20:1 worthless man. See note on 1 Sam. 2:12.

Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. From the same tribe as Saul, Sheba may even have been his relative.

no portion in David. See note 19:43. Although the aggressive behavior of the men of Judah was certainly a factor, residual allegiance to Saul must have also played a part in the mass withdrawal of support from David among the northern tribes.

every man to his tents. This archaic turn of phrase should not be taken to imply that the Israelites at this stage in their history were still tent-dwellers. See Judg. 19:9 where the ESV renders the Hebrew word for “tent” simply as ‘‘home.”