The Father of a Traitor
Bicri was a Hebrew man from the tribe of Benjamin, but his primary significance in Holy Scripture comes not from his own deeds but from the actions of his son, Sheba. He is named in the historical books of the Old Testament as the father of Sheba, who led a rebellion against King David shortly after the suppression of Absalom’s revolt.
The Context of Rebellion
The account of Bicri’s family is found in the twenty-first chapter of II Samuel. The nation of Israel was deeply divided following Absalom’s failed uprising. As King David returned to Jerusalem, a fierce dispute arose between the men of Israel and the men of Judah regarding who had the greatest right to bring the King back.
In the midst of this heated rivalry, Sheba, the son of Bicri, seized the opportunity to sow discord and proclaim independence from David’s rule.
The Traitor’s Proclamation
The Bible records the moment of Sheba’s treachery in II Samuel 20:1:
“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.” (KJV)
This proclamation was a direct echo of the earlier cry made during the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam (I Kings 12:16), making it a well-known rallying cry for secession. Sheba’s appeal to the disaffected northern tribes was successful, and a portion of Israel followed him, abandoning their allegiance to David.
The Pursuit and End
King David, recognizing the immediate danger of this new rebellion, swiftly appointed Amasa as the head of the army and tasked him with gathering the men of Judah to pursue Sheba. However, when Amasa failed to assemble the troops quickly enough, David sent his loyal commander, Abishai, along with Joab and the mighty men, to hunt down the traitor Sheba, the son of Bicri.
The chase led them to Abel of Beth-maachah, where Sheba had taken refuge. Joab, after brutally murdering Amasa, took command of the pursuit and besieged the city. The siege was resolved when a “wise woman” of the city intervened, asking why Joab would destroy a “mother in Israel.” She brokered a deal to prevent the city’s destruction: the inhabitants would deliver the traitor.
The citizens of Abel subsequently cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bicri, and threw it over the wall to Joab.
The Bible concludes the account by stating:
“And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.” (II Samuel 20:22, KJV)
Thus, Bicri is remembered solely as the father of Sheba, whose impulsive and divisive rebellion was swiftly and decisively crushed, restoring peace and unity under the reign of King David.