1 Kings 2 28

1 Kings 2:28 kjv

Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 2:28 nkjv

Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the LORD, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 2:28 niv

When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 2:28 esv

When the news came to Joab ? for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom ? Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 2:28 nlt

Joab had not joined Absalom's earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah's rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah's death, he ran to the sacred tent of the LORD and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.

1 Kings 2 verses

1 Kings 2 28 Meaning

1 Kings 2:28 describes the reaction of Joab, King David's long-serving military commander, upon learning of Solomon's consolidation of power, specifically the execution of Adonijah. Fearing for his own life due to his prior support of Adonijah's failed claim to the throne, Joab desperately fled to the Tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar, seeking sacred sanctuary. This action signifies his recognition of impending judgment and a desperate plea for mercy through traditional means of asylum.

1 Kings 2 28 Context

1 Kings chapter 2 details King David's final instructions to his son Solomon, specifically tasking him with consolidating his kingdom by dealing with key individuals who had wronged David or opposed God's chosen successor. The chapter focuses on Solomon's decisive actions to establish his throne and ensure a peaceful, legitimate transfer of power. Prior to this verse, Solomon has already banished Abiathar the priest and executed Adonijah, both for their involvement in a plot against Solomon's claim to the throne. Joab's action, then, is a direct consequence of Solomon's actions against Adonijah's faction, marking Joab as the next person on Solomon's list, largely due to David's command (1 Kgs 2:5-6). Historically, it reflects the turbulent succession common in ancient monarchies and the need for a new king to decisively remove rivals to secure his reign. It highlights the divine hand guiding Solomon's rule, ensuring justice and stability in Israel.

1 Kings 2 28 Word analysis

• When the news came to Joab:

  • "news" (Heb. shĕmû‘āh - שְׁמֻעָה): A report or rumor, specifically conveying the significant, destabilizing events of Adonijah's execution and Abiathar's banishment. It suggests these were momentous developments, likely well-known in the royal court, leading to an immediate and direct impact on Joab.
  • "came to Joab": Indicates he received direct intelligence, implying the threat was now imminent and unavoidable for him.

• for Joab had sided with Adonijah:

  • "sided with" (Heb. nāṭâh ’aḥărê - נָטָה אַחֲרֵי): Literally, "to turn after" or "to incline oneself after." This phrase denotes active and intentional support, aligning oneself with Adonijah's claim to the throne, as evidenced in 1 Kings 1:7 where he is explicitly named among Adonijah's key supporters, preparing a feast to celebrate his (false) enthronement. This act was direct insubordination to David's known desire for Solomon to be king.

• though he had not sided with Absalom:

  • "though he had not sided with Absalom": This parenthetical clause highlights Joab's complex, often self-serving, loyalty. In Absalom's rebellion, Joab, despite King David's instructions, personally executed Absalom (2 Sam 18:14-15), which was an act that, while seemingly defying David's express wish for Absalom's life, ultimately served David's political interests by crushing the rebellion definitively. This distinction may be presented as an attempt by Joab, or perhaps a mitigating factor considered by some, to imply a fluctuating allegiance or loyalty not always to the current ruler but to the perceived future stability. However, here his allegiance to Adonijah directly opposed God's established plan for Solomon, making his current "treason" distinct and unforgivable in this context.

• Joab fled:

  • "fled" (Heb. nûs - נוּס): To take flight, to escape. This word powerfully conveys his desperation, fear, and urgent need for survival, acknowledging the immediate mortal danger he faced under Solomon's reign.

• to the tent of the LORD:

  • "tent of the LORD" (Heb. ’ōhel Yahweh - אֹהֶל יְהוָה): Refers to the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary of Israel where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. At this time, it was located at Gibeon (1 Kgs 3:4). It was the designated place of God's presence, sacrifice, and spiritual atonement. Joab seeking refuge here indicates an appeal to a higher divine authority.

• and took hold of the horns of the altar:

  • "horns of the altar" (Heb. qarnôt hammizbēaḥ - קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ): These were the four projections at each corner of the bronze altar of burnt offering, which served symbolic and ritual purposes (e.g., blood smeared on them for purification in sacrifice, Lev 4:7). Gripping these horns was a traditional gesture of appealing for sanctuary and mercy, rooted in the idea that the altar, being consecrated to God, offered a place of asylum. This practice, however, was explicitly limited; the law in Exodus 21:14 stated that if a person "willfully attacks another to kill him by treachery," they were to be taken even from the altar to be put to death. Joab, being guilty of treacherous murders (Abner, Amasa), was not entitled to such sanctuary.

1 Kings 2 28 Bonus section

• The parallel with Adonijah: This is not the first instance of someone taking hold of the horns of the altar to seek sanctuary in this narrative. Adonijah himself did the same in 1 Kings 1:50-51 after his failed coup, and was temporarily granted mercy by Solomon. Joab's similar action here emphasizes his fear and the common ancient Near Eastern custom, but also foreshadows that, like Adonijah's ultimate fate, Joab's plea might also be overridden by justice.
• The distinction of the "Tent of the LORD" rather than the "Temple": At this point, the Temple had not yet been built. The Tabernacle, though venerable and divinely sanctioned, was a temporary structure, physically and ritually distinct from the permanent Temple Solomon would later erect. However, its altar still functioned as the focal point for sacrificial rites and perceived sanctuary.
• Joab's character: Joab was indispensable to David's kingdom, yet his actions (e.g., murder of Abner, Amasa, and Absalom) often showed a brutal, independent streak that was necessary for war but antithetical to peace and lawful rule. His death at the altar symbolically concludes David's charge to Solomon to establish true justice and solidify the legitimate succession, cleansing the new reign from past lawlessness.

1 Kings 2 28 Commentary

1 Kings 2:28 powerfully portrays the immediate and stark consequence of Joab's allegiance to Adonijah, highlighting the dangerous gamble he took in opposing God's chosen succession. As news of Solomon's decisive actions against Adonijah and Abiathar reached Joab, his long career as a ruthless military tactician, often operating beyond David's direct will, converged with the ultimate price. His desperate flight to the Tabernacle and grasping of the altar horns was a traditional, yet legally precarious, attempt to invoke a sacred right to asylum. This act, while showing an acknowledgment of the imminent threat, was insufficient to absolve him of capital offenses, particularly his treacherous murders of Abner and Amasa. Solomon, demonstrating unwavering resolve in establishing the stability of his divinely ordained reign as per David's charge, ultimately denied Joab this sanctuary, signifying that no man, however powerful or influential, was above God's justice or the rightful king's authority, especially concerning premeditated violence. This episode underscores the sanctity and limitations of sacred places of refuge and the inexorable nature of divine justice.