，作為追緝示巴的統帥。有士兵將他的名字與大衛並列，而「約押」這名字竟有如此魔力，使所有人都「跟著去」——包括亞瑪撒的人和其他人在內。這兩個名字並列非常意味深長。這說明二者誰也離不開誰——約押不能背叛大衛，大衛雖然恨惡約押，卻也無法擺脫他。
英文原文
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.
14
2Sa 20:14, 15.
2Sa 20:14, 15.
約押追趕示巴直到亞伯。
14. 他走遍以色列各支派，直到亞伯——沿途招募兵馬。但約押一路急行軍，在那裡追上了他，將那城團團圍住，緊緊圍困。
英文原文
2Sa 20:14, 15.
JOAB PURSUES SHEBA UNTO ABEL.
14. he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel--beating up for recruits. But there the prompt marches of Joab overtook and hemmed him in by a close siege of the place.
15
無標題
15. 亞伯伯瑪迦——一個青翠的地方；「瑪迦」的附加表明它屬於瑪迦地區，那地在約旦河上游、利巴嫩山腳下。
英文原文
15. Abel of Beth-maachah--a verdant place--the addition of "Maachah" betokening that it belonged to the district Maachah, which lay far up the Jordan at the foot of Lebanon.
16
2Sa 20:16-22.
2Sa 20:16-22.
一個智慧的婦人藉示巴的首級救了那城。
16. 有一個聰明婦人呼叫——這婦人可能像底波拉一樣，是那地方的士師或長官；她的呼籲大有力量。
英文原文
2Sa 20:16-22.
A WISE WOMAN SAVES THE CITY BY SHEBA'S HEAD.
16. Then cried a wise woman--The appeal of this woman, who, like Deborah, was probably a judge or governess of the place, was a strong one.
18
無標題
18-20. 古時的人有句俗語——頁邊註的譯法含義更好，大意是：百姓見你圍困亞伯，便說：他必定會問我們要不要和平，因為律法
(De 20:10)
規定要向外邦的城邑宣告和睦，何況是以色列人的城邑呢；他若這樣行，我們很快就能達成友好的協議，因為我們是和平的百姓。約押的回答，顯出這位鐵血老將骨子裡仍是個愛國者：他一旦擒獲這場叛亂的主謀，便樂意停止進一步的流血，使愛好和平的居民不再受任何騷擾。
英文原文
18-20. They were wont to speak in old time--The translation of the Margin gives a better meaning, which is to this effect: When the people saw thee lay siege to Abel, they said, Surely he will ask if we will have peace, for the law
(De 20:10)
prescribes that he should offer peace to strangers, much more then to Israelitish cities; and if he do this, we shall soon bring things to an amicable agreement, for we are a peaceable people. The answer of Joab brings out the character of that ruthless veteran as a patriot at heart, who, on securing the author of this insurrection, was ready to put a stop to further bloodshed and release the peaceable inhabitants from all molestation.
23
2Sa 20:23-26.
2Sa 20:23-26.
大衛的眾大臣。
23. 約押作以色列全軍的元帥——大衛無論私下有何意願，卻發現自己並無權力罷免約押；於是他對亞瑪撒被殺之事隻眼開隻眼閉，重新恢復了那位軍官先前的元帥職位。這裡記載大衛內閣的名單，是要表明政府已恢復了慣常的運作。
英文原文
2Sa 20:23-26.
DAVID'S GREAT OFFICERS.
23. Now Joab was over all the host of Israel--David, whatever his private wishes, found that he possessed not the power of removing Joab; so winking at the murder of Amasa, he re-established that officer in his former post of commander-in-chief. The enumeration of David's cabinet is here given to show that the government was re-established in its wonted course.
2Sa 20:1-9.
示巴在以色列中結黨。
1. 示巴……是便雅憫人——這人雖無可考，但必是一位頗具勢力影響的人物，否則不可能如此迅速地掀起如此廣泛的叛亂。他屬便雅憫支派，那裏擁護掃羅王朝的人仍不在少數；他既見其他支派對猶大在復辟之事上所扮演的角色深感不滿，他那居心叵測的心便決意藉此推翻大衛在以色列中的王權。
以色列人哪，你們各回各家去吧——這一諺語式的說法，其由來或許在於許多以色列平民仍遵行先祖的習俗，一面耕種田地，一面仍住帳棚，正如敘利亞的農人至今仍常如此。這是全國性叛亂的慣常口號，而從百姓當時的實際情緒來看，它所引發的效果遠超他所預期的。