Joab in the Bible

Story, name meaning and life lessons

In brief

Joab, son of Zeruiah, was commander of King David's army. Brave and loyal to his king, he led David's wars from Hebron to Absalom's revolt. But he killed Abner by deceit, carried out the plan that caused Uriah's death, and struck down Absalom despite David's request. At the end of the king's life, he sided with Adonijah against Solomon, and he died beside the altar on the new king's order. The lesson: great service never justifies revenge or disobedience.

What does the name Joab mean?

The name Joab is generally linked to the Hebrew Yoav, often understood as "the LORD is father." The Bible gives no explanation of the name. It presents him as the son of Zeruiah and the brother of Abishai and Asahel (2 Samuel 2:18).

The world of Joab

Joab lives under the united monarchy of Israel, in the time of King David, which the usual reckoning places around 1000 BC. After the death of Saul the country is split in two: David is anointed king over the house of Judah at Hebron, while Abner, commander of Saul's army, makes Ish-bosheth king over the rest of Israel from Mahanaim (2 Samuel 2:1-10). The war between the two houses lasts a long time. Joab belongs to the king's own family: his mother Zeruiah is a sister of David (1 Chronicles 2:16), which makes him the nephew of the man he serves. He commands an army in a fragile kingdom surrounded by Philistines, Ammonites and Syrians. When Jerusalem is taken from the Jebusites, he is the first to go up and becomes chief (1 Chronicles 11:6). To understand his story, two things must be held together. Joab is an effective soldier, often courageous, who serves David through much of his reign. But the Bible also records his murders, and the king himself admits that he cannot control him (2 Samuel 3:39). The end of David's reign, with the succession unsettled, finally prepares Joab's last choice.

The story of Joab

  1. Gibeon: twelve against twelve

    2 Samuel 2:12-32

    Abner marches out from Mahanaim with the men of Ish-bosheth, and Joab goes to meet him with the servants of David. They halt on either side of the pool of Gibeon. Abner proposes a contest: twelve young men from each side stand up, and all of them fall together, each with his sword in the other's side. The battle that follows is very fierce, and Abner is beaten. Asahel, Joab's brother, chases Abner without turning aside and is killed with a spear thrust. At sunset Abner calls to Joab to stop the pursuit. Joab blows the trumpet, and the count is nineteen men lost on David's side, besides Asahel, against three hundred and sixty on Abner's side.

  2. Joab strikes Abner at Hebron

    2 Samuel 3:22-39

    Abner comes to Hebron to propose to David that all Israel should come over to him, and the king sends him away in peace. Joab returns from a raid with great spoil and learns that the man has come and gone. He reproaches the king for letting himself be deceived, then sends messengers who bring Abner back from the well of Sirah without David's knowledge. At Hebron Joab draws him aside into the middle of the gate, as if to speak with him privately, and strikes him in the belly to avenge Asahel. David declares his innocence before Yahweh, walks behind the bier and weeps at the grave. He says that the sons of Zeruiah are too strong for him.

  3. The first to storm Jerusalem

    1 Chronicles 11:4-8

    Once David is acknowledged king by all Israel at Hebron, he marches on Jerusalem, which is Jebus. The Jebusites tell him he will not come in, but David captures the stronghold of Zion, which becomes the city of David. The king had set a reward: whoever struck the Jebusites first would become chief and captain. Joab, son of Zeruiah, goes up first, and he becomes chief. The text then adds that David builds around the city, from Millo, and that Joab repairs the rest of the city. This scene shows a Joab who serves with courage and is honored for it, long before the dark episodes of his life.

  4. Rabbah and the order against Uriah

    2 Samuel 11:1-27

    The following year, at the time when kings go out to war, David sends Joab with the whole army to besiege Rabbah, the city of the Ammonites, but he himself stays in Jerusalem. After his sin with Bathsheba he summons Uriah the Hittite, who refuses to go home while the ark and the army are camping in tents. The king then writes to Joab, sending the letter by Uriah's own hand, to set him at the front of the fiercest fighting and then withdraw from him. Joab posts Uriah where the defenders are strongest, and several men fall with him. Later Joab takes the city of waters and urges David to come and take the city, so that the glory will not be credited to Joab (2 Samuel 12:26-28).

  5. Joab brings Absalom back

    2 Samuel 14:1-33

    Joab perceives that the king's heart is turned toward Absalom, who is banished in Geshur. He brings a wise woman from Tekoa and puts into her mouth the story of a son threatened with death. The parable leads David to recognize his own case. The king understands that Joab's hand is behind it, then orders him to bring Absalom back. Joab goes to Geshur. But David refuses to see his son, who lives two years in Jerusalem without appearing before him. Absalom then has Joab's barley field set on fire to force him to come, and Joab pleads his cause until the king kisses his son.

  6. The death of Absalom and the king's grief

    2 Samuel 18:1-19:8

    During Absalom's revolt, David divides the army into three under Joab, Abishai and Ittai, and orders them before all the people to deal gently with the young man Absalom. In the forest of Ephraim, Absalom's head is caught in an oak. One man refuses to touch him because of the king's command, but Joab thrusts three spears into Absalom's heart, and ten young men who carry his armor finish him off. Joab then blows the trumpet to stop the pursuit. When David weeps for his son and the victory turns into mourning, Joab goes into his house and tells him to go out and speak to the heart of his servants, or they will all leave him.

  7. Amasa struck near Gibeon

    2 Samuel 20:4-23

    After Absalom's defeat, David sends word to Amasa, who had commanded Absalom's army, that he will be commander of the army in place of Joab (2 Samuel 19:13). During the revolt of Sheba, Amasa is told to summon Judah, but he delays beyond the time set. David sends Abishai after Sheba, followed by Joab's men. Near the great stone of Gibeon, Joab meets Amasa, asks whether he is well, takes him by the beard with his right hand as if to kiss him, and strikes him in the belly with the sword he was holding. Then he pursues Sheba to Abel Beth Maacah, where a wise woman obtains the end of the siege. Joab again commands the whole army.

  8. The census David wanted

    2 Samuel 24:1-9

    Near the end of his reign David orders Joab to number Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. Joab objects: may Yahweh make the people a hundred times as many, but why does the king want this? The king insists, and Joab and the army commanders travel the land for nine months and twenty days. Joab reports the total to the king: eight hundred thousand fighting men in Israel and five hundred thousand in Judah. Right afterward David's heart strikes him and he confesses a great sin. The Bible thus keeps from Joab a prudent counsel that the king does not heed, but also an obedience that draws the people into hardship.

  9. Joab follows Adonijah

    1 Kings 1:5-49

    When David is very old, Adonijah, son of Haggith, proclaims himself king. He confers with Joab and with the priest Abiathar, who take his side. The priest Zadok, Benaiah, the prophet Nathan and David's mighty men stay out of it. Adonijah offers a sacrifice near En Rogel and invites his brothers, but not Solomon. Meanwhile David has Solomon anointed at Gihon. Joab, at Adonijah's feast, hears the trumpet and asks why the city is in an uproar. Jonathan, son of Abiathar, announces that Solomon is king, and the guests, seized with fear, scatter. The text says later that Joab had followed Adonijah, though he had not followed Absalom (1 Kings 2:28).

  10. David's last orders and the death of Joab

    1 Kings 2:5-6,28-35

    Before dying, David reminds Solomon of what Joab did to Abner and to Amasa: he shed in time of peace the blood of war. He leaves it to Solomon to act according to his wisdom. After the death of Adonijah and the exile of Abiathar, Joab flees to the tent of Yahweh and takes hold of the horns of the altar. Benaiah relays the king's order to come out, but Joab answers that he will die there. Solomon then orders Benaiah to do as Joab said, so as to remove from his house the blood that Joab shed without cause. Benaiah strikes Joab down, he is buried in his own house in the wilderness, and Benaiah takes his place at the head of the army.

Joab's family

mother
Zeruiah 2 Samuel 2:18
brother
Abishai 1 Chronicles 2:16
brother
Asahel 2 Samuel 2:18
uncle
David, his mother's brother 1 Chronicles 2:15-16
aunt
Abigail, his mother's sister 1 Chronicles 2:16-17
cousin
Amasa, son of Abigail 1 Chronicles 2:17

What Joab teaches us

  • Efficiency in a leader's service does not replace integrity: Joab was a formidable commander, but he repeatedly acted out of revenge and deceit.
  • Carrying out an unjust order does not make you innocent: Joab placed Uriah where the fighting was fiercest, and the Bible notes that what David had done displeased the LORD.
  • Courage to tell your leader the truth is valuable, as Joab showed when David wanted to count the people, but it must go with right conduct.
  • A long record of faithfulness can be spoiled by a bad final choice: Joab, David's servant all his life, backed Adonijah against God's choice of Solomon.

Key verses

2 Samuel 3:27

Joab draws Abner aside at the gate of Hebron and strikes him in the stomach to avenge his brother Asahel. This verse shows the deceit and revenge that marked his life.

2 Samuel 18:5

The king orders Joab, Abishai and Ittai to spare Absalom, and all the people hear it. Joab nevertheless acts against that order, which reveals his hardness and his independence from his king.

1 Kings 2:31-32

Solomon explains why Joab must die: he struck down two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner and Amasa, without David knowing. The LORD brings that blood back on his head.

Bible verses to meditate on

Sermons about Joab

Frequently asked questions

Who was Joab in the Bible?

Joab, son of Zeruiah, was commander of King David's army. He fought at his side throughout his reign, from Hebron to Rabbah, and struck down Absalom. But he also killed Abner and Amasa, and he ended up backing Adonijah. Solomon had him put to death.

Why did Joab kill Abner?

The text says Joab wanted to avenge the death of his brother Asahel, whom Abner had killed at Gibeon (2 Samuel 3:27,30). Yet Abner had just left David in peace. David declared himself innocent of this blood, and Solomon recalled it at Joab's death (1 Kings 2:32).

Where is Joab's story found in the Bible?

Joab appears mostly in 2 Samuel: in chapter 2 (Gibeon), chapter 3 (the death of Abner), chapter 11 (the siege of Rabbah and the death of Uriah) and chapter 18 (the death of Absalom). His end is told in 1 Kings 2:28-35. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 19 and 21.

Was Joab related to David?

Yes, Joab was the king's nephew. The list of Jesse's children in 1 Chronicles 2:16 names two sisters of David, Zeruiah and Abigail, and says that Zeruiah had three sons: Abishai, Joab and Asahel. Joab was therefore the son of David's sister. The book of Samuel confirms the link by presenting Abigail as the sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother (2 Samuel 17:25). This kinship sheds light on several scenes. David speaks of the sons of Zeruiah as a group he cannot control (2 Samuel 3:39; 19:22). Amasa, son of Abigail, was Joab's cousin, which makes the murder of Amasa even more painful. The text says nothing more about David's feelings toward his nephews.

Why did Joab kill Amasa?

The account gives no reason in a single sentence, but the biblical context sheds light on the scene. Amasa, Joab's cousin, had been put at the head of the army by Absalom in place of Joab (2 Samuel 17:25). After Absalom's defeat, David sends word that Amasa will be commander of the army in place of Joab (2 Samuel 19:13). Later Amasa delays in summoning Judah (2 Samuel 20:5), and then he meets Joab near Gibeon. Joab greets him by asking whether he is well, takes him by the beard and strikes him in the belly. David will see in this the blood of war shed in time of peace (1 Kings 2:5), and Solomon will say that Amasa was more righteous and better than Joab (1 Kings 2:32). We must stay with what the text says.

Why did Joab kill Absalom despite David's order?

The text does not give Joab's reason, and it is better not to guess it. It reports the facts. The king had ordered, before all the people, that Absalom be treated gently (2 Samuel 18:5). A man who had seen him hanging in the oak refuses to touch him, recalling that order (2 Samuel 18:12). Joab answers that he will not waste time with him, and thrusts three spears into Absalom's heart (2 Samuel 18:14). Further on, Joab rebukes David for mourning his son in a way that shames his servants (2 Samuel 19:5-7). What is written is that he disobeyed a public command of the king. Yet the later charges brought by David and by Solomon mention only the deaths of Abner and Amasa (1 Kings 2:5,32).

Why did David not punish Joab during his lifetime?

David reacts in several ways, but he never has Joab tried. After the death of Abner he declares his innocence and calls that blood down on Joab and on his house (2 Samuel 3:28-29), then admits that he is still weak before the sons of Zeruiah (2 Samuel 3:39). Later he announces that Amasa will replace Joab at the head of the army (2 Samuel 19:13), but after Amasa's death Joab commands the whole army again (2 Samuel 20:23). Finally, on his deathbed, David reminds Solomon of what Joab did to Abner and Amasa and leaves it to his wisdom to act (1 Kings 2:5-6). The Bible does not explain these delays. It shows only that the crime is not forgotten: it returns on the lips of David, then of Solomon (1 Kings 2:32).

Why did Joab take refuge at the altar?

After the death of Adonijah and the exile of Abiathar, Joab flees to the tent of Yahweh and takes hold of the horns of the altar (1 Kings 2:28). Adonijah had made the same gesture after Solomon's anointing (1 Kings 1:50), and Solomon had spared him on condition that he show himself worthy. For Joab it is useful to compare the law of Moses: whoever acts with cunning to kill his neighbor is to be taken even from the altar to die (Exodus 21:14). Now Joab had struck Abner and Amasa by surprise. Benaiah relays the king's order to come out, Joab refuses and says he wants to die there, and Solomon orders that it be done as he said (1 Kings 2:29-31). The text does not say that Joab repented: it shows a man seeking refuge, caught up with by his past deeds.

Did Joab always obey the king?

No, and that is what makes his portrait difficult. He carries out the order to expose Uriah in battle (2 Samuel 11:16-17), although the prophet Nathan later reproaches David for having killed Uriah with the sword of the Ammonites (2 Samuel 12:9). He disobeys the order to spare Absalom (2 Samuel 18:5,14). He objects to the order to take the census, then carries it out when the king insists (2 Samuel 24:3-4). He speaks bluntly to a king who is weeping for his son, even telling him to go out and speak to the heart of his servants (2 Samuel 19:5-7). Finally, he follows Adonijah although David had sworn that Solomon would reign. In these scenes Joab acts on his own judgment, and the Bible never presents him as a model to imitate.

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