1 Kings 2:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

NIV: The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he.

NASB: The Lord will return his blood on his own head, because he struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

CSB: The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

NLT: The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

KJV: And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

NKJV: So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword— Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it.

Solomon is sending a message to Benaiah, who asked whether he should execute Joab in the tabernacle. Solomon replied that Benaiah should kill Joab and bury him (1 Kings 2:29–31). Solomon wants to be clear about why Joab is being executed. He would be within his rights as the king to have Joab killed for backing Adonijah's attempt to take the throne (1 Kings 2:22). That's what Solomon is acting now, but it's not why Joab must die.

Solomon may be spelling it out as clearly as possible because Joab has served David and Israel for many years. He is doubtless a war hero among the people. Beyond that, Benaiah has fought alongside Joab for most of that time, as both have risked their lives for the good of Israel and David. It's no wonder that Benaiah would now hesitate to kill a former comrade in arms.

Benaiah probably knows the stories, but Solomon recounts them anyway: Joab is a murderer. He defied David by killing Abner and Amasa in peacetime (2 Samuel 3:26–27; 20:8–10). Solomon describes both as better and more righteous men than Joab. It's true that they had opposed David during their respective civil wars, but both had reconciled with David and had agreed to serve him as king. Abner's murder harmed David's attempts to join Judah to the northern tribes. Amasa's killing harmed David's attempt to reintegrate Absalom's followers into his authority. When Joab died, David placed a curse of retribution on Joab (2 Samuel 3:28–29). Now Solomon echoes it by saying that the Lord is bringing Joab's bloody deeds on his own head (1 Kings 2:33).

But Benaiah is probably also reluctant because at this moment, Joab is within the walls of the tabernacle, holding on to the horns, or protruding corners, of the altar. This is the place for the spilled blood of cows, sheep, and goats. God doesn't accept human sacrifice. But if that's where Joab wants to die, Solomon will grant his last wish.

First Kings 2:28–35 describes the unfortunate end of one of David's greatest allies. David had told Solomon that to have a secure kingdom, he needed to kill Joab, the military commander who had murdered two good men (1 Kings 2:5–6). Solomon waits until Joab commits a crime against him: supporting Solomon's brother Adonijah's coup attempt after Solomon is already king. When Joab hears that Solomon executed Adonijah, he runs to the tabernacle for sanctuary. Solomon has him killed, anyway. Solomon only has one more person to deal with: Shimei, the man from Benjamin who cursed David when David fled from Absalom's coup (1 Kings 2:36–46).

In 1 Kings 2, Solomon establishes his kingdom. David tells Solomon to follow God and to deal justly with his officials. After David dies, Solomon executes his rival Adonijah and the murderer Joab. He sends the conspiring priest Abiathar to house arrest and deals with the Benjamite Shimei, who cursed David. Benaiah becomes the military commander, and Zadok the lead priest. Next, Solomon will offer his famous prayer for wisdom (1 Kings 3:6–9).

David's reign ends as his health begins to fail. Watchful rivals try to take advantage of this, attempting to install their preferred heir to the throne (1 Kings 1). This fails, and Solomon is crowned. In 1 Kings 2, Solomon begins the work of inheriting God's covenant with David. Before David dies, he advises Solomon on how to follow God, respond to conspirators, and build the temple (1 Chronicles 22:6–19; 28:9–21). David also throws a more formal coronation ceremony (1 Chronicles 29:22–25). After dealing with the men who would take his crown, Solomon asks God for wisdom; God promises to add honor and wealth (1 Kings 3:6–14).

This was originally the first half of a combined text. First Kings records the end of David's reign and the rule of Solomon. After this, the kingdom is split in two. The northern nation of Israel no longer submits to the king of the southern nation, called Judah. The prophet Elijah first appears in this book. The kings mostly fail to honor the Lord. They participate in idolatry and other sins. This will eventually result in their conquest and exile, as depicted throughout the books of Chronicles.