1 Kings 2:29

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 ¹sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "²Go, fall upon him."

1 Kings 2:29 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 2:29

And it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the
tabernacle of the Lord
This account was brought him very probably by some of his courtiers:

and, behold, [he is] by the altar;
to which he betook himself for refuge, laying hold on the horns of it:

then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, go, fall upon
him;
slay him; Josephus ^F7 says, the orders were to cut off his head; but perhaps it might be only to lay hold on him, and take him thence, and bring him to Solomon to have judgment passed upon him; for the Targum is,

``exercise your power over him,''

take him into custody; and certain it is that the first orders were not to slay him, at least upon the spot where he was.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 1. sect. 4.

1 Kings 2:29 In-Context

27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD , in order to fulfill the word of the LORD , which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 Now the news came to Joab, for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and took 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 sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, 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, "Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father's house the blood which Joab shed without cause.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 2:25
• 2. Exodus 21:14