2 Samuel 20:18
Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter. Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
The verse stands in the account of the revolt of Sheba the son of Bichri, which broke out from the quarrel between the men of Judah and the men of Israel after the revolt of Absalom had been suppressed. That revolt threatened to prove a very serious thing, and it showed that the troubles of David were not yet ended. The saying in the verse means that Abel-Beth-maacah was renowned for wisdom, so that in former times people would seek counsel there and a matter could be settled through that counsel.
The verse belongs to the closing history of the reign of David, with its difficulties and his troubles with Joab. That history is told with such detailed faithfulness as to mark the account as inspired and to show that God does not hide the sins of even the greatest kings. It is part of the account of David's later history, which records the judgments that followed his great transgression against Uriah and shows the fulfillment of Nathan's denunciation. It is also part of the account of troubles in David's family, which grew out of his taking many wives. That account illustrates that people cannot break God's laws without suffering, because transgression carries an inherent curse.