So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
So all the men of Israel turned away from following David and instead followed Sheba, the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed loyal to their king, from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.
This verse shows Israel splitting apart - the northern tribes abandoned King David to follow a rebel named Sheba, while Judah remained faithful to David.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is set in the context of King David's reign over a divided Israel, following the rebellion of his son Absalom, which had already weakened national unity. After Absalom's defeat, Sheba, a Benjamite, rallied the northern tribes against David, exploiting ongoing tribal tensions to incite another uprising. As a result, most of Israel abandoned David and followed Sheba, while the southern tribe of Judah remained loyal and escorted the king back to Jerusalem.
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