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 told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, fall upon him.” 30So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” The king said to him, “Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. 32The Lord will return his blood on his own head, because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. 33So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne, may there 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

• The kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• as he has spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• and fallפָּגַעpâga‛ · to fall onH6293
• upon him and buryקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• that you may removeסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
• from me and from my father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Joabיוֹאָבyô'âb · JoabH3097
• shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
• withoutחִנָּםchinnâm · for nothingH2600

Cross-references for 1 Kings 2:31

• Exodus 21:14If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.
• Genesis 9:5Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man.
• Numbers 35:33So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
• Deuteronomy 19:12then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
• Deuteronomy 21:8Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.
• 2 Kings 9:26‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will repay you in this property,’ says the Lord. Now then, take and cast him into the property, according to the word of the Lord.”
• Proverbs 28:17A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.
• Acts 28:4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”
• 1 Kings 2:5“Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet.
• 2 Samuel 3:28Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the 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