Israel bickers over rights to David, then rebels against him; the Gibeonites avenged and Philistines defeated; and a psalm: 2 Samuel 19:31–20:26; Psalm 7; 2 Samuel 21:1–22; 1 Chronicles 20:4–8

Some 15 years or more after David became king, the tribe of Benjamin was still bitter about Saul losing the throne. Their rebellion nearly led to the destruction of the entire town of Abel-beth-maacah: Joab had siege ramps, battering rams and troops ready to take the town and the rebel leader with it.

One woman had the courage to look over the wall and talk to Joab:

^{2 Samuel 20:19} I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel. Why do you want to devour what belongs to the Lord?

Joab had no desire to destroy a town; he just wanted Sheba, the rebel leader who had ended up in Abel-beth-maacah through no fault of its own:

^{2 Samuel 20:21} If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in peace.

The woman agreed, thereby saving the town:

^{2 Samuel 20:22} Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.