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Topic:
Persons Of The Bible - Joab
The name Joab means "YAHWEH is the father" in Hebrew. The
name also means Jehovah is his father or whose father is Jehovah.
Joab first appears after David's accession to the throne at Hebron.
Joab was one of the three sons of Zeruiah, David's sister, and
"captain of the host" during the whole of David's reign (2
Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father's name is nowhere
mentioned, although his sepulchre at Bethlehem is mentioned (2 Sam.
2:32). His two brothers were Abishai and Asahel, the swift of foot, who
was killed by Abner (2 Sam. 2:13-32). Asahel was the youngest brother of
Joab; and when David afterward received Abner into favor, Joab
treacherously murdered Abner. (3:22-27) Joab afterwards led the assault
at the storming of the fortress on Mount Zion, and for this service was
raised to the rank of "prince of the king's army" (2 Sam.
5:6-10; 1 Chr. 27:34). There was now no rival left in the way of Joab's
advancement, and at the siege of Jebus he was appointed for his prowess
commander-in-chief--"captain of the host." In the wide range
of wars which David undertook, Joab was the acting general. He was
called by the almost regal title of "lord," (2 Samuel 11:11)
"the prince of the king's army." (1 Chronicles 27:34) Joab's
chief military achievements were, (1) against the allied forces of Syria
and Ammon; (2) against Edom (1 Kings 11:15, 16); and (3) against the
Ammonites (2 Sam. 10:7-19; 11:1, 11). Joab's character is deeply stained
by the part he willingly took in the murder of Uriah (11:14-25). In the
entangled relations which grew up in David's domestic life Joab bore an
important part, successfully reinstating Absalom in David's favor after
the murder of Amnon. (2 Samuel 14:1-20) When the relations between
father and son were reversed by the revolt of Absalom, Joab remained
true to the king, taking the rebel prince's dangerous life in spite of
David's injunction to spare him, and when no one else had courage to act
so decisive a part. (2 Samuel 18:2,11-15) (B.C. 1023). Joab acted
apparently from a sense of duty in putting Absalom to death (18:1-14).
David was unmindful of the many services Joab had rendered to him, and
afterwards gave the command of the army to Amasa, Joab's cousin (2 Sam.
20:1-13; 19:13). The transfer of the command to Amasa, so enraged Joab
that he adroitly assassinated Amasa when pretending to welcome him as a
friend. (2 Samuel 20:10) Friendly relations between himself and David
seem to have existed afterward, (2 Samuel 24:2) but at the close of his
long life, his loyalty, so long unshaken, at last wavered. "Though
he had not turned after Absalom, he turned after Adonijah." (1
Kings 2:28) When David was dying Joab espoused the cause of Adonijah in
preference to that of Solomon. Joab was afterwards slain by Benaiah, by
the command of Solomon, in accordance with his father's injunction (2
Sam. 3:29; 20:5-13), at the altar to which he had fled for refuge. Thus
this hoary conspirator died without one to lift up a voice in Joab's
favour. Joab was buried in his own property in the
"wilderness," probably in the north-east of Jerusalem (1 Kings
2:5, 28-34). Benaiah succeeded him as commander-in-chief of the army.
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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