1 Kings 2:31

31 And the king said to Benaiah, Do thou as he hath spoken, and slay thou him, and (then) bury him; and thou shalt remove the innocent blood, that was shed out of Joab, from me, and from the house of my father (and so thou shalt remove the innocent blood that was shed by Joab, from me, and from my father's house).

1 Kings 2:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:31

And the king said unto him, do as he hath said, and fall upon
him, and bury him
Let him die where he is, slay him upon the spot, and then bury him; not by the altar, but in his own sepulchre, as later related, that in, give orders to bury him there; for Benaiah being a priest, could not be concerned in the burial of him, and besides it was below the dignity of his office:

((See Gill on 1 Chronicles 27:2) where Gill advances resaons for Benaiah not being a priest. Editor.)

that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from
me, and from the house of my father;
which had been too long connived at, and had called for vengeance; and now here was a proper opportunity upon fresh sins committed to avenge it, and so remove the guilt, which lay upon him and his father's house, for not inflicting deserved punishment on him for it.

1 Kings 2:31 In-Context

29 And it was told to king Solomon, that Joab had fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was beside the altar; and Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and said, Go thou, and slay him.
30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to Joab, The king saith these things, Go thou out. And he said, I shall not go out, but I shall die here. Benaiah told the word to the king (Benaiah told this to the king), and said, Joab spake these things, and answered these things to me.
31 And the king said to Benaiah, Do thou as he hath spoken, and slay thou him, and (then) bury him; and thou shalt remove the innocent blood, that was shed out of Joab, from me, and from the house of my father (and so thou shalt remove the innocent blood that was shed by Joab, from me, and from my father's house).
32 And the Lord yield on(to) his (own) head his (own) blood, for he killed two just men, and better than himself, and he killed them by (the) sword, while David, my father, knew not, Abner the son of Ner, the prince of the chivalry of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the prince of the host of Judah (that is, Abner the son of Ner, the leader of Israel's cavalry, or army, and Amasa, the son of Jether, the leader of Judah's army).
33 And the blood of them shall turn again into the head of Joab, and into the head of his seed without end; but peace be of the Lord till into without end to David, and to his seed, and to the house, and [the] throne of him. (And their blood shall return onto Joab's head, and onto the head of his descendants forevermore; but let peace, or prosperity, be from the Lord forevermore for David, and for his descendants, and for his house, and his throne.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.