שמואל ב, פרק כ׳, פסוק ה׳

Amasa's crucial military mission to rally the men of Judah encounters a major delay, resulting in a serious failure during a time of high tension. He fails to return to the king within the strict three-day deadline assigned to him [רלב״ג, רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

Because of this failure, David is forced to shift his strategy. Seeing that Amasa is late, the king turns to Abishai, commanding him to immediately pursue the rebel Sheba son of Bichri. Notably, David purposely avoids calling upon Joab for this task. He has already resolved to remove Joab from his position as commander of the army as a direct result of Joab killing Absalom [רד״ק].

Commentators offer different explanations for why Amasa misses his deadline. Some suggest practical reasons for the failed mission, such as the tribe's unwillingness to draft, general inefficiency on Amasa's part, or even a hint of treason [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. In contrast, another perspective suggests a spiritual cause for his lateness. According to this view, Amasa encountered scholars engaged in Torah study along his journey and chose to stay and learn with them, causing him to miss his appointed return [רש״י].