Midrash su II Samuele 20:21

“Naomi had an acquaintance of her husband’s, a mighty man of valor, from the family of Elimelekh, and his name was Boaz” (Ruth 2:1).
“Naomi had an acquaintance [moda] of her husband’s, a mighty man of valor” – moda means relative. Rabbi Abbahu said: If a giant marries a giantess, what do they produce? Mighty men of valor. Boaz married Ruth; what did they produce? David, “who knows how to play, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, understanding in matters, a comely man, and the Lord is with him” (I Samuel 16:18). “Who knows how to play” – [refers to his expertise] in Bible; “a mighty man of valor” – in Mishna; “a man of war” – he knows to negotiate the battle of Torah; “understanding in matters” – in good deeds; “a comely man” – in Talmud. Alternatively: “Understanding in matters” – he infers one matter from another matter; “a comely man” – who displays understanding in halakha; “and the Lord is with him” – the halakha is in accordance with his opinion.
“From the family of Elimelekh, and his name was Boaz” – the wicked precede their name: “Goliath was his name” (I Samuel 17:4); “Naval is his name” (I Samuel 25:25); “Sheva son of Bikhri was his name” (II Samuel 20:21). However, the righteous, their names precede them: “And his name was Kish” (I Samuel 9:1); “and his name was Saul” (I Samuel 9:2); “and his name was Yishai” (I Samuel 17:12); “and his name was Mordekhai” (Esther 2:5); “and his name was Elkana” (I Samuel 1:1). It is because they are similar to their Creator, as it is written: “But with My name, the Lord, I was not known to them” (Exodus 6:3).
They objected to him: “And his name was Laban” (Genesis 24:29). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is an obvious characteristic.¹⁴⁹He was extremely white [lavan] or was a senior judge who sought to clarify matters. Laban was not his real name. Rabbi Berekhya said: He was blatant [meluban] in his wickedness. But is it not written: The sons of Samuel, “the name of the firstborn was Yoel and the name of his second, Aviya” (I Samuel 8:2), [and] the Rabbis say: Just as this one was wicked, so too, that one was wicked? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Because they changed their actions and merited the Divine Spirit, as it is stated: “The word of the Lord that was to Joel [Yoel] son of Petuel” (Joel 1:1).¹⁵⁰The midrash interprets Petuel as a reference to Samuel; see Bemidbar Rabba 10:5.

“There was a Judean man in the Shushan citadel, and his name was Mordekhai, son of Ya'ir, son of Shimi, son of Kish, a Benjamite” (Esther 2:5).
“There was a Judean man [ish] in the Shushan citadel” – ish teaches that Mordekhai, in his generation, was the equivalent of Moses, in his generation, as it is written about him: “And the man [veha’ish] Moses was very humble” (Numbers 12:3). Just as Moses stood in the breach, as it is written: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moses His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach…” (Psalms 106:23); also Mordekhai did likewise: “A seeker of good for his people and spokesman of peace for all his descendants” (Esther 10:3).
Just as Moses taught Torah to Israel, as it is written: “See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances” (Deuteronomy 4:5), also Mordekhai did so, as it is written: “Matters of peace and truth” (Esther 9:30), and as it is written: “Acquire truth and do not sell” (Proverbs 23:23).
“And his name was Mordekhai” (Esther 2:5) – the wicked precede their names: “Naval was his name” (I Samuel 25:25); “Sheva ben Bikhri was his name” (II Samuel 20:21). However, the righteous, their names precede them: “And his name was Manoaḥ” (Judges 13:2); “And his name was Kish” (I Samuel 9:1); “And his name was Elkana” (I Samuel 1:1); “And his name was Boaz” (Ruth 2:1); “And his name was Mordekhai.” It is because they are similar to their Creator, as it is written: “But by My name, the Lord, I was not known by them” (Exodus 6:3).
“Judean” – why was he called Judean? Was he not a Benjaminite?⁶Mordekhai is identified as coming from the tribe of Benjamin in Esther 2:5. It is because he unified the name of the Holy One blessed be He⁷Actions which assert that there is only one God are referred to as “unifying the name.” before all creatures; that is what is written: “[And Mordekhai] would not bow and would not prostrate himself” (Esther 3:2). Was he contrary and violating the king’s decree? Rather, when Aḥashverosh commanded [everyone] to prostrate themselves to Haman, he [Haman] carved an idol [and set it] over his heart, intending that they prostrate themselves to the idol.
When Haman saw that Mordekhai would not prostrate himself to him, he was filled with fury. Mordekhai said to him: ‘There is a Master who exalts over all the exalted; how can I forsake him and prostrate myself to an idol?’ Because he unified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, he is called Judean [Yehudi], meaning by himself [yeḥidi].⁸Just as God is only one [yeḥidi] so was Mordekhai called yeḥidi.
Some say that he was the equivalent of Abraham in his generation. Just as Abraham allowed himself to be put into the fiery furnace and went about causing people to acknowledge the greatness of the Holy One blessed be He – that is what is written: “And the souls they had gotten in Ḥaran” (Genesis 12:5), so too, Mordekhai, in his time, people acknowledged the greatness of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Many of the peoples of the land became Jews, as the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them” (Esther 8:17). He unified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and sanctified it. Therefore, he is called yehudi, as it is written: “A Judean [yehudi] man” – don’t read it as yehudi, but rather, as yeḥidi.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU! Abraham said: Sovereign of the World, I see through the Holy Spirit that a certain woman is going to deliver an entire town.⁴⁶See Gen. R. 94:9; Eccl.. R. 9:18:2; M. Sam. 32. So am I not worthy to deliver these five cities? Which woman was that? That was Serah bat Asher, in the time that Sheba ben Bichri rebelled against David and came to Abel, as stated (in II Sam. 20:15): [THEN THEY CAME AND BESIEGED HIM IN ABEL] … AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH JOAB WERE DESTROYING THE WALL TO THROW IT DOWN. When Serah perceived the situation, she began to cry out < for Joab >. They called Joab to her. When Joab came, she said (in vs. 17): ARE YOU JOAB? AND HE SAID: YES. You are a sage, since the Scripture praises you (in II Sam. 23:8) as ONE WHO SITS IN THE SEAT OF WISDOM (i.e., in the academy)…. ⁴⁷These words are commonly understood as the proper name, JOSHEB-BASSHEBETH, A TAHCHEMONITE; but this midrash, along with Numb. R. 23:13 and PR 11:3, understands the passage as translated here. The attribution of the verse to Joab, the head of David’s army, is assumed because the person depicted here comes first in a listing of David’s mighty men and is identified as the chief of David’s captains. Moreover, although the listing contains no specific mention of Joab, it does contain the names of Joab’s brothers (in vss. 18 & 24) and even his armor bearer (in vs. 37). Have you not read in the Torah (in Deut. 20:10): WHEN YOU DRAW NEAR UNTO A CITY < TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT > ? Thus, was it not up to you to do so? (II Sam. 20:18:) {YOU} [THEY] USED TO SPEAK IN EARLY TIMES, SAYING: LET THEM SURELY ASK IN ABEL. (Deut. 20:10f.:) YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT (a hostile city). < THEN IT SHALL BE, IF IT MAKES YOU AN ANSWER OF PEACE >…. (II Sam. 20:18f.:) < LET THEM SURELY ASK > IN ABEL; AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE MATTER…. SO WHY WOULD YOU DEVOUR THE LORD'S HERITAGE? When he heard that, Joab became afraid and said: There is a requirement here, as stated (in vs. 20): {THEN JOAB SAID:} [THEN JOAB ANSWERED AND SAID: FAR BE IT], FAR BE IT⁴⁸Note that these words return the argument to Gen. 18:25, in which the same expression also occurs. FROM ME < THAT I SHOULD DEVOUR >…. But you, since you are a merciful < God >, is it pleasing for you to destroy these? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU TO DO SUCH A THING, < TO PUT TO DEATH A RIGHTEOUS PERSON ALONG WITH A WICKED ONE, SO THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE FARES LIKE THE WICKED! FAR BE IT FROM YOU > ! Now what did Joab say to her? (II Sam. 20:21:) THE SITUATION IS NOT THE SAME, FOR A MAN FROM THE HILLS OF EPHRAIM NAMED SHEBA BEN BICHRI < HAS RAISED HIS HAND AGAINST KING DAVID >…. Sheba is a man with a blemish, one who serves idols. (II Sam. 20:1:) NOW THERE HAPPENED TO BE THERE A MAN OF BELIAL WHOSE NAME IS SHEBA BEN BICHRI. She said to him (in vs. 19): I AM THE SHELUME (rt.: ShLM) OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL.⁴⁹Cf. the new JPSA translation here: I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO SEEK THE WELFARE OF THE FAITHFUL IN ISRAEL. I am the one who completed (rt.: ShLM) the number of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 26:46): AND THE NAME OF ASHER'S DAUGHTER WAS SERAH.⁵⁰According to Gen. 46:27, THE TOTAL OF JACOB’S HOUSE WHO CAME INTO EGYPT WAS SEVENTY PERSONS, but those named number only sixty-nine including Joseph, his two sons, and Serah. The extra person comes from counting Serah twice because of her long life. Numb. 26:46 shows that she was still alive at the time of the Exodus. Moreover, it was not too difficult to imagine that so old a woman had lived even longer into the reign of David and identify her with the wise woman of II Sam. 20:16. See the version of this tradition in PRK 11:13. Just stay in your place, and I will make peace (rt.: ShLM). Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:21): BEHOLD, HIS HEAD WILL BE THROWN TO YOU OVER THE WALL. And so she had confidence in herself that she would deliver his head to Joab. But see what she did (according to vs. 22)! THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. What is the meaning of IN HER WISDOM? Simply that she said to them: Understand that Joab and all Israel are standing outside to kill us, our sons, and our daughters. They said to her: Why? She said to them: He would take a hundred people and go. They said to her: Let him take two hundred. She said to them: He only wants fifty people. They said to her: Let him take a hundred. She said to them: He only wants five: They said to her: Let him take ten. She said to them: He only wants one whose name is Sheba ben Bichri. When they heard that, they immediately went and cut off his head. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 20:22, cont.): SO THEY CUT OFF THE HEAD OF SHEBA BEN BICHRI. Look at the wisdom of this woman! In the same way Abraham came in wisdom before the Holy One. He came < down > from fifty to forty, from forty to thirty, from thirty to twenty, and from twenty to ten. So also with this woman (according to II Sam. 20:22): THEN THE WOMAN CAME UNTO [ALL] THE PEOPLE IN HER WISDOM. Regarding her Solomon gave praise⁵¹Gk.: kalos. (in Eccl. 9:18): WISDOM IS BETTER THAN INSTRUMENTS OF WAR. The wisdom of Serah was better than the instruments of war that were in the hands of Joab. When Joab received the head of Sheba ben Bichri, he immediately went back without touching the city. Abraham said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, now if Joab, when he took the head of one person who was guilty, left the city alone, would you, who are merciful, destroy everyone? (Gen. 18:25:) FAR BE IT FROM YOU!

Another matter, “wisdom is better” – this is the wisdom of Seraḥ bat Asher, “than instruments of battle” – than the instruments of battle of Yoav, as it is stated: “A wise woman called from the city…[say to Yoav: Come close to here]” (II Samuel 20:16) – from here [it is derived] that he was far away. “He approached her, and she said to him” (II Samuel 20:17): You are not Yoav,¹¹⁵Yoav has the connotation of father [av]. you shorten,¹¹⁶You shorten the lives of the people. you do not correspond to your name. You are not a Torah personality and David is not a Torah personality. Is it not written in the Torah: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10)? Perhaps for war?¹¹⁷Perhaps one might think that the army initiates battle immediately; the aforementioned verse therefore teaches otherwise. [This is] as is written: “She spoke, saying: They should have spoken initially…and the matter would have ended [hetamu]” (II Samuel 20:18). She said to him: ‘Is that all, have the words of the Torah ended [tamu], not to be fulfilled?’ He said to her: ‘Who are you?’ She said to him: ‘Who am I? “I am the loyal [shelumei] faithful of Israel” (II Samuel 20:19), it is I who completed [hishlamti] the tally of Israel in Egypt;¹¹⁸The Torah lists sixty-nine descendants of Jacob who descended to Egypt, and then states that the total number of his descendants who went to Egypt was seventy (see Genesis 46:8–27) The midrash (Bereshit Rabba 94:9) asserts that the seventieth individual was Seraḥ bat Asher. it is I who completed loyalty to Joseph and loyalty to Moses.¹¹⁹She revealed to Moses where Joseph was buried so he could take his bones and bury them in the Land of Israel. “And you are seeking to destroy a metropolitan city [ir ve’em] in Israel” (II Samuel 20:19); ir, this is Avel Beit Maakha,¹²⁰This was the name of the city that Yoav had besieged (see II Samuel 20:15). and me, who is a mother [em] in Israel.’
Immediately, “Yoav answered and said: Far be it from me…” (II Samuel 20:20) – far be it from Yoav, far be it from David, far be it from his kingdom. “The matter is not so. Rather a man from Mount Ephraim, his name is Sheva ben Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David” (II Samuel 20:21). If [he already said] “against the king,” why [did he also say] “against David”; if “against David,” why “against the king”? Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon: This is to teach you that anyone who is impudent toward Torah scholars and a spiritual leader of the generation, it is as though he is impudent toward a king; all the more so, David, who was a king, a scholar, and a spiritual leader of the generation. Rabbi Yudan said: Anyone who is impudent toward the king it is as though he is impudent toward the Divine Presence, as it is written: “He raised his hand against the king, against David.” “Against the king” – that is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, and then “against David” – this is David king of Israel.
[Yoav continued] “Turn him, alone, over, and I will go…[the woman said to Yoav: Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall]” (II Samuel 20:21). He said to her: ‘How do you know?’ She said to him: ‘Anyone who is impudent to the kingdom of the house of David incurs liability from above.’ Immediately, “the woman came to the people in her wisdom” (II Samuel 20:22). She said to them: ‘Will you not obey Yoav, will you not obey David? What nation has stood against them? What kingdom has stood against them?’ They said to her: ‘What does he demand?’ She said to them: ‘One thousand men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’¹²¹Each household will turn over a proportion of its members. She said to them: ‘I will go and appease him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She feigned going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands five hundred men.’ They said to her: ‘Each and every person will give in accordance with what he has.’ She said to them: ‘I will go and appeal to him, perhaps he will [accept] fewer.’ She pretended as though she were going and returning. She said to them: ‘He demands one man, and he is a non-resident [of our city].’ They said to her: ‘If he was the best man in the city we would submit him to [Yoav].’ She said to them: ‘His name is Sheva ben Bikhri.’ Immediately, they took the head of Sheva ben Bikhri and cast it over the wall. “And one sinner destroys much good” – this is Sheva ben Bikhri.