1 Kings 2:32

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²⁶Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death at this time, since you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered through all that my father suffered." ²⁷So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and so fulfilled the word the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli. ²⁸When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar. ²⁹It was reported to King Solomon: "Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar." So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, strike him down!" ³⁰And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, "The king says, 'Come out!'" But Joab replied, "No, I will die here." So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, "This is how Joab answered me." ³¹And the king replied, "Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so remove from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood that Joab shed. ³²The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he killed with the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army.³³Their blood will come back upon the heads of Joab and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, there shall be peace from the LORD forever." ³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and killed him. He was buried at his own home in the wilderness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

return: 1 Kings 2:44, Genesis 4:11, Judges 9:24, Judges 9:57, Psalms 7:16

two men: 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 20:10

more righteous: 1 Samuel 15:28, 2 Samuel 4:11, 2 Chronicles 21:13, Esther 1:19

my father: 2 Samuel 3:26, 2 Samuel 3:37

Abner: 2 Samuel 3:27

Amasa: 2 Samuel 20:10

Jether: 1 Kings 2:5, 2 Samuel 17:25, Ithra

Reciprocal: Genesis 42:22 - his blood Leviticus 20:9 - his blood Joshua 2:19 - his blood 2 Samuel 1:16 - Thy blood 2 Samuel 16:8 - returned 1 Kings 2:33 - return upon 2 Kings 4:13 - to the captain 1 Chronicles 2:17 - Amasa Proverbs 11:6 - but Ezekiel 16:52 - they are more Habakkuk 1:13 - the wicked Matthew 5:21 - and Matthew 27:25 - His Luke 6:41 - but

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head,.... By way of retaliation, blood for blood:

who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he; later named; for though they had been in open rebellion against David, yet had submitted, and were reconciled and received into favour; and even their open crimes were not so bad, Solomon judged, as his secret treacherous murders of innocent persons in cool blood; they were men of more honour and integrity than he was, not so cruel and barbarous, though guilty in other respects:

and slew them with the sword, my father not knowing [thereof]; this is observed to remove all suspicion, and which doubtless had been entertained by some, that David had an hand in their death; and that Joab did what he did with his knowledge and consent, and by his advice and order; they having been both concerned in rebellion against him, the one under Ishbosheth, and the other under Absalom:

[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: the reason of the two hosts, of which they were captains or generals, being thus distinguished, is, because the tribes of Israel were on the side of Ishbosheth, whose general Abner was, in opposition to Judah, who made David their king; and, on the other hand, they were the men of Judah that were first and chiefly in the rebellion of Absalom, whose general Amasa was; of the murder of these two men by Joab, see 2 Samuel 3:27.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shalt return his blood - i. e. “his shedding of blood.”