1 Kings 2:28

Contextual Overview

²⁶ And to Abiathar the priest said the king, Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death: but I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. ²⁶ Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships." ²⁶ And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. ²⁶ King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "I should kill you too, but I will allow you to go back to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God while marching with my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him." ²⁶ The king then told Abiathar the priest, "Go back to your property in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times." ²⁶ And to Abiathar the priest said the king, Depart to Anathoth, to thy own fields; for thou [art] worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted. ²⁶ To Abiathar the priest said the king, Get you to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death: but I will not at this time put you to death, because you bear the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted. ²⁶Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to Anathoth to your own fields, for you certainly deserve to die; but I will not put you to death this day, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and you suffered everything that my father endured." ²⁶ And to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father's affliction." ²⁶ Also the kyng seide to Abiathar, preest, Go thou in to Anatot, to thi feeld; and sotheli thou art a man of deeth, `that is, worthi the deeth, for conspiryng ayens me, and the ordynaunce of God, and of my fadir; but to dai Y schal not sle thee, for thou barist the arke of the Lord God bifor Dauid, my fadir, and thou suffridist trauele in alle thingis, in whiche my fadir trauelide.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Joab had: 1 Kings 1:7, Deuteronomy 32:35, 2 Samuel 18:2, 2 Samuel 18:14, 2 Samuel 18:15

caught: 1 Kings 1:50, Exodus 27:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:6 - by Exodus 21:14 - take him Numbers 35:31 - Moreover Deuteronomy 19:12 - General 2 Samuel 2:13 - Joab 1 Kings 2:6 - let 1 Kings 19:2 - So let 2 Kings 11:8 - he that cometh Ezekiel 43:15 - four horns Hebrews 6:18 - lay

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then tidings came to Joab,.... Of the death of Adonijah, and the deposition of Abiathar:

for Joab had turned after Adonijah; publicly appeared at his feast, when he was saluted king by him, and others, and privately gave him advice in the affair of Abishag:

though he turned not after Absalom; did not join with him in his rebellion, but faithfully adhered to David; and yet both in his lifetime, and after his death, acted the traitorous part in favour of Adonijah: Ben Gersom gives these words a different sense, as if he was blameworthy in both cases; that he turned after Adonijah to make him king, without consulting David, and having his consent; and he did not turn after Absalom, to deliver him from death, as David commanded him; but the former sense is best:

and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; which was at Gibeon, see 2 Chronicles 1:3; it was four miles from Jerusalem to the north, situated on an hill e; according to Josephus f, it was forty furlongs, or five miles, from it; though Kimchi thinks it was the altar in Jerusalem he fled to, which was before the ark, in the tent David made for it; but that is never called the tabernacle of the Lord, only that of Moses: Joab's fleeing hither showed guilt, and that he was in the conspiracy of Adonijah, and was conscious he deserved to die, and now expected it, since Adonijah was put to death; while he remained reprieved or pardoned, he thought himself safe, but now in danger, and therefore fled for it:

and caught hold of the horns of the altar; 2 Chronicles 1:3- :.

e Bunting's Travels, &c. p. 98. f Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joab followed the example of Adonijab (margin reference). The tabernacle was now at Gibeon 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Chronicles 16:39.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 2:28. Tidings came to Joab — He heard that Adonijah had been slain and Abiathar banished, and probably he had heard of David's dying charge to Solomon. Fearing therefore for his personal safety, he takes refuge at the tabernacle, as claiming Divine protection, and desiring to have his case decided by God alone; or perhaps a spark of remorse is now kindled; and, knowing that he must die, he wishes to die in the house of God, as it were under the shadow, that he might receive the mercy of the Almighty.