1 Kings 2:28-34

Joab Executed

28 Now the news came to Joab, ¹for Joab had followed * Adonijah, ²although he had not followed * Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and ³took hold of the horns of the altar.

29 It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon ⁴sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "⁵Go, fall upon him."

30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "Thus the king has said, 'Come out.' " But he said, "No, for I will die here." And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me."

31 The king said to him, "⁶Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, ⁷that you may remove from me and from my father's house the blood which Joab shed without cause.

32 "⁸The LORD will return his blood on his own head, ⁹because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: ¹⁰Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and ¹¹Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

33 "¹²So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever *."

34 Then ¹³Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house ¹⁴in the wilderness.

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1 Kings 2:28-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KING 2

This chapter gives an account of the charge David gave to his son Solomon, a little before his death, to walk in the ways of the Lord, 1Ki 2:1-4; and of some instructions delivered to him concerning some particular persons he should either show favour to, or execute justice on, 1Ki 2:5-9; and the next account in it is concerning his death and burial, and the years of his reign, 1Ki 2:10,11; after which it relates an address of Bathsheba to Solomon in favour of Adonijah, which was refused, and the issue of it was his death, 1Ki 2:12-25; and the deposition of Abiathar from the priesthood, 1Ki 2:26,27; and the putting of Joab to death for his treason and murders, 1Ki 2:28-34; in whose post Benaiah was put, as Zadok was in the place of Abiathar, 1Ki 2:35; and lastly the confinement of Shimei in Jerusalem, who had cursed David, 1Ki 2:36-38; who upon transgressing the orders given him was put to death, 1Ki 2:39-46.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 14

1. 1 Kings 1:7
2. 2 Samuel 17:25; 2 Samuel 18:2
3. 1 Kings 1:50
4. 1 Kings 2:25
5. Exodus 21:14
6. Exodus 21:14
7. Numbers 35:33; Deuteronomy 19:13; Deuteronomy 21:8, 9
8. Genesis 9:6; Judges 9:24, 57; Psalms 7:16
9. 2 Chronicles 21:13, 14
10. 2 Samuel 3:27
11. 2 Samuel 20:9, 10
12. 2 Samuel 3:29
13. 1 Kings 2:25
14. Joshua 15:61; Matthew 3:1

Footnotes 2

[a]. Lit "seed"
[b]. Lit "seed"