2 Samuel 3:26

JOAB AND ABISHAI'S MURDER OF ABNER

"When Joab came oat from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know about it. And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he smote him in the belly, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. Afterward when David heard of it, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. May it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread." So Joab and his brother Abishai slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle of Gibeon."

One may only pity David's helplessness in this situation. Much as was the case with Ishbosheth and Abner, David was dependent upon the man who commanded his army. The only difference was that Joab was loyal to what he believed to be the interests of the king, whereas Abner changed his loyalty to David.

The terrible curse which David invoked upon the house of Joab finally culminated in Solomon's slaughter of Joab between the horns of the altar, following Joab's backing of Adonijah to be the successor of David. Among David's last words, were those in which he admonished Solomon not to allow the gray hairs of Joab to go down to the grave in peace. The incredible damage to the entire history of Israel which resulted from this shameful assassination of Abner could hardly be overestimated. The eventual division of the kingdom in the reign of Rehoboam was due in part to the mistrust and hatred that followed this terribly unjust action of Joab and Abishai.

"They brought him (Abner) back from the cistern of Sirah" (2 Samuel 3:26). Josephus tell us that this place was located only, "Twenty furlongs from Hebron,"[26] that is, about two miles.

Abner was a very evil man and fully deserved to die for his long and bitter opposition to David at a time when he most certainly knew that he was opposing God's will, but that in no way justified the totally unjustifiable murder inflicted upon him by the evil hands of Joab and Abishai. "This evil deed brought upon David an evil name, and four or five more years had to elapse before the tribes could be induced to take him as their king."[27]

"One who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread" (2 Samuel 3:29) The five curses here invoked by David upon the head of Joab and upon his father's house were itemized by Willis as: "(1) gonorrhea; (2) leprosy; (3) effeminacy; (4) untimely death; and (5) hunger."[28]

David did not content himself with this imprecation against Joab; he also took further action against Joab. "During the intervening years, Joab was deprived of his office, which he regained only by an act of daring bravery (1 Chronicles 11:6)."[29]