“The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok, the priest.  Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, ‘Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.’”-1 Kings 2:35-36 With Yo’av now gone, this paved the way […]

“Adonai will bring his blood back on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he — he killed them with the sword without my father David’s awareness: Avner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Isra’el, and ‘Amasa the son of Yeter, commander of the army […]

“In this way their blood will return on the head of Yo’av and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his family and his throne there will be peace forever from Adonai.”-1 Kings 2:33 Why, from a Torah perspective, is murder such a serious crime? It’s because unpunished murder defiles both the people and […]

“The king answered him, ‘Do what he said — strike him down, and bury him. In this way you will take away from me and my father’s family the blood which Yo’av shed for no reason.‘”-1 Kings 2:31 When we last left off, Joab was hanging onto the horns of the altar at Gibeon. Solomon’s […]

“When the news came to Yo’av, he fled to the tent of Adonai and took hold of the horns of the altar; for Yo’av had given his support to Adoniyah, even though he had not supported Avshalom.”– 1 Kings 2:28 When the second Joab heard what Solomon had done to Adonijah and Evyatar, he knew […]