1 Kings 2:31

1 Kings 2:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The king replied to him, "Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed.

Context of 1 Kings 2:31

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.” And 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 put to 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.”

1 Kings 2:31 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ עֲשֵׂה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר וּפְגַע־בּ֖וֹ וּקְבַרְתּ֑וֹ וַהֲסִירֹ֣תָ׀ דְּמֵ֣י חִנָּ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ שָׁפַ֣ךְ יוֹאָ֔ב מֵעָלַ֕י וּמֵעַ֖ל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי׃Read the interlinear

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• repliedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• just asכַּאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · as whichH834
• he saysדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• Strike him downפָּגַעpâga‛ · to fall onH6293
• and bury himקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• and so removeסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• from meעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• the innocentחִנָּםchinnâm · for nothingH2600
• bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210

Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:31

• Exodus 21:14But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
• Genesis 9:5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
• Numbers 35:33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
• Deuteronomy 19:12the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.
• Deuteronomy 21:8Accept this atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
• 2 Kings 9:26‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
• Proverbs 28:17A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit; let no one support him.
• Acts 28:4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
• 1 Kings 2:5Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
• 2 Samuel 3:28Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 2:31

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31It was only a murderer to whom the tabernacle was to be no protection (margin reference). Hence, the reference to the “innocent blood.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-34Verses 26-34 Solomon's words to Abiathar, and his silence, imply that some recent conspiracies had been entered into. Those that show kindness to God's people shall have it remembered to their advantage. For this reason Solomon spares Abiathar's life, but dismisses him from his offices. In case of such sins as the blood of beasts would atone for, the altar was a refuge, but not in Joab's case. Solomon looks upward to God as the Author of peace, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-35Solomon believed that Adonijah's main supporters, Abiathar and Joab, were still part of Adonijah's plans, so he took action against them too.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 2:31

• Government
• Homicide
• Joab

In the dictionaries

• Joab
• Curse
• Fail
• Gibeon
• Gone
• Return
• Solomon
• Abishag
• Adonijah
• Innocence; Innocency; Innocent

Commentaries on 1 Kings 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings